Preparing ELLs for the NYS English Regents and NYSESLAT Assessments

1. Preparing ELLs for the NYS English Regents and NYSESLAT Assessments Presented by: NYS Bronx BETAC NYS Brooklyn/Queens BETAC

2. Our Purpose for today • As a result of today’s meeting we will: • Identify strategies and tools to use with our students on a daily basis • Become familiar with the NYS Regents and the NYSESLAT • Unpacking • Comparing

4. Pre-Writing/Writing • Using wordless books • Using high frequency words • Expanding ELLs oral language by linking to their background knowledge • Modeling for students in a meaningful way • Must be meaning-centered • Understanding and following directions • Use of familiar themes: Cultural Connections

5. Graphic Organizers

6. Using Wordless Books

7. Uses for Wordless Books • Create audiotape from students’ written stories • Have group create a sentence per page • Have one student tell the whole class the story • Have students match teacher created sentences to the pictures

8. Unpacking the test • English Regents • http://www.nysedregents.org/testing/engre/regenteng.html • Questions: How can you facilitate the following: • Note-taking • Listening • Writing What areas do you need to address for ELLs to feel successful?

10. Components of the Englsih Regents

12. Accommodations for English Language Learners • Time extension • Separate location • Third reading of Listening Selection

13. Test Practice for English Regents http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/english/english.cfm

14. Unpacking the NYSESLAT

15. General Features General Features of the NYSESLAT: • Designed to measure English language proficiency in students identified as LEP/ELLs • Test items are selected from previously field tested items • Consists of five grade bands: K-1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12 • Assesses four language modalities: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing • Untimed • Administered annually to all LEP/ELLs in grades K-12 • Language proficiency level is classified: Beginning, Intermediate, advanced, or proficient

16. New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) A difference in the ability to “prepare” students in the NYSESLAT vs. the ELA: • NYSESLAT is a secured test • Oral production section • Writing rubrics • Untimed

17. Test Practice for NYSESLAT School Administrator’s Manual http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/nyseslat/sampler07/home.htm Training Guide for Scoring Writing 2007 http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/nyseslat/training07/wrtgintro.pdf

18. Features of the NYSESLAT and Implications for Instruction

19. What would you ask? What Graphic Organizers would you use?

20. Contact Information We hope you enjoyed this presentation. If you have any additional questions contact us: NYS Bronx BETAC at Fordham University bronxbetac@fordham.edu (718) 817-0606 Brooklyn/Queens BETAC at Long Island University Dayana.quinones@liu.edu (718) 246-6460

21. You think English is easy? • Use Up in three different sentences

22. Up It’s easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report. Enjoy reading about the many uses of UP!