Fall ELL Assessment Update

1. Fall ELL Assessment Update September 24, 2012 TETN Event #15580 Student Assessment Division Texas Education Agency

2. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Disclaimer • These slides have been prepared by the Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency • If any slide is changed for local use, please remove the TEA footer at the bottom of the slide

3. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Topics What’s New TELPAS Updates ELL Progress Measure and TELPAS–STAAR Alignment Review of ELL Assessment Policies Key Steps to Take this Fall

4. What’s New?

5. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update STAAR L Online Tests • Beginning in spring 2013, STAAR L will be administered as an online testing program in grades 3–8 and EOC • Clarification in English and reading aloud will be provided in online interface • No test administrator-provided accommodations • Students will need headphones if testing in a group • No change to mode of testing for STAAR and STAAR Modified

6. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update December STAAR L EOC Administrations • December 2012 EOC: last STAAR L test administration to use paper test booklets • Clarification in English and reading aloud will be provided by test administrator • English Clarification Guides (ECGs) will be available for test administrators providing clarification • Use the Training on Linguistic Accommodations for the STAAR Program PowerPoint from the February 2012 TETN to train test administrators. PowerPoint is available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ell/staarl/

7. STAAR L Transition From Paper to Online Mode TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update

8. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update STAAR L Online Student Tutorial • Available starting January 2013 • Should be used to familiarize students with clarification and read aloud accommodations and standard TestNav tools • Test administration directions for spring 2013 STAAR L assessments will assume some familiarity with online interface

9. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update STAAR L Paper Administrations for Spring 2013 and Beyond • Paper test booklets (and ECGs as applicable) will be approved by TEA in rare circumstances • Accommodations that are not available in TestNav • Unavoidable technological problems that make online testing impossible • Other special situations (e.g., homebound students, JJAEPs, etc.) • Similar to TELPAS paper request process • Detailed information about STAAR L paper request process will be posted on Coordinator Manual Resources page at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/manuals/dccm/

10. STAAR L EOC Eligibility • For EOC, eligibility for STAAR L can be carried over from spring to the July and December administrations • Example: A student was in his 3rd year in U.S. schools in the 2011–2012 school year. He took STAAR L in May, but did not pass. The LPAC may carry over eligibility to both the July 2012 and December 2012 STAAR L EOC administrations. In spring 2013, however, he would be in his 4th year in U.S. schools and no longer eligible for STAAR L

11. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update ESC LPAC Training • LPAC assessment training-of-trainers TETN to be held earlier this year so that LPACs can meet and make decisions for December EOC administrations • ESCs will need to turn training around to districts earlier than in the past Fall EOC administration: December 3–14

12. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update SSI Policies SSI policies related to recent immigrant ELLs and unschooled asylees/refugees undergoing agency review Policies will be finalized and disseminated in a letter to districts in time for implementation

13. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Data Collection Changes • For this year, years in U.S. schools data collection will continue as it has in the past • Possible additional data collection that would help inform whether and how to differentiate for extenuating circumstances of ELLs in progress measure: • Unschooled ELL asylees/refugees • Other immigrant ELLs who enter U.S. with little prior schooling • First-year immigrant ELLs who enter U.S. schools late in school year • ELLs who go back and forth between U.S. and another country (gaps in continuous schooling in U.S.) within and across school years • ELLs with a disability that significantly affects growth in second language acquisition • More information will be sent to districts once decisions are finalized

14. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update TELPAS Validity and Reliability Audit for Spring 2013 • TEA will evaluate the writing domain in grades 2–12 by rescoring a statewide representative sample of student writing collections • Districts will be notified of the campuses selected for the audit in the spring • Information about rater adherence to the assessment protocol and district adherence to required training and testing procedures will be collected

15. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Standard Setting Plans • February 2012 for EOC assessments • October 2012 for grades 3–8 assessments, including STAAR Spanish for grades 3–5 • Student reports will be available for districts in January 2013

16. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Writing Student Performance in 2012 • Grade 4 Spanish writing • Narrative writing: student performance on the 2012 test was lower compared to 2011 field test-data • Expository writing: student performance on the 2012 test was better compared to 2011 field test data • English I EOC • Students performed lower than expected • Literary and expository scoring guides available on Student Assessment webpage http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/writing/

17. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update STAAR Spanish Summary ReportGrade 4 Personal Narrative RATING

18. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update STAAR Spanish Summary ReportGrade 4 Expository Writing RATING

19. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update In a Nutshell―Lower Score Range Typical Problems • Wrong or weakly matched organizational structure/form for purpose • personal narrative instead of expository • fantasy instead of personal narrative • expository instead of personal narrative • Weak, evolving, or nonexistent central idea • negatively affects focus and coherence; causes the writer to “jump” from idea to idea • Wasted space: repetition, wordiness, looping/meandering, meaningless introductions and conclusions, development that does not contribute (e.g., the “bed-to-bed” approach) • Inclusion of too many ideas for one page (26 lines) • General/vague/imprecise use of language • Essay poorly crafted • Weak written language conventions (errors evident in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and usage; lack of sentence boundaries)

20. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update In a Nutshell―Higher Score Range Typical Strengths Strong match between structure/form and purpose Explicit central (controlling) idea and sustained focus Narrow and deep development with no wasted words or space – Quality over Quantity Introduction and conclusion short but effective Specific use of language

21. TELPAS Updates

22. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update TELPAS Holistic Rating Training – Spring 2012

23. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update TELPAS Holistic Rating Training for Spring 2013 Course and calibration requirements same as last year!

24. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Holistic Rating Training Resources 2012–2013 training resources: • PowerPoint presentations (updated) • Making the ELPS-TELPAS Connection: K–12 Overview • Introductory Training on the PLDs (separate modules for K–1 and 2–12) • Grades 2–12 Writing Collection Overview • Holistic Rating Training Requirements • Educator Guide to TELPAS These resources are available on the TELPAS Resources webpage at www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ell/telpas/

25. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update TELPAS Administration • Assessment window for spring: March 18 – April 10 • Data verification window: April 11-12

26. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update TELPAS Spring Dates

27. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update TELPAS Online Reading Test Minor changes to Texas Assessment Management System Updated tutorials to be available in January to include new tools 2010 TELPAS reading released tests are currently being updated to browser-based version of TestNav and will be available at www.texasassessment.com/TELPAS/released-tests/

28. ELL Progress Measure and TELPAS-STAAR Alignment

29. STAAR and TELPAS Relationship TELPAS is aligned with the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), which target development of academic English language proficiency By supporting development of academic English, ELPS support learning of content area TEKS As part of transition to more rigorous STAAR program, TEA will examine relationship of TELPAS to STAAR and make adjustments as needed to ensure strong link between academic language proficiency assessed on TELPAS and academic language demands of STAAR Implementation of STAAR-aligned TELPAS scheduled for spring 2014 TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update

30. What might an ELL progress measure look like in Texas? Current plan: Establish a state timeframe for becoming English proficient; then establish academic performance (progress) expectations for ELLs that increase progressively based on relationship between state’s expectations for learning English (measured by TELPAS) and subject matter (measured by STAAR) Progress expectations to be annually increasing STAAR scale score expectations that culminate in STAAR Level II: Satisfactory standard at the timeframe’s “finish line” STAAR progress expectations to align with challenging but reasonable expectations for learning academic English Where the scale score expectations are set should support ability of ELLs to reach STAAR Level II standard within state-established timeframe TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update

31. Satisfactory TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update ELL Progress Measure Conceptual Model

32. Review of ELL Assessment Policies

33. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Participation in General STAAR Assessment • Taken by ELLs and other students not administered STAAR Spanish, STAAR L, STAAR Modified, or STAAR Alternate • Remember: • STAAR L is for mathematics, science, and social studies, not reading and writing • STAAR Spanish is for grades 3–5 only • Linguistic accommodations beyond testing in native language not permitted for STAAR Spanish • ELLs taking general STAAR assessments permitted some linguistic accommodations

34. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Alignment of STAAR, STAAR Spanish, and STAAR L Same: Assessed curriculum and item types STAAR blueprints for building tests Achievement standard alignment Focus on readiness for next grade level or course with goal of postsecondary readiness Differences have to do with language accessibility: STAAR Spanish uses native language to help students understand test STAAR L provides English-language accommodations to help students understand test

35. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Eligibility for STAAR Spanish and STAAR L *For STAAR L EOC tests, eligibility can be carried over from spring to the July and December administrations.

36. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update STAAR L is for… • Students who require moderate to substantial linguistic accommodation to understand the English used on STAAR mathematics, science, and social studies assessments • Students for whom clarification of word meaning in English and/or reading words aloud (in addition to potentially using a bilingual dictionary and having extra time) is important to their ability to understand challenging material written in English STAAR L is not for ELLs for whom a bilingual dictionary and/or extra time suffice. STAAR allows these linguistic accommodations.

37. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update ELL Participation in STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate • ELLs receiving special education services who meet requirements for STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate may take these assessments • Small number of ELLs • ELLs participate only on basis of disability, not second language acquisition

38. Differing Degrees of Linguistic Accommodation for STAAR STAAR Spanish: Assessment is provided in student’s native language; other linguistic accommodations not applicable TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update

39. Linguistic Accommodations Allowable on Regular STAAR TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update

40. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update STAAR Reading and Writing Dictionary Policy Grade 6 and Up For reading and writing only For all Texas students in grade 6 and up, including ELLs (new immigrants too) and students with disabilities Standard English dictionaries allowed, as well as bilingual and ESL dictionaries Policy specifies minimums and recommended numbers of dictionaries per number of students

41. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Special English I and II EOC ProvisionsTAC §101.1007 For ELLs who ― • have been enrolled in U.S. schools 3 school years or less (5 or less if qualifying unschooled asylee/refugee) and • have not yet attained TELPAS advanced high reading rating Why these provisions? In English I and II/ESOL I and II courses, these students may require substantial instructional scaffolding and linguistic adaptation not feasible on standardized language arts assessments

42. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Three Special Provisions When enrolled in English I or II/ESOL I or II course, eligible ELL shall not be required to — • include assessment score in cumulative score for graduation; • retake assessment each time it is administered if student passes course but does not achieve minimum score; or • have score count for 15% of student’s final grade Note: • Students are not exempt from test while in the course • Provisions do not apply to English III

43. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update Decision-Making Body • LPAC is responsible for obtaining teacher input and making assessment and linguistic accommodation decisions for ELLs • For ELLs served by special education, the ARD committee and LPAC work in conjunction to make these decisions • More information about procedures for LPACs and ARD committees to follow in making and documenting ELL assessment and accommodation decisions will be available from TEA ELL Assessments webpage Linguistic accommodation and assessment decisions are not“automatic;” they are made on an individual student basis in accordance with TEA administrative procedures

44. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update ELLs with Parental DenialsTAC §101.1005 (f) Reminder: These students are not eligible for special ELL assessment, accommodation, or accountability provisions • No testing in Spanish • No linguistic accommodations during testing • No English I/II EOC special provisions • No unschooled asylee/refugee provisions ELLs with parental denials may, however, use bilingual, ESL, or other allowable dictionaries as part of dictionary policy for STAAR reading and writing tests in grade 6 and up; under this policy, use of dictionaries not considered linguistic accommodation

45. Key Steps to Take This Fall

46. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update 1. Conduct ELPS and TELPAS professional development sessions • Teachers are required to implement the ELPS and content area TEKS in instruction • District and campus administrators need working knowledge of ELPS and TELPAS • TELPAS familiarization training is • good for future raters • good way to reinforce use of PLDs all year long

47. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update 2. Help support teacher use of TELPAS results and ELPS PLDs to monitor and maximize learning of English • Beginning of year: • Review ELLs’ past TELPAS results to see if making steady progress in learning English • TELPAS confidential campus student rosters include • 2 years of test scores • how long student has been in U.S. schools

48. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update 3. Help support LPAC use of TELPAS results and ELPS PLDs to monitor and maximize learning of English LPAC meetings during school year: Use previous spring’s TELPAS results and current year’s teacher input to • gauge progress in English proficiency • review and adjust linguistic accommodations used in instruction • plan for instructional interventions, if necessary • plan for linguistic accommodations during state assessment

49. Remember When implemented effectively in instruction, linguistic accommodations • accelerate learning of academic content and English • reduce length of time and degree to which substantial linguistic accommodations needed The ELPS, as measured by TELPAS, support better learning of the TEKS, as measured by TAKS and STAAR TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update

50. TEA Fall ELL Assessment Update