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Assessing LEP Students for English Language Proficiency: 

Assessing LEP Students for English Language Proficiency Annual Texas Assessment Conference February 9, 2004 Laura Ayala Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

Session Outline: 

Session Outline RPTE New Spring 2004 Requirements for Assessing English Language Proficiency

Slide3: 

Texas Reading Proficiency Tests in English (RPTE)

Reading Levels of the Texas Assessment Program : 

Reading Levels of the Texas Assessment Program Beginning RPTE Intermediate RPTE Advanced RPTE English TAKS Reading The 4 Stair Steps

Meaning of RPTE Levels: 

Meaning of RPTE Levels Beginning Student: Has no real functional ability to derive meaning from grade-level texts in English. Intermediate Student: Can understand simplified texts on highly familiar topics but interprets English very literally. Advanced Student: Can move beyond literal interpretation of English and begin to apply abstract thinking but still has some difficulties understanding English.

Example Text: 

Example Text Roller-coaster cars are pulled to the top of the first hill by a chain. Then gravity moves the car for the rest of the ride. The plunge down the first hill builds up enough speed for the cars to get up the next hill and so on until the end of the ride.

What might a beginning student understand in English?: 

What might a beginning student understand in English? Roller-coaster cars are pulled to the top of the first hill by a chain. Then gravity moves the car for the rest of the ride. The plunge down the first hill builds up enough speed for the cars to get up the next hill and so on until the end of the ride.

In other words…: 

In other words… ___________ cars are _____ __ ___ top __ ___ first ____ __ _ _____. ____ ______ _____ ___ car ___ ___ ____ __ ___ ____. ___ _____ down __ first ____ _____ __ ______ _____ ___ ___ cars __ ___ __ ___ ____ ____ ___ __ _____ ___ end __ ___ ____.

What might an intermediate student understand in English?: 

What might an intermediate student understand in English? Roller-coaster cars are pulled to the top of the first hill by a chain. Then gravity moves the car for the rest of the ride. The plunge down the first hill builds up enough speed for the cars to get up the next hill and so on until the end of the ride.

In other words…: 

In other words… Roller-coaster cars ___ _____ __ ___ top of the first hill ___ _ _____. Then _______ moves the car for the rest of the ___. The _____ down the first hill ______ __ enough speed for the cars __ ___ __ the next hill ___ ___ __ ____ the end of the ____.

What might an advancedstudent understand in English?: 

What might an advanced student understand in English? Roller-coaster cars are pulled to the top of the first hill by a chain. Then gravity moves the car for the rest of the ride. The plunge down the first hill builds up enough speed for the cars to get up the next hill and so on until the end of the ride.

In other words…: 

In other words… Roller-coaster cars are pulled to the top of the first hill by a chain. Then gravity moves the car for the rest of the ride. The _____ down the first hill _____ __ enough speed for the cars to ___ __ the next hill and __ __ until the end of the ride.

Determining Appropriate Progress on RPTE: 

Determining Appropriate Progress on RPTE For each student, look for an annual growth rate of at least 1 proficiency level a year

RPTE and TAKS Participation : 

RPTE and TAKS Participation A LEP student in Grades 3-10 who does not reach the advanced level on RPTE by the time TAKS is required takes both RPTE and English TAKS until the LEP student scores advanced.

Carmen entered U.S. in Grade 3 and knew no English.: 

Carmen entered U.S. in Grade 3 and knew no English.

Min entered U.S. in August of Grade 5 with BEGINNING HIGH proficiency.: 

Min entered U.S. in August of Grade 5 with BEGINNING HIGH proficiency.

Jorge entered U.S. schools in Grade 1, spoke little English, and is in a bilingual program.: 

Jorge entered U.S. schools in Grade 1, spoke little English, and is in a bilingual program.

Slide18: 

New Spring 2004 Requirements for Assessing English Language Proficiency

NCLB Requirements for Assessing English Language Proficiency: 

NCLB Requirements for Assessing English Language Proficiency The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires annual statewide English language proficiency (ELP) tests in K-12 in the domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

NCLB Requirements: 

NCLB Requirements Comprehension scores must also be derived, but no separate comprehension tests are required.

Which LEP Students?: 

Which LEP Students? All K-12 students reported as LEP to PEIMS, including those LEP students with parental denials. (As with RPTE, there will only be exceptions for certain LEP students served by special education.)

What Tests Will We Use to Meet the ELP requirements?: 

What Tests Will We Use to Meet the ELP requirements? RPTE TAKS Observation Protocols

What Performance Will We Report?: 

What Performance Will We Report? 4 English language proficiency levels: Beginning Intermediate Advanced Advanced high

Slide24: 

TEA trains ESCs in Feb./Mar. ESCs train districts in Mar./Apr. Teachers assess students using observation protocols in Apr./May

Slide25: 

Districts send protocol ratings to the state contractor Districts receive student and group reports in September Schools can use results to meet Title III Sept. 30 parental notification requirements

What Is an Observation Protocol?: 

What Is an Observation Protocol? A way for teachers to holistically rate a student’s English language proficiency level based on observing the student in classroom instruction and on daily interactions with the student.

How Will Teachers Know How to Rate the Students?: 

How Will Teachers Know How to Rate the Students? For each domain, trained teachers will use a set of proficiency level descriptors to determine the proficiency level that best describes the student’s overall English acquisition level.

Some Key DescriptorsBeginning Level Students: 

Some Key Descriptors Beginning Level Students Have little or no “real world” ability to use English to learn in academic settings Can communicate very little in English; rely on “memorized” English Have a small English vocabulary characterized by high-frequency, high-need, concrete language

Some Key DescriptorsIntermediate Level Students: 

Some Key Descriptors Intermediate Level Students Have a limited ability to use English to learn in academic settings Can communicate simply in everyday, routine contexts when topics are familiar Require a high degree of linguistic simplification/accommodation Interpret English very literally

Some Key DescriptorsAdvanced Level Students: 

Some Key Descriptors Advanced Level Students Can usually handle, with support, grade-level English in academic settings Use most concrete English with ease; have more difficulty with abstract English Can go beyond literal English meanings; have an emerging ability to use higher order thinking skills in English Make occasional errors but can usually make themselves understood

Some Key DescriptorsAdvanced High Students: 

Some Key Descriptors Advanced High Students Can handle, with minimal support, grade-appropriate English in academic settings. Make infrequent errors with English vocabulary and structures Are comparable to native English-speaking peers in ability to handle familiar and unfamiliar topics, both concrete and abstract

Rationales for Observation Protocols: 

Rationales for Observation Protocols 1.Using TAKS, RPTE, and observation protocols allows for a snapshot of English language proficiency based on both traditional multiple-choice testing and direct measures of student performance.

Rationales for Observation Protocols: 

Rationales for Observation Protocols 2.They are based on daily classroom interactions with students, so they will not take up instructional time. 3.They are logistically feasible and cost effective, given our large numbers of LEP students.

Rationales for Observation Protocols: 

Rationales for Observation Protocols 4.Teachers will interact more with LEP students and observe their learning more closely. 5.The protocols will help teachers better understand the relationship between English acquisition and academic learning.

K-2 ELP Testing: 

K-2 ELP Testing OP = Observation Protocol

Grades 3-5 ELP Testing: 

Grades 3-5 ELP Testing OP = Observation Protocol R = RPTE T = TAKS

Grades 6-8 ELP Testing: 

Grades 6-8 ELP Testing OP = Observation Protocol R = RPTE T = TAKS

Grades 9-12 ELP Testing: 

Grades 9-12 ELP Testing OP = Observation Protocol R = RPTE T = TAKS (or Exit TAAS)

LEP Students Taking TAKS Writing/ELA : 

LEP Students Taking TAKS Writing/ELA Teachers will rate these students using the observation protocols. Students will receive an ELP rating of advanced high if they pass their TAKS writing/ELA test. If they fail TAKS, their rating (beginning, intermediate, or advanced) will come from their observation protocol.

Reporting Ratings : 

Reporting Ratings Each student will have a scannable rating document with demographic fields much like a TAKS answer document. Teachers will fill in student’s ELP rating for each domain: K-2: listening, speaking, reading, writing 3-12: listening, speaking, writing

What Will Be Reported Back to Schools? : 

What Will Be Reported Back to Schools? Individual student results: - English language proficiency rating for each domain, including comprehension - A composite “overall” English language proficiency rating Campus and district results

How Will the Composite Rating Be Determined? : 

How Will the Composite Rating Be Determined? By weighting performance in each domain:

What About the Comprehension Score?: 

What About the Comprehension Score? The comprehension score will be derived from the reading and listening scores.

How Will the ELP Test Results Be Used?: 

How Will the ELP Test Results Be Used? The results will be used to determine whether Texas schools meet annual federal targets for increasing the percent of LEP students who (1) make progress in learning English and (2) attain English proficiency.

Slide45: 

States establish these targets, which are called Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs).

Slide47: 

The AMAO data we report to the USDE and hold schools accountable for will be in terms of composite “overall” English language proficiency.

Summary of ELP Testing Plan: 

Summary of ELP Testing Plan The observation protocols and administration materials will be considered preliminary this spring. They will be refined as needed for future years. Plans for developing “RPTE II” are underway.