Training on Linguistic Accommodations for the STAAR TM Program TEA Student Assessment Division February 9, 2012 TETN Event #: 11747

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. 2 TEA Student Assessment Division

3 Important Note  This PowerPoint does not take the place of reading the appropriate administrative manuals and related resources on the Student Assessment Division website  In addition, this PowerPoint should be used in conjunction with the  LPAC decision-making process training PowerPoint (for information about ELL assessment policy, test participation, and linguistic accommodation decisions)  ESC testing coordinator training PowerPoint (for information about test administration procedures) TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodation Guide  Linguistic accommodation guide is principal source of linguistic accommodation information for testing personnel  Coordinators and test administrators should read and review the contents of this guide carefully  Full title of linguistic accommodation guide: Linguistic Accommodations for ELLs Participating in the STAAR Program TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Decision-Making Guide for LPACs  Details about the LPAC decision-making and documentation process are found in the 2011–2012 STAAR Decision-Making Guide for LPACs 5 TEA Student Assessment Division

Topics  Overview  Linguistic accommodations for students taking STAAR and STAAR L  Answer document coding for ELLs  STAAR and STAAR L example test items to use in training  Linguistic accommodations for students taking STAAR Modified 6 TEA Student Assessment Division

Overview 7 TEA Student Assessment Division

Review of STAAR Assessments for ELLs 8 TEA Student Assessment Division

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 9 TEA Student Assessment Division

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 10 TEA Student Assessment Division

Eligibility for STAAR Spanish and STAAR L STAAR Spanish For ELLs for whom Spanish version of STAAR is most appropriate measure of academic progress STAAR L ELLs for whom all of these apply may take STAAR L:  STAAR Spanish not most appropriate measure of academic progress (or does not exist at student’s grade)  Student has not yet attained advanced high TELPAS reading rating  Student is within first 3 years in U.S. schools (unless unschooled asylee/refugee, then first 5) 11 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR L  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  STAAR L is not for ELLs for whom a bilingual dictionary and/or extra time suffice. STAAR allows these linguistic accommodations  STAAR L is for 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 12 TEA Student Assessment Division

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 13 TEA Student Assessment Division

Differing Degrees of Linguistic Accommodation for STAAR STAAR Spanish: Assessment is provided in student’s native language; other linguistic accommodations not applicable 14 TEA Student Assessment Division

ELLs with Parental Denials TAC § (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 15 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations 16 TEA Student Assessment Division

About Linguistic Accommodations  Linguistic accommodations are language supports that decrease the language barrier ELLs experience when learning and demonstrating knowledge and skills in English  Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) require that all teachers linguistically accommodate the instruction of ELLs according to students’ English language proficiency levels  STAAR linguistic accommodation policies support these ELPS requirements 17 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations in Instruction  Support learning of both subject matter and English  Are expected to change and be needed less often as students learn more English  Are monitored and adjusted by teachers as students learn more English 18 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations During State Assessment  Not all accommodations suitable for instruction are allowable during state assessments  Accommodations in instruction are designed to foster and support learning  STAAR measures degree to which students have met curriculum and performance standards  Accommodations during assessment must not alter what is fundamentally assessed  Issues of test standardization and test administration logistics must be considered during state assessments 19 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Linguistic Accommodation Eligibility Criteria  Made on individual student basis by LPAC  Decisions must be based on —  student’s particular needs for second language acquisition support  whether student is routinely provided the accommodation in instruction and testing  Providing unfamiliar accommodations may hinder rather than help student 20 TEA Student Assessment Division

Role of LPAC  Preparing for Test Administrations 21 TEA Student Assessment Division

 LPACs are responsible for coordinating with subject area teachers to make linguistic accommodation decisions in accordance with the eligibility criteria; the LPAC’s role should not be simply to process paperwork  The LPAC process provides opportunities for guiding teachers, supporting ELPS and TEKS implementation, and determining needs for teachers’ professional development 22 TEA Student Assessment Division

Coordination Between LPAC and Testing Coordinators  Testing coordinators and LPACs must coordinate so that participation and accommodation decisions are available in time to make testing arrangements  More ELLs likely to take STAAR L than occurred with LAT  Remember, linguistic accommodations not just for STAAR L 23 TEA Student Assessment Division

Organizing Test Sessions  Do not test STAAR L students with STAAR, STAAR Spanish, or STAAR Modified students  Students taking STAAR (and STAAR Spanish) may be tested together if session conducted in way that keeps students from being confused or disturbed by differences in directions or linguistic accommodations provided 24 TEA Student Assessment Division

 Individual or small group administrations necessary  Test administrators respond to student requests for reading text aloud and clarifying word meaning  Test administrators who provide clarification of word meaning should be ―  familiar with the subject matter assessed and linguistic needs of the students, and  work routinely with the students in assisting with or delivering instruction 25 TEA Student Assessment Division

Preparing ELLs for Testing with Linguistic Accommodations  In training test administrators with ELLs in their sessions, make sure to review this section of test administrator manuals  Administration “SAY” directions assume ELLs have been told in advance  how their sessions will be conducted  what type of accommodations they may receive 26 TEA Student Assessment Division

Helping ELLs Understand Test Directions  For all tests, ELLs may be helped to understand “SAY” directions and test booklet directions that introduce test sections or item formats. TA is allowed to: o paraphrase o translate o repeat o read directions aloud  TA is not allowed to add directions that are substantively different (no pointers, no test-taking strategies, etc.)  STAAR tests have no sample items; familiarize new ELLs with item formats ahead of time using released items on TEA website 27 TEA Student Assessment Division

Assessing New Immigrants Who Know Little English  In isolated situations in which completing an assessment is not in best interest of student (e.g., newly arrived ELL who knows too little English), campus coordinator, with other appropriate personnel, may decide to submit test for scoring without requiring student to complete test  Score code is “S”  Circumstances should be documented and communicated to student’s parents after test administration 28 TEA Student Assessment Division

Affective Needs of ELLs Recently Arrived ELLs  Meeting affective needs of ELLs who are new to the U.S. is important in instruction and testing  Sending encouraging, calm vibrations goes a long way  Help new ELLs look at first year of test results as good information to use in setting and meeting goals for following year All ELLs  Encourage practices that involve all ELLs in setting and reaching goals for English acquisition and academic achievement 29 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations for Students Taking STAAR and STAAR L 30 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations STAAR *Dictionary access to be provided for all students in grade 6 and up as part of STAAR dictionary policy 31 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations STAAR L 32 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR and STAAR L Linguistic Accommodations― Dictionaries 33 TEA Student Assessment Division

Dictionaries as a Linguistic Accommodation  Four categories:  Bilingual dictionary  English/ESL dictionary  Non-English monolingual dictionary  Picture dictionary 34 TEA Student Assessment Division

Bilingual Dictionary  Allowable for STAAR and STAAR L (any subject)  Linguistic accommodation for  math, science, social studies (all grades)  grades 3–5 reading and grade 4 writing  Reminder: Allowed for grade 6 and up reading and writing as part of STAAR dictionary policy (and not considered a linguistic accommodation)  Used to translate words (and sometimes common phrases) from one language to another  Bilingual dictionaries that include pictures are fine as long as they do not illustrate content terminology or concepts 35 TEA Student Assessment Division

Bilingual Dictionary Examples of translated words — English to Spanish (useful when reading in English) evenly uniformemente; imparcialmente, equitativamente live broadcast emisión en directo photosynthesis fotosíntesis Examples of translated words — Spanish to English (useful when writing in English) cita appointment, meeting; date; quotation decepcionar disappoint débil weak 36 TEA Student Assessment Division

Bilingual Dictionary Example entry — English to Spanish age [ eId Ʒ ] noun (general) edad; old age vejez; (period) época; (fam: long time) we waited for ages esperamos una eternidad; verb envejecer The Spanish translation for the word “age,” which seems like a simple word in English, has multiple meanings and is a different word in each case. 37 TEA Student Assessment Division

English/ESL Dictionary  Allowable for STAAR reading and writing only; not other STAAR subjects; not STAAR L  Linguistic accommodation below grade 6  Reminder: Allowed for grade 6 and up reading and writing as part of STAAR dictionary policy (and not considered a linguistic accommodation)  Unlike bilingual dictionaries, English dictionaries contain definitions of English words  ESL dictionaries define words using simpler English  Some dictionaries (e.g., children’s dictionaries, ESL dictionaries) include some pictures 38 TEA Student Assessment Division

Other Allowable Dictionaries – Non-English Monolingual Dictionary and Picture Dictionary Non-English Monolingual Dictionary  Allowable for STAAR reading and writing only  Linguistic accommodation in grade 3 and up  Single-language standard (definition) dictionary in a language other than English (e.g., dictionary of Spanish language; dictionary of Vietnamese language)  Would likely need to be used in combination with other dictionaries; this requires skill and experience 39 TEA Student Assessment Division

Other Allowable Dictionaries – Non-English Monolingual Dictionary and Picture Dictionary Picture Dictionary  Allowable for STAAR reading and writing only  Linguistic accommodation in grade 3 and up  Conveys word meaning through drawings or photos; includes only words that can be pictured  May be monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual (may show picture plus word in one language or more than one language)  Contains small body of words; has limited usefulness as stand-alone linguistic accommodation 40 TEA Student Assessment Division

Allowable and Nonallowable Formats Within four categories of allowable dictionaries, keep in mind the following guidelines:  Paper and electronic dictionary formats (including hand- held electronic devices) are permitted  Electronic devices:  must not be Internet-based (it is not sufficient to disable Internet)  any features that allow entering and saving text or uploading files must be cleared before and after test administration  if device has additional capabilities (e.g. calculator) that cannot be disabled, the test administrator must actively monitor to ensure that these features are not accessed 41 TEA Student Assessment Division

Allowable and Nonallowable Formats  Subject-specific/topic-specific dictionaries (e.g., science dictionaries, academic language dictionaries, etc.) are not permitted  Bilingual dictionaries must be word/phrase translation dictionaries only; must not define words or illustrate or explain content terminology or concepts  Bilingual, ESL, and standard monolingual dictionaries that contain occasional pictures are acceptable as long as the pictures do not illustrate content terminology or concepts 42 TEA Student Assessment Division

Allowable and Nonallowable Formats  Electronic devices that translate beyond the level of words and set phrases are not considered bilingual dictionaries and are not permitted  Only dictionaries by reputable dictionary publishing companies should be used (no dictionaries produced by school districts, service centers, etc.)  A state list of approved dictionaries will not be issued 43 TEA Student Assessment Division

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 44 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Reading and Writing Dictionary Policy Grades 6 and Up Policy document notes regarding ELLs:  Provide in accordance with ELL’s needs and how much used in instruction and classroom testing  For ELLs who depend heavily on them, recommendation is one dictionary per student  More than one type of allowable dictionary may be provided to an ELL (or to any student)  See dictionary policy under STAAR Specific Resources at 45 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR and STAAR L – Other Linguistic Accommodations 46 TEA Student Assessment Division

Extra Time (Same Day) as a Linguistic Accommodation  Allowable for STAAR (any subject or course) and STAAR L  Enables ELL to have extra time within regularly scheduled school day to complete assessment  Does not mean ELL must take all day; means student may have additional time needed within school day  LPAC does not need to predetermine and document a specific amount of extra time a student could need; LPAC needs only document that student needs extra time  Not automatically allowed for all ELLs  See eligibility criteria next slide 47 TEA Student Assessment Division

Extra Time (Same Day) Specific Eligibility Criteria  Routine use in specified contexts: ELL must need and routinely be provided extra time when completing assignments and assessments that require substantial comprehension or use a substantial amount of English  Second language acquisition needs: Needs must relate to second language acquisition factors, that is, the time the ELL needs to read meaningfully in English (or write a response, as applicable to subject assessed) as a function of learning the English language  Nonfactors: Factors that are not ELL-specific must not be considered, such as test anxiety, use of test strategies, or other reasons not related to second language acquisition 48 TEA Student Assessment Division

 Allowable for STAAR L, not STAAR  Enables student to ask test administrator to clarify meaning of eligible words and phrases  Provided on per request basis only  Test administrator may use simpler English, pictures, and/or gestures TEA Student Assessment Division 49

 Test administrator is not permitted to define, explain, or illustrate content terminology or concepts assessed  Note: When clarifying the meaning of words, test administrators may reference a dictionary and are not required to give definitions or explanations from memory TEA Student Assessment Division 50

Clarification in English of Word Meaning – Math, Science, Social Studies  Secure English Clarification Guide (ECG) provided for test administrators to use with this accommodation  Contains instructions and secure list of words in each test item that are not eligible for clarification  Unlike LAT LSGs, does not contain suggested clarifications  For test administrator use only; not for students 51 TEA Student Assessment Division

Clarification in English of Word Meaning – Writing Prompts  Allowable for STAAR writing: grades 4, 7, English I-III  On per student request basis only, test administrator may clarify meaning of words and phrases on writing prompt page (NOTE: For reading excerpt in English III analytical writing prompt, only occasional single words in may be clarified)  Before providing clarification, test administrator should ask whether student has looked up word in dictionary; clarification can be provided to students who still need assistance after using dictionary  Grade 4 writing: This requirement does not apply if student is not using dictionary as linguistic accommodation 52 TEA Student Assessment Division

Clarification in English of Word Meaning – Writing Prompts  Test administrator may use simpler English, pictures, and/or gestures  Test administrator is not permitted to reinforce or emphasize any information on prompt page or assist with planning, organizing, or writing of composition  Note: When clarifying the meaning of words, test administrators may reference a dictionary and are not required to give definitions or explanations from memory 53 TEA Student Assessment Division

 Allowable for STAAR English I-III reading  On per student request basis only, test administrator may clarify meaning of words/phrases in short-answer questions  Before providing clarification, test administrator should ask whether student has looked up word in dictionary; clarification can be provided to students who still need assistance after using dictionary  Clarification is not permitted for  language arts terms  words/phrases that are part of selection title  words/phrases that are quoted from selection 54 TEA Student Assessment Division

 Test administrator may use simpler English, pictures, and/or gestures  Test administrator is not permitted to reinforce or emphasize any part of information or assist with planning, organizing, or writing of response  Note: When clarifying the meaning of words, test administrators may reference a dictionary and are not required to give definitions or explanations from memory 55 TEA Student Assessment Division

Reading Aloud of Text – Math, Science, Social Studies  Allowable for STAAR L, not STAAR  Enables ELLs to ask test administrator to read aloud words, phrases, or occasional sentences in a test item  Provided on per student request basis only  Includes words in stem, question, answer choices, and any stimuli (e.g., map, diagram, etc.) 56 TEA Student Assessment Division

Reading Aloud of Text – Math, Science, Social Studies  Voice inflection must be kept neutral  Numbers, symbols, and abbreviations can be read aloud as long as doing so does not invalidate what item is testing Grade 3 Math:  As standard test administration procedure, all grade 3 students are permitted to receive reading (decoding) assistance on this assessment  LPACs do not need to predetermine and document the need for this assistance 57 TEA Student Assessment Division

Standard Test Administration Procedures  Flexible/frequent breaks  As standard practice test administrators may give all students restroom breaks or short mental breaks as needed  Whether testing within 4-hour limit or with extra time, the test administrator should be aware that some ELLs may need more frequent or flexible breaks than other students  For ELLs testing within the 4-hour time limit, the clock does not stop for these breaks 58 TEA Student Assessment Division

Standard Test Administration Procedures  Clarification/translation of test administration directions  As standard procedures for STAAR, any ELL is allowed assistance in understanding the directions that are read aloud before the test (“SAY” directions) and any directions that introduce a particular test section or item format  Test administrator may paraphrase, translate, repeat, or read aloud these types of directions at student request  Test administrator must not add directions that are substantively different (e.g., give pointers or remind students about using strategies) 59 TEA Student Assessment Division

Answer Document Coding for ELLs 60 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodation Summary (3–8 and EOC) *Dictionaries are linguistic accommodations on reading and writing tests (English versions) in grades 3–5 only; in grade 6 and up, they are part of dictionary policy for all students 61 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations—LA Column STAAR, STAAR Spanish, or STAAR L all use same answer document Know your policies:  Writing/Reading: Ling. accommodations are for all eligible ELLs, not just students taking STAAR L in other subjects  STAAR Spanish: No ling. accommodations ever to be marked  Math: If STAAR (not STAAR L), only BD and XT allowed March March Gr 4 Writing Gr 5 Math & Reading 62 TEA Student Assessment Division

Answer Document Coding  In the “LA” (linguistic accommodations) column, mark the linguistic accommodations that were predetermined and documented by the LPAC (even if a student does not use all the accommodations) 63 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR and STAAR L Example Items for Training Test Administrators Providing Linguistic Accommodations 64 TEA Student Assessment Division

Review of ECG Instructions  ECG instructions page will be posted for training purposes  Because ECGs are secure documents, reviewing instructions in posted version will help familiarize test administrators with using ECG  Instructions will be accessible from 65 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR L Item Examples – Math, Science, Social Studies 66 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR L Example 1: Chemistry EOC  Clarification in English of word meaning  Bilingual Dictionary 67 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR L Example 2: World Geography EOC  Clarification in English of word meaning  Reading aloud 68 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR L Example 3: Grade 8 Math  Clarification in English of word meaning  Reading aloud 69 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR L Example 4: Grade 5 Math  Reading aloud 70 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR L Example 5: U.S. History EOC  Reading aloud  Bilingual dictionary 71 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Item Examples – Reading and Writing (Including English I–III) 72 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Example 1: Grade 7 Writing (Expository) Clarification of Word Meaning in Writing Prompt 73 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Example 2: English III Writing (Analytical) Clarification of Word Meaning in Writing Prompt 74 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Example 3: English I Reading Clarification of Word Meaning in Short-Answer Reading Questions 75 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations for Students Taking STAAR Modified 76 TEA Student Assessment Division

Linguistic Accommodations STAAR Modified *Unique to STAAR Modified **Dictionary access to be provided for all students in grade 6 and up as part of STAAR dictionary policy 77 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Modified  STAAR policies for the following accommodations also apply to STAAR Modified:  Bilingual dictionary  English dictionary (standard or ESL)  Monolingual dictionary in languages other than English  Picture dictionary  Extra time 78 TEA Student Assessment Division

Clarification in English of Meaning of Words in Test Items  Allowable for all STAAR Modified subjects/courses  Provides same type of clarification as STAAR L and STAAR with following exceptions:  Allowed on multiple-choice items in reading and writing  Writing: Test administrator must be careful not to clarify word meaning in a way that cues answers to items testing spelling, mechanics, and grammar  Example: Test administrator is not permitted to clarify the meaning of tested words in item assessing homonyms 79 TEA Student Assessment Division

Clarification in English of Meaning of Words in Test Items  Math, science, social studies: no ECG provided for STAAR Modified  Language simplification is part of development process of STAAR Modified; test administrators may provide additional clarification at request of student 80 TEA Student Assessment Division

Clarification in English of Meaning of Words in Test Items  Test administrators should be trained using the STAAR L math, science, and social studies example items as reference for the types of words that are not eligible for clarification  Test administrators are not permitted to clarify or otherwise explain content terminology or concepts, or provide any assistance that aids the student in finding a correct answer  Note: When clarifying the meaning of words, test administrators may reference a dictionary and are not required to give definitions or explanations from memory 81 TEA Student Assessment Division

Clarification in English of Meaning of Words in STAAR Modified Reading and Writing Selections  At request of student, test administrator may clarify meaning of occasional words and phrases in STAAR Modified reading and writing selections  Test administrator not permitted to clarify meaning of entire sentences or longer portions of text  Test administrator may use simpler English, pictures, and/or gestures 82 TEA Student Assessment Division

Clarification in English of Meaning of Words in STAAR Modified Reading and Writing Selections  Test administrator must not provide assistance that aids the student in determining correct answers to test questions  Note: When clarifying the meaning of words, test administrators may reference a dictionary and are not required to give definitions or explanations from memory 83 TEA Student Assessment Division

Clarification in English of Meaning of Words in STAAR Modified Reading and Writing Selections  Reading selections: Test administrator must not clarify the meaning of vocabulary, expressions, or other phrasing specifically assessed in a test question  Writing selections: Test administrator must not clarify meaning in a way that provides cues related to spelling, mechanics, or grammar. For example, if a student requests clarification of the meaning of the misspelled word sugest in an editing selection, the test administrator must not comment on the misspelling when clarifying the meaning 84 TEA Student Assessment Division

 Allowable for all STAAR Modified subjects/courses  Same as read-aloud accommodation for STAAR L, with following exceptions:  Extended to test items for reading and writing.  Writing: Only single words (not phrases or sentences) in multiple-choice questions may be read aloud. Test administrator must be careful not to read aloud words that would aid students in determining answers to test questions  For example, words in answer choices that assess spelling must be pronounced correctly even if there is a difference in pronunciation between the misspelled and correctly spelled word 85 TEA Student Assessment Division

NOTE:  Oral administrations: For reasons associated with their particular disabling condition, some students taking STAAR Modified tests may be eligible for an oral administration of test questions (exception: no oral administration of writing test questions). In such a case, oral administration guidelines should be followed  Writing prompts: Keep in mind that test administrators may read aloud all information on the prompt page as a standard STAAR Modified administration procedure 86 TEA Student Assessment Division

 Reading selections: At request of student, test administrator may read aloud occasional words or phrases in a reading test selection. Sentences and longer portions of text must not be read aloud  Writing selections: At request of student, test administrator may read aloud occasional single words. Reading aloud phrases or longer portions of text is not permitted. Correct pronunciation should be used in reading a misspelled word aloud  NOTE: Test administrators read aloud the title and prereading text above STAAR modified reading and writing selections to all STAAR Modified students as part of standard test administration procedures 87 TEA Student Assessment Division

 Allowable for all STAAR Modified subjects/courses  At request of student, test administrator may orally translate a word, term, phrase, or occasional sentence that student does not understand  Test administrator is not permitted to define or explain content terminology, concepts, or skills assessed. Test administrator is permitted only to give equivalent word or words in other language 88 TEA Student Assessment Division

 Examples:  If a Spanish-speaking student requests assistance with the meaning of the word sodium in an item, the test administrator may say the equivalent term sodio  If the student asks what row means in a sentence in which the context refers to rowing a boat, the test administrator may say remar  In translating, test administrator must not provide assistance that cues correct answers 89 TEA Student Assessment Division

Bilingual Glossary (Word List)  Allowable for all STAAR Modified subjects/courses  Students may use locally developed or other customized bilingual glossary to find the translation of words they have difficulty understanding in English  Glossary must not include definitions, explanations, examples, or pictures that will aid students in understanding content terminology, concepts, or skills assessed  Only native-language equivalents are allowed  Example: It would be appropriate to translate square inch as pulgada cuadrada in Spanish in a bilingual glossary. It would not be appropriate to define what a square inch is or to include a picture of a square inch 90 TEA Student Assessment Division

STAAR Modified example items for training to be posted to Accommodation Resources page at 91 TEA Student Assessment Division

For More Information  This PowerPoint is posted on the Accommodation Resources page of the Student Assessment Division website at  For additional ELL assessment information —  go to and click on English Language Learner Assessments or  consult with a coordinator from your district or education service center  If further assistance is needed, contact the TEA Student Assessment Division  (512)  92 TEA Student Assessment Division