1. Looking at ACCESS Data for ELLs
Offices of Multilingual Curriculum and Programs
&
Accountability
The School District of Philadelphia
November 6, 2012

2. Desired Outcomes (Morning)
Draw conclusions from 2012 ACCESS data.
Understand how to best use the information included in WIDA Teacher Reports.
Utilize the Data Driven Dialogue protocol to understand ACCESS data of our students.

3. Turn & Talk
At which proficiency level (1 to 6) do you believe the majority of ELLs in The School District of Philadelphia scored on the 2012 ACCESS ?
Which domain (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) do you believe students perform the strongest/weakest according to 2012 ACCESS scores?
3) What are your predictions about how ACCESS scores in 2011 compare to ACCESS scores in 2012?
These questions serve as an “anticipatory guide” for viewing the district-wide ACCESS data. Using an “anticipatory guide” is a great before-reading or before-viewing strategy that teachers can use with students.
After teachers discuss the questions in pairs/groups, facilitator gets a few teachers to share ideas for each question

5. Districtwide Total # in Levels, 2012
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Overall
12082
12062
12073
12041
12005
Entering
1108 (9%)
1821 (15%)
2350 (19%)
1726 (14%)
1611 (13%)
Emerging
1315 (11%)
2005 (17%)
2406 (20%)
2424 (20%)
1991 (17%)
Developing
2181 (18%)
1744 (15%)
2171 (18%)
4433 (37%)
3643 (30%)
Expanding
2664 (22%)
1854 (15%)
1622 (13%)
2889 (24%)
2861 (24%)
Bridging
2864 (24%)
1287 (11%)
2237 (19%)
547 (4.5%)
1540 (13%)
Reaching
1950 (16%)
3351 (28%)
22 (0.2%)
359 (3%)
Total # Tested
These are the actual numbers of students who have a score in each domain in various proficiency levels.
Focus on the writing scores—2011 only had 17 students score level 6, 2012 shows a slight increase in writing scores for level 4, 5, and 6.

6. Scale Score & Proficiency Level
Teacher Report
Grade & Tier
Scale Score & Proficiency Level
Top table provides the student’s demographic information
Middle table gives the student’s performance in terms of scale score and proficiency level in each of the 4 primary domains and 4 composite domains. There is a confidence band across the scale score.
The bottom set of tables provides the raw scores by WIDA English Language Proficiency standards (social & instructional, ELA, math, science, and social studies) The number of items assessed in each of the standards and their levels of difficulty vary across the standards. Therefore, raw scores are not a good metric to compare performance across the standards.
Raw Scores

7. Pay attention to scores in each domain!
Look at the proficiency levels in the blue reports. How would you support these students?
BE SURE TO NOTE THAT THE TWO REPORTS HAVE THE SAME COMPOSITE SCORE—BUT VERY DIFFERENT SCORES IN EACH DOMAIN. Look at speaking, oral language, comprehension in particular. J. Gon. would fool many speakes because his speaking is so high, but look at reading and comprehension where he is very low.
Turn & Talk

8. Teacher Report Digging Deeper
What is the difference between the scale score and the proficiency level?
Proficiency level is a starting point for instructional planning and collaboration.
Scale-scores give more details/ideal for determining growth (from year to year)
The proficiency level scores are interpretive scores. That is, they are an interpretation of the scale scores. They describe student performance in terms of the six WIDA language proficiency levels (1-Entering, 2-Beginning/Emerging*, 3-Developing, 4-Expanding, 5-Bridging, and 6-Reaching.) You can compare proficiency levels across domains.
*WIDA is using both terms for this level—don’t be confused!
Scale scores allow raw scores across grades and tiers to be compared. Scale scores are ideal for tracking growth—but not for comparing across domains. Do not compare a listening scale score to a reading scale score!

9. Scale Score & Proficiency Level
Look at the yellow reports.
Did the student improve in writing?
Look at the writing score—the scale score increase from 404 to 409—however, the proficiency level decreased, from 4.3 to 4.2—use scale score to determine growth NOT proficiency level There was growth (minimal) in writing.
Turn & Talk

10. PA expects ELLs to increase their overall proficiency level by
PA expects ELLs to increase their overall proficiency level by .6 every year. This is one of the three parts in determining AMAO. How do you determine if your students are making sufficient progress in their language proficiency?
Participants discuss the question

11. An alternative measure…
WIDA Consortium has pooled the data from 1 million test takers at various grade levels and language proficiency levels to establish trends in scale score growth.
1, 000, 000
WIDA has examined the growth trends of 1 million test takers between two consecutive years and has provided the information to all the states in the consortium. This allows you to compare your ELLs growth to the growth of 1 million other ELLs and can help you determine how your ELLs are growing comparably to other ELLs.

12. ADD TABLE WITH scale score growth data
“Some of you may remember this chart from last year. Think about your own experiences learning a language and teaching another language. What do you notice on this chart?” HINT: compare the top to the bottom.
Give participants time to review the data table.
The scale score growth trend supports the statement that “lower is faster” “higher is slower”--;look at the table and notice the growth is much higher in lower levels (level 1 and 2) and also much higher growth in younger grades.
This trend will be updated often by WIDA and the new data will be provided to member states.
More detailed graphs and info about this can be ed to interested participants.

13. Growth on Access Lower is Faster Younger is Faster Higher is Slower
After discussion of previous slide show this slide and say that there is research to confirm that-----lower is faster and higher is slower.
For lower levels of language proficiency and younger age, the growth is faster.
For higher levels of language proficiency and older students, the growth is slower.
Higher is Slower
Older is Slower

14. Compare the scale scores
Look at your green reports and consider the Scale Score Growth Data sheet. What growth do you see?
Now we will focus on individual students to determine who is making growth and who is not. To do this we need ACCESS data for two consecutive years.
Look at the composite score of student: SAG
–in 2009 he/she scored 3.0
-in 2010 he/she scored 3.7—more than .6 growth for AMAO target
-in 2009 scale score was 325
-in 2010 scale score was 351
-Scale score growth is 26 points—Is this enough? Look at scale score growth table
Why use scale-score?
Scale score, since it is an interval scale (just as a ruler is a representation of an interval scale—distance between 4.5 cm and 5.5 cm is the same as the distance between 6.8 cm and 7.8 cm) and also finer grained.
Turn & Talk

15. ADD TABLE WITH scale score growth data
Level in 1st year
Grade in 1st year

16. Data Driven Dialogue Protocol
Phase I: Predictions
I assume…
I predict…
I wonder…
My questions/expectations are influenced by…
Some possibilities for learning that this data may present…
“You are going to get scale score growth data for your school. Before you do, make these predictions and write your predictions on chart paper (chart paper should be divided into three sections—predictions, observations, inferences)”
Before the end of phase I—every groups should have at least one predictions written down on chart paper!
15 minutes

17. Data Driven Dialogue Protocol
Phase II: Observations
I observe that…
Some patterns/trends that I notice…
I’m surprised that I see…
Review this slide first. Then pass out the data.
Before the end of phase II, each groups should have at least 2 observations written on chart paper
JUST THE FACTS!
Because… Therefore.. However…
30 minutes

18. Data Driven Dialogue Protocol
Phase III: Inferences
I believe the data suggests…because…
Additional data that would help me verify/confirm my explanations is…
-Groups discuss inferences for first 15 minutes. “Now you can go beyond the facts and use these stems to help you”
-At end of Phase III, each group should have inferences that synthesize their data-analysis and state how they will respond to the data as teachers (e.g. I will incorporate more listening tasks in my lessons in order to gather more data on listening and then create activities to practice this skill more)
I will address the needs implied in the data by…
30 minutes

19. Carousel Activity
1) Review your predictions, observations, and inferences & post your chart paper on the wall (15 minutes)
2) Walk around the room and view other groups’ conclusions (15 minutes)
3) Whole group discussion (15 minutes)
-Each group reviews their predictions, observations, and inferences
-Post chart paper on the wall
-Allow participants to walk around and view other groups’ conclusions (give 15 minutes)
-After 15 minutes, ring bell or flash lights—everyone goes back to his/her seat
-Facilitator leads a discussion about their conclusions, what they noticed that surprised them, what future steps they will take, how this data will inform their instructions, etc

20. Desired Outcomes (Afternoon)
Read and discuss WIDA Features of Academic Language
Analyze and discuss features of academic language represented in two authentic samples
Review/Learn how to administer and score the Speaking portion of the ACCESS test
Review general procedures for administering ACCESS and complete the WIDA Speaking Quiz

21. WIDA Features of Academic Language
WIDA Standards are now referred to as
A) English Language Development Standards
B) English Language Proficiency Standards
C) English Language Criteria
D) English Language Academic Strands
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D)

22. WIDA Features of Academic Language
2) The criteria used to define the levels of language development include all of the following except A) Linguistic Complexity B) Language Forms & Conventions C) Organization & Style D) Vocabulary Usage
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D)

23. WIDA Features of Academic Language
3) Which of the following explains the richness of experience and student background that makes learning more relevant? A) Psychosocial context B) Sociocultural context C) Data-driven context D) Narrative context
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D)

24. WIDA Features of Academic Language
4) WIDA now distinguishes their performance definitions by
A) Productive Language v. Receptive Language
B) Academic Language v. Social Language
C) Cognitive Language v. Interpersonal Language
D) Digital Language v. Analog Language
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D)

25. WIDA Features of Academic Language
5) The features of Linguistic Complexity include all of the following except A) Organization & cohesion B) Structure of speech/text C) Conventions & mechanics D) Variety of sentence types
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D)

26. WIDA Features of Academic Language
WIDA website
Click on link
Hover over “Standards & Instruction” tab
Click “English Language Development
Scroll midway down and click the “2012 Amplification Overview Tutorial” link
Play slide 5 to 10.

27. WIDA Features of Academic Language
WIDA Standards are now referred to as
A) English Language Development Standards
B) English Language Proficiency Standards
C) English Language Criteria
D) English Language Academic Strands
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D) 27

28. WIDA Features of Academic Language
2) The criteria used to define the levels of language development include all of the following except A) Linguistic Complexity B) Language Forms & Conventions C) Organization & Style D) Vocabulary Usage
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D) 28

29. WIDA Features of Academic Language
3) Which of the following explains the richness of experience and student background that makes learning more relevant? A) Psychosocial context B) Sociocultural context C) Data-driven context D) Narrative context
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D) 29

30. WIDA Features of Academic Language
4) WIDA now distinguishes their performance definitions by
A) Productive Language v. Receptive Language
B) Academic Language v. Social Language
C) Cognitive Language v. Interpersonal Language
D) Digital Language v. Analogue Language
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D) 30

31. WIDA Features of Academic Language
5) The features of Linguistic Complexity include all of the following except A) Organization & cohesion B) Structure of speech/text C) Conventions & mechanics D) Variety of sentence types
An Anticipatory Guide—Participants read and hold up cards with answers (A/B/C/D) 31

32. Utilizing WIDA Performance Definitions
Look at the writing samples on pink paper and read WIDA’s analysis of the features of academic language: -Linguistic Complexity -Vocabulary Usage -Language Forms & Conventions/Language Control Read/Think silently for 5 minutes

33. Utilizing WIDA Performance Definitions
Now read two authentic pieces of writing (“My Weekend”) by two 9th grade Philadelphia School District ELLs Read/Think silently for 5 minutes

34. Utilizing WIDA Performance Definitions
Use the WIDA Performance Definitions to analyze and discuss the features of academic language featured in these writing samples.
Sample A
Linguistic Complexity
Language Forms and Conventions
Vocabulary Usage
Sample B
Put participants in groups of 4 and assign one of the features to each group (linguistic complexity, language forms, vocabulary) *There will be more than one groups for each feature

35. Administering the WIDA Speaking Test
Log in
Click on purple “ACCESS for ELLs” box.
Hover ove “SPEAKING TEST” tab
Click on “Admin Procedures”