1. Linguistic Accommodations and ELL Assessments September 2016
Bilingual ESL Department

2. •Identification, Placement, Assessment
Language Proficiency Assessment Committee LPAC: Roles and Responsibilities for ELLs
•Identification, Placement, Assessment
•Ensure proper placement and service
•Linguistic accommodation and assessment decisions
•Instructional methodologies and/or Interventions
•Annual Review
•Parental Notification/Progress
•Maintain updated and accurate ELL documentation

3. Who makes ELL assessment decisions for STAAR/EOC?
Per Chapter 101 of the TAC:
The campus LPAC will meet to make the best assessment decisions on an individual student basis
Decisions are made in collaboration with the teacher of record and campus LPAC
Decisions made by the campus LPAC in keeping with State and District policy must not be altered or changed by any other campus entities
Whole grade and/or class decisions are not allowable

4. What STAAR assessment decisions are made by the campus LPAC?
The campus LPAC will make and document decisions regarding the following:
The type of assessment offered to the ELL (i.e. STAAR Spanish, STAAR-L, STAAR)
The use of specific linguistic accommodations during assessments
STAAR Exemption (Qualifying Unschooled Asylee/Refugee)
Special Provision for STAAR English I EOC
Calculating Years in U.S. Schools

5. Regulatory Procedural Guide
Based on 19 TAC Chapter 101, Subchapter AA
LPACs should be familiar with these commissioner of education rules
TEA is required to develop administrative procedures to implement ELL assessment statutory requirements
LPACs are required to follow these administrative procedures---outlined in the guide titled ’Linguistic Accommodations for ELLs Participating in the STAAR Program’

6. STAAR Assessments

7. ELL Participation in STAAR Spanish and STAAR L

8. Different Assessment Decisions for Different Subjects
•Decisions will often vary by necessity because of the design of the STAAR program
Example: Many ELLs will take —
–STAAR for reading and writing, but
–STAAR L for mathematics, science, social studies
•It may sometimes be appropriate to give STAAR Spanish in some subjects and STAAR or STAAR L in other subjects
•LPAC decisions to give a student one type of assessment for one subject and another type of assessment for another subject should be well-justified in the required documentation

9. Linguistic Accommodations

10. Linguistic Accommodations During State Assessments
•Not all accommodations suitable for instruction are allowable during state assessments
•Accommodations in instruction are designed to foster and support learning
•Accommodations during assessment allow test to more accurately measure degree students have met curriculum and performance standards
•Standardization and test administration logistics narrow accommodation possibilities during state assessments

11. Linguistic Accommodation Eligibility, Criteria, and Decisions
LPAC’s linguistic accommodation decisions must be made on individual student basis
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 students
LPACs must coordinate with subject area teachers

12. STAAR Linguistic Accommodations

13. STAAR Spanish 3-5
There are no allowable linguistic accommodations for STAAR Spanish, including extra time
Extra time is not an allowable linguistic accommodation for STAAR Spanish

14. Extra Time (Same Day) as a Lingusitic Accommodation
LPACs must adhere to eligibility criteria for this accommodation (page 6 of linguistic accommodation guide)
Not an “automatic” decision
Extra time not permitted beyond regularly scheduled school day
Does not mean ELL must take all day; means student may have additional time needed within school day
As a linguistic accommodation, this applies only to STAAR assessments administered in English (STAAR and STAAR L) all subjects

15. Dictionary Policy

16. Dictionaries: Important Reminders
Bilingual dictionaries must be word/phrase translation dictionaries only. They must not be designed to define words or to illustrate or explain content terminology or concepts
Subject specific/topic specific dictionaries are not permitted
No downloadable word lists or dictionaries created by campuses are allowed
Dictionaries that contain occasional pictures are acceptable as long as the pictures do not illustrate content terminology or concepts

17. Accommodations During Testing
Accommodations that have been documented by the Campus LPAC must be made available to students on the day of testing regardless of whether or not the student requests to use the accommodation

18. Documenting STAAR Participation and Linguistic Accommodation Decisions
The campus LPAC will use the following procedures to document and verify STAAR Participation And Linguistic Accommodation decisions:
Verify that all STAAR Determination and Linguistic Accommodation forms have been received for your campus ELLs and disburse them to teachers on campus
Work with teachers to determine the most accurate STAAR test and linguistic accommodations to be given based on individual student needs
Ensure that the general education teacher has completed the front and back of the form and conduct an LPAC meeting to verify all testing decisions are correct
All LPAC members sign each student’s STAAR Determination and Linguistic Accommodation form
Copy the second page of each form and give it to the testing coordinator

19. STAAR Participation and Linguistic Accommodation Form

20. STAAR Participation and Linguistic Accommodation Form

21. Reporting Linguistic Accommodations
STAAR Accommodations and Assessment Decisions MUST be accurately coded and reported to TEA
Please ensure STAAR Participation and Linguistic Accommodation documentation is available during testing and supports what has been reported to TEA
A student who is coded as receiving linguistic accommodations is not eligible to exit the Bilingual/ESL program at the end of the school year

22. STAAR L EOC Eligibility for December Administration
•For EOC, eligibility for STAAR L can be carried over from the spring to the July and December administrations
•Example: A student was in his 3rd year in U.S. schools in the school year. He took STAAR L in May, but did not pass. The LPAC carried over eligibility to both the July 2015 and December 2015 STAAR L EOC administrations. In spring 2016, however, he will be in his 4th year in U.S. schools and no longer eligible for STAAR L

23. English I/ESOL I EOC Special Provision TAC §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/ESOL I courses, these students may require substantial instructional scaffolding and linguistic adaptation not feasible on standardized language arts assessments

24. English I/ESOL I EOC Special Provision TAC §101.1007
Note:
–Students are not exempt from test while in the course
–Provision does not apply to
English II
- This provision is not tied to any particular graduation plan

25. English I EOC Special Provision (High School)

26. Individual Student Decisions and Final Decision-Making Close to Assessment Time
Previous slides illustrate some examples of the need for —
•individual student decisions, and
•the reviewing of student progress shortly before the assessment (in cases where an assessment decision may change because of progress made)
STAAR assessment decisions should not be made until the Spring semester

27. TELPAS: LPAC Role

28. TELPAS
Collaborate with the Campus LPAC chair to ensure all identified ELLs are assessed with the TELPAS
TELPAS data collection is a very important time of year, and information input into Pearson Access Next during this window can and will affect campus accountability
LPAC Chairs will share ELL student information with you regarding Years in U.S. Schools, SIFE and Unschooled Asylee/Refugee students for input into the TELPAS system

29. Student History Worksheet
The Campus LPAC will collect and share information regarding the school history of every identified ELL
They may share the information using the Student History Worksheets or via an Excel spreadsheet

30. TELPAS Extenuating Circumstances

31. Extenuating Circumstance 1: Unschooled Asylee/Refugee
Unschooled Asylees/Refugees
•Meet criteria to qualify as such using page 6 of 2016 STAAR Decision-Making Guide for LPACs
•Lack literacy skills in first language and basic subject-matter knowledge and skills
•May also lack basic social skills and may have experienced trauma as a result of previous circumstances
•This information is necessary to exclude eligible students’ STAAR results from state accountability ratings and will NOT be gathered during STAAR data collection

32. Unschooled Asylee/Refugee

33. Unschooled Asylee/Refugee Grade 3-8 Only
Exemption applies only to asylee or refugees with limited or no prior schooling
To qualify students have to be enrolled in U.S. schools as an asylee or refugee as defined by Federal Regulations
Only applies to qualifying students in their first year of enrollment in U.S. schools

34. Unschooled Asylee/Refugee Grade 3-8 Only
•Amendment to 19 TAC § allows for the exemption of certain qualifying Unschooled ELL asylees and refugees from being administered a STAAR assessment in grades 3–8
•This exemption only applies to those unschooled asylees and refugees in their first year in U.S. schools
Applies to assessments in grades 3–8 only
Exemption limited to 1 year to comply with federal law

35. Extenuating Circumstance 2:
Students With Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE)
Students With Interrupted Formal Schooling (SIFE)
Attend school in the U.S., withdraw and leave the U.S. for a period of time, and return to the U.S.
Gaps in schooling (in the U.S) significantly affect growth in English and learning of subject matter
-Gaps could occur multiple times in the same school year or across a span of years
-Does not apply to those students who take ‘extended vacations’ during the school year
– These ELLs may also come to the U.S. with limited or no prior schooling. They lack literacy skills in their first language, basic subject-matter knowledge and skills, and/or basic social skills

36. SIFE Qualification Form

37. LPAC Chairs in Collaboration with Testing Coordinators
LPAC Chairs are responsible for:
-Identifying the students who qualify as meeting an Extenuating Circumstance
-Ensuring this additional data for TELPAS is properly gathered and shared with Testing Coordinators within the TELPAS assessment window
LPAC Chairs should enlist assistance from LPAC Administrator in ensuring the necessary time is given to complete this task

38. Thank You
Testing Coordinators and LPAC Chairs should maintain a strong partnership throughout the school year
We thank you for all of your hard work in supporting the academic success of students in our District

39. LPAC/Intake Center Contacts
2617 N. Henderson Ave. Suite (Behind SOLAR Preparatory)
Amanda Clymer
Director, Bilingual/ESL
Mahiri Salcido
LPAC/Intake Supervisor
George I-Hernandez
Data Supervisor
Office of Language Proficiency Testing (OLPT)
Fax
Linda Wainscott
LPAC/Intake Specialist
Ileana Gomez Murillo
Antonio Sanchez

40. Survey