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English Learners - Assessment

English Learners - Assessment

 

Testing Accommodations for Limited English Proficient (ELP) Students

Federal and state guidance requires that all assessments are accessible and provide all students with the opportunity to demonstrate what they are able to do. Accommodations are tools to provide this opportunity; they are designed to “level the playing field” while not changing the content being measured. All accommodations must be documented in the Individual Learning Plan (ILP).

Approved ILP accommodations for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students:

  • Student provided access to a talking/screen reading device (cannot be used for reading comprehension portion of the test)
  • Test read aloud to the student by a test administrator (except items testing reading comprehension)
  • Student tested individually or in a small group setting by a familiar teacher
  • Student allowed to use an approved, bilingual word-to-word dictionary
  • Student provided extended testing time for test sessions

 

ISTEP+ Testing 

“All limited English proficient students regardless of their level of English proficiency or number of years attending U.S. schools, must be included in the state’s assessment system (ISTEP) immediately upon enrollment in a school. School districts may choose to exercise federal flexibility for LEP students within their first year of schooling to utilize the English language proficiency assessment in place of participation in the English/Language Arts portion of ISTEP+.”

The following accommodations can be utilized for IISTEP+ testing if indicated on the student’s ILP:

  • Small group administration
  • Extended time for completion
  • Administration of exam by familiar teacher
  • Pre-approved word-to-word bilingual dictionary for students literate in their native language (contact corporation office for approved dictionaries)
  • Test items read aloud verbatim (except reading comprehension)

Translation of the exam into the student’s native language in oral or written language is NOT permissible.

                     

IREAD-3

All students, including Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in their first full year enrolled, must participate in IREAD-3. The flexibility provided for students in ISTEP+ and ECA does not apply to IREAD-3.  The same accommodations for ISTEP+ can be applied to IREAD-3.

Good Cause Exemptions

Limited English Proficient (LEP) students who do not pass IREAD-3 are eligible for a Good Cause Exemption. The school must convene and ILP committee to determine whether promotion to 4th grade is appropriate for the student.

Fluenty English Proficient (FEP) students are not eligible for the Good Cause Exemption. The ILP committee may decide if the student should participate in the summer retest. English learners should be offered the opportunity to participate in any interventions (summer reading intervention program) designed for students who have not passed IREAD-3.

The ILP committee must consist of:

  • Student’s parent
  • Building level administrator
  • Classroom teacher of service
  • English Learner teacher, if one exists
  • English Learner District Administrator

Because WIDA Access scores could return before the end of the school year, it is possible that a student could receive a score of 5.0 or higher, exiting them from the program, before the end of the current school year. Students in this category would still be eligible for all accommodations and a Good Cause Exemption for all other assessments.

 

Classroom Assessments

Accommodations listed on a student’s Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) are to be utilized during daily classroom instruction and assessments.

These may include:

  • Small group administration
  • Extended time for completion
  • Administration of exam by familiar teacher
  • Pre-approved word-to-word bilingual dictionary for students literate in their native language (contact corporation office for approved dictionaries)
  • Test items read aloud verbatim