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Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs)

Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs). March 13, 2013 Dr. Cathy McNeal Director, Research & Development. Why do we have to administer ACCESS for ELLs?.

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Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs)

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  1. Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners(ACCESS for ELLs) March 13, 2013 Dr. Cathy McNeal Director, Research & Development

  2. Why do we have to administer ACCESS for ELLs? • This assessment is administered by the State of Alabama in response to the NCLB Act of 2001 mandate which states that all K-12 English Language Learners MUST be assessed annually for English proficiency growth and academic progress.

  3. ANNUAL MEASURABLE ACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVES HAVE THREE PARTS:

  4. Alert 1 - HCS Primary Contact for ACCESS for ELLs Assessment • Dr. Cathy McNeal – HCS Research and Development is your primary contact at 428 6966. • To report missing materials, • To request for additional materials contact • Dr. Cathy McNeal by April 19, 2013

  5. ALERT 2ACCESS ordered Online • ACCESS is ordered online by grade-level cluster (K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12) and by tier. Alternate ACCESS is also ordered online by grade-level cluster only (1-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). • Note: Alternate ACCESS is not tiered. There is no kindergarten test for Alternate ACCESS. • In general, Tier A is for first year students, and Tier C is for students who are nearly proficient in English and who are expected to exit. • The majority of English Learner (EL) students will be appropriately placed in Tier B. When in doubt, place the student in the higher tier. • The window for ordering test materials is January 28 – February 22, 2013.

  6. Alert 2 ACCESS is ordered online by grade-level cluster and by tier • ACCESS is ordered online by grade-level cluster (K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-9, and 9-12) and by tier. • In general, Tier A is for the first year students, and Tier C is for students who are nearly proficient in English. • The majority of ELL students will be appropriately placed in Tier B. • When in doubt, place the student in the higher tier.

  7. ALERT 3-4 Alternate ACCESS • Alternate ACCESS will be administered for the first time during the 2012-13 school year. • This test is for those students with significant, cognitive disabilities and who would not be able to demonstrate English language proficiency on ACCESS even with accommodations. • The same procedures that are used with ACCESS are also used with Alternate ACCESS. • These procedures include training, online ordering of materials, packing, shipping, and delivery of materials from MetriTech, and packing and shipping materials back to MetriTech.

  8. Alert 5 25 Testing Days for ACCESSThe testing window for ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS is April 1 – May 3, 2013.

  9. The ACCESS for ELLs testing window April 1 – May 3, 2013 • The testing window for administration of the ACCESS for ELLs is • April 1 – May 3, 2013 • All testing materials will be returned to the Research and Development after the test administration is completed at the school. • No materials will be retained in the school after testing is completed. • All materials will be returned to R&D no later than 3:00 pm on May 3,2013.

  10. ALERT 6-8Storage and Penalty Fee • 6. For the spring 2013 administration, the ALSDE will pay for the cost of ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS for each EL student tested. • 7. Each Local Education Agency (LEA) will receive a 10% overage of materials. The System Test Coordinator (STC) should store any extra materials in the secure central storage area. • 8. There is a penalty for every test booklet the LEA orders over the exact number scored plus 15%. The LEA may be responsible for paying any penalty assessed for excess orders.

  11. ACCESS Materials 2013Alerts 9 - 11 • 9. The materials for ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS will arrive in the LEAs by March 18, 2013. • LEAs having 10 or more schools testing will receive boxes labeled for each school. • LEAs with fewer than 10 schools testing will receive materials grouped together for the whole district. • The School Packing List should be used to assist in separating materials for each school. • 10. The STC must account for all materials that are distributed and collected. • When materials arrive, the STC should inventory materials using the 2012-2013 Master Materials List to ensure that there are no discrepancies and that sufficient materials have been ordered. • 11. Any discrepancies involving the 2012-2013 Master Materials List and materials that are received must be documented on the 2012-2013 Documentation of Materials Not Returned form.

  12. ACCESS Materials 2013Alerts 12 - 15 • 12. Only the School Header Sheets, Unused and Non-Scorable Testing Materials sheet, and the Agreement to Maintain Confidentiality form may be duplicated. • No other testing materials may be duplicated. • 13. Save packing cartons for return shipments. ACCESS materials must be placed in boxes labeled ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS must be placed in boxes labeled Alternate ACCESS. Both tests may be returned in the same shipment. • 14. If additional materials are needed, STCs may email requests to MetriTech at www.metritech.com, or fax the Additional Materials Order Form to MetriTech at (217) 398-5798. Please include the LEA name, address, and STC’s name. Also, specify the grade, tier level for each test/answer document requested, and the quantity needed. Please use all materials from the district overage before requesting additional materials from MetriTech. Use this contact information for requesting large-print documents as well. • 15. Additional material orders must be consolidated by the LEA and submitted to MetriTech by April 19, 2013.

  13. ACCESS Make-Up Tests • The State Dept uses the Overall or Composite scores to determine whether or not we meet our Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO). • This is similar to our AYP reporting, but for ELLs. • In addition, students need to earn a 4.8 or better to exit the ESL program. We cannot obtain the proper student data without all parts (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). • Please do your best to make-up tests for absent students.

  14. Who takes ACCESS? • ALL students identified on I -NOW as LEP Year 1 or LEP Year 2, or LEP Waived Services must take ACCESS for ELLs. • This includes ELLs with an IEP for special education. • Students who have exited the ESL program (Former Limited English Proficient)  DO NOT take ACCESS for ELLs, and are monitored throughout the year.

  15. Alert 16 - Alabama’s Test Security Policy and a WIDA Consortium Non-Disclosure Security Agreement MUST be signed by ACCESS Test Administrators • This is a state assessment; therefore, training, administration, and security guidelines are the same for all components of the state testing program. • All personnel involved with the assessment will sign Alabama’s Test Security Policy, andeither the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium Agreement to Maintain Confidentiality or the ACCESS for ELLs® Test— Nondisclosure Agreement.

  16. Test Security Plan for Each School for Training Personnel on Test Administration and Test Security • VII. Procedures for Training System Personnel on Test Administration and Test Security • Training sessions on test administration and test security will be conducted prior to all test administrations. The system-level training will be conducted approximately one to three weeks before testing. The school-level training will be conducted as soon as possible after system-level training by no later than one week prior to testing. All schools will receive a system-level digital copy of the PowerPoint presentation of the system-level training immediately after each test system-level training session to digitally disseminate to all test administrators and proctors. • The STC will be trained during the SDE workshops and will conduct training at the system level. Participants in the system-level training will be central office personnel (to include Special Education Coordinator, 504 Coordinator, and ESL Coordinator), monitors, and BTCs. • The BTCs will train principals, test administrators and proctors. • Documentation of training will be kept for the system-level and school-level trainings. Documentation will include an agenda for each training session, a sign-in sheet signed by all those in attendance, and a signed Test Security Policy for each individual. • All documentation of the system-level training and school-level training will be kept in the STC’s office. • All documentation of school-level training will be kept by the BTC at each school with a copy sent to the STC’s office.

  17. Alert 17Required training for ACCESS for ELLs Test Administrators • Test Administrator training for ACCESS and Alternate ACCESSwill be conducted through the WIDA Web site at www.wida.us . • Test Administrators who did not complete online training for ACCESS prior to the spring 2012 ACCESS administration must complete online training in order to become ACCESS Test Administrators. • Test Administrators who do not have a user name or password can contact Dr. Cathy McNeal for more information.

  18. ALERT 18-19WIDA/ACCESS TRAINING on WIDA Website • 18. ONLY individuals who have been trained to administer ACCESS and have received a passing score of 80% on ALL domains many administer the ACCESS assessment. • 19. All Test Administrators must participate in annual LEA training conducted by the STC or Building Test Coordinator (BTC) regarding test security, administration, and logistics.

  19. Alert 20 -21Samples of the test items of ACCESS for ELLs – http://www.wida.us • 20. The Test Administrator Manual (TAM) is available on the WIDA Web site. The TAM can be downloaded during the online T.A. training. • 21. Samples of ACCESS test items, including : • Listening, • Speaking (arranged according to level and score), • Reading, and • Writing are currently available on the WIDA Web site in the test administration training course portalhttp://www.wida.us.

  20. REMINDERS for Building Test Coordinators Training in each School for Test Administrators ACCESS • The BTC must count and sign for all testing materials when they are issued to the school, and the STC must count and sign for all testing materials when they are returned to Research and Development. • The TA must count and sign for all testing materials DAILY when they are issued for administration, and the BTC must count and sign for all testing materials when they are returned immediately following the test administration daily.

  21. REMINDERS for Building Test Coordinators Training in each School for Test Administrators • Distributes testing materials for the EXACT number of students being tested in each setting. • Distributes materials to collects material from Test Administrators DAILY. • KEEPS on file a record of daily attendance during the test window. • KEEPS on file documentation of training activities including attendance records.

  22. Alert 22Speaking Module • The Speaking Module has been updated with information on the new T2 Start procedure for the Speaking Test for students taking Tiers B and C of the group administered components (Listening, Reading, and Writing). • Test Administrators giving the Speaking Test must complete this updated module before administering ACCESS for the 2011-2013 school year. • The updated module will introduce and train Test Administrators on this new administrative procedure that was implemented during the 2011-12 school year.

  23. Alert 23Pre-ID Labels • A state data file will be submitted to MetriTech to generate Pre-ID labels for students identified as LEP in InformationNOW (INOW). • Only those students will have a Pre-ID label generated. • If any student does not have a Pre-ID label, all required student demographic information must be hand-gridded on the front and back covers of the test/answer document.

  24. Alert 24 State Student ID Number = 10 Digit State STI number (SSID) • The unique, 10-digit State Student Identification (SSID) Number and the Social Security Number are included in the demographic section of the test/answer document. • The SSID is the 10-digit identification number that the state assigns to each student through the STI/Q-Now system. • For any student without a Pre-ID label, • the SSID must be coded in the box titled “STATE STUDENT ID” and • the social security number must be coded in the box titled “STATE DEFINED OPTIONAL DATA.”

  25. ACCESS for ELLs – Pre-ID STUDENT LABEL Check for Accuracy to Match STI Labels will be placed on the ACCESS for ELLs Answer Document by Building Test Coordinators or Test Administrators. If any student does not have a pre-ID label or errors exist on the label provided, the test/answer document must be coded by hand. DO NOT USE pre-ID LABELS WITH ERRORS. Return all Pre-ID Labels to R&D.

  26. ABS – Absent INV – Invalidate (SDE Approval Only) DEC – Student Refusal to Test SPD – Do not use this box.

  27. Pre-ID Labels that are INCORRECT • Pre-ID labels that are INCORECT, must be returned to ACMC. • NO student should be given a test booklet with another student’s pre-ID label attached. • Crossing out the information on the label does NOT change the information on the label. • FOLLOW directions on ACCESS 17 – ACCESS 19 for completing student demographic information on test booklets.

  28. Alert 25The Language Codes for Alabama are the same as those listed in STI/INOWLanguage Codes can be found on page ACCESS-22 • Spanish 100 • Vietnamese 101 • Korean 102 • Arabic 103 • Laotian 104 • Cambodian 105 • Russian 106 • Japanese 107 • French 108 • Portuguese 109 • Tagalog 110 • All others 111

  29. Alert 26 Absences will be recorded by test domain this year. • Absences will be recorded by test domain on the Test/Answer Document/Booklet (Back Sheet). • Instructions for this are found in the Test Administrator Manual.

  30. Alert 27 – Certificated Employees must administer ACCESS • ACCESS must be administered by certificated employees. In some cases, this requirement many necessitate the use of general education teachers. • If there are additional questions regarding this requirement, please contact Dr. Cathy McNeal in Research and Development, at 428 7983.

  31. Alert 28 –No Out of Level Testing in Allowed • All students participating in the ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS must take the test on the grade-level for which they are enrolled in INOW. • No out-of-level testing is allowed

  32. Alert 29 ACCESS test/answer document • All components of the ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS test will be completed in the student’s assigned ACCESS test/answer document.

  33. Alert 30Accommodations for Special Populations • Accommodations on ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS are available to EL students with disabilities receiving special education or 504 services. • The Accommodations Checklists for ACCESS are found in the Alabama Student Assessment Program Policies and Procedures for Students of Special Populations Bulletin, Appendix C. • The Accommodations Checklists for all state mandated assessment are found in the Alabama Student Assessment Program Policies and Procedures for Students of Special Populations Bulletin, Appendices C. • IF SDE approval is required the request must be submitted in writing with the following items: • IEP/504 or ELL Accommodation Checklist • IEP/504 or ELL Participation Documentation • SDE Form Requesting SDE Approval for Testing Accommodations Submitted to Research and Development.

  34. TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION OR 504 SERVICES • Accommodations that change the • Nature, • Content, or • Integrity of the test, such as reading test designed to assess the skill of reading, are not allowed. All accommodations must be filed by the LEA (principal) with Research and Development prior to the test and available for review by the SDE during any on-site mentoring.

  35. ACCOMMODATIONS must be honored – they are not optional. • ACCOMMODATIONS are NOT OPTIONAL, if the student receives an accommodation for that specific test – the accommodations listed must be given to the student.

  36. Alert 31Special Formats • WIDA/MetriTech will not provide ACCESS of Alternate ACCESS in Braille. • WIDA has determined that the braille format of ACCESS is not valid. Therefore, a braille format is not available this year. • If you have any questions, contact Dr. Cathy McNeal.

  37. Alert 32ACCESS is not a timed test, it does have approximate administration times. • While ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS is not a timed test, it does have approximate administration times. • Test Administrators should monitor student progress and allow them a few minutes beyond the suggested times if the student appears to be near completion on a given task. • Students who are struggling and/or clearly will not finish within about ten minutes should be stopped.

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