D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 6 S T U D E N T A S S E S S M E N T D I V I S I O N T E X A S E D U C A T I O N A G E N C Y Training on the 2006-2007 LPAC Decision-Making

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 6 S T U D E N T A S S E S S M E N T D I V I S I O N T E X A S E D U C A T I O N A G E N C Y

Training on the2006-2007 LPAC Decision-Making

Process for theTexas Assessment Program

(Grades 3-12)


TEA trains ESCs

ESCs train districts

LPACs use manual to make spring 2007 testing decisions

LPAC Decision-

Making Process for

the Texas

Assessment Program

(Grades 3–12)

Procedural Manual for Spring 2007


What’s New This Year?

Update on assessment options for students served by special education

New LAT reading requirements Updated state assessment results


Alternate Assessments for Students Served by Special Education

Alternate assessments when TAKS is not appropriate: SDAA II ― spring 2007 is last year of SDAA II TAKS-I ― assesses the subjects not covered by SDAA II TAKS-Alt ― an online observation tool for assessing

students with significant cognitive disabilities; is a field test this year but is required for all eligible students

TEKS-based LDAAs ― for students whose special education accommodations would invalidate TAKS, TAKS-I, or SDAA II and who are not eligible for TAKS-Alt.


Assessment Decisions for LEP Students Served by Special Education

The chapter titled “Provisions of LEP Students Served Through Special Education” has been updated to help LPAC and ARD committees understand the alternate assessment requirements that apply to students depending on their LEP exemption status.


LAT Math and AYP

LAT math examinees in their first school year of enrollment in U.S. schools are included in AYP participation measures. Their results do not count in AYP performance measures.

LAT math examinees in their second and third school years of enrollment in U.S. schools count in both AYP participation and performance measures.


New Federal Policy Directive – LAT Reading

Second and third year recent immigrants in Gr. 3-8 and 10 who are LEP-exempt in reading or ELA under state law will no longer be able to be counted in AYP through RPTE.

For use in AYP reading accountability, these students will need to participate in LAT reading administrations of TAKS. If they are LEP-exempt from SDAA II, they will be eligible to take a LAT reading administration of SDAA II.


Requirements Not Affected by Federal Directive

This directive does not affect LEP-exempt first-year immigrants. These students will continue to be included in AYP through RPTE.

This directive does not affect who will take RPTE. LEP students will continue to take RPTE as long as they are classified as limited English proficient in PEIMS. RPTE results are used in state and federal accountability and performance monitoring indicators.


TETN Training with Additional LAT Reading Information

More complete information about the new LAT reading procedures and accommodations will be provided in a TETN videoconference on January 29, 2007, from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M.

This TETN is designed to help district testing coordinators with campus coordinator and test administrator training requirements.

A test administration supplement will be used in this TETN and shipped to districts.


RPTE and RPTE II

Spring 2007 is the last year of RPTE I. RPTE II will be implemented in spring 2008. RPTE II will assess grades 2–12.

The planned RPTE II grade clusters are:Gr. 2, 3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, and 10-12


RPTE and RPTE II

It is anticipated that RPTE will be administered exclusively as an online assessment beginning in spring 2009.

RPTE II will be field-tested in spring 2007. Some LEP students will take a field test online and an RPTE test on paper. All grade 2 LEP students will take either a paper RPTE II field test or an online RPTE II field test.


RPTE II Assessment Focus

RPTE II will more fully address the academic

language proficiency required for reading in core

content areas. RPTE II will assess to a greater degree

than RPTE I the type of reading students encounter in

science and mathematics classes.


A Closer Look at

LAT


When is LAT math administered?

Test Grade Date

TAKS 5Monday,April 2

TAKS 3–4, 6–8, 10Monday,April 16

• LAT math examinees are not subject to SSI testrequirements.

• Note that LAT administrations of SDAA II math are not available.


When is LAT reading administered?

Test Grade Date

Both TAKS and SDAA II

3–8 and 10Tues. and Wed.

April 17–18

• LAT reading examinees are not subject to SSI requirements.

• Testing coordinators are directed to call TEA to determine the test schedule for a LAT reading examinee who is not LEP-exempt in math and is scheduled to take TAKS or SDAA II math on April 17.


LAT Reading Tests For LAT reading, a student may use an English version

or Spanish version TAKS test in Gr. 3–6, but not both.

For TAKS, the grade of the test must correspond to the student’s enrolled grade.

For SDAA II, the test may be given at the student’s instructional level.*

*LAT examinees enrolled in Gr. 10 will be eligible to take only instructional levels K–8. Note that instructional levels 9 and 10 are not available for LAT reading.


Who is eligible for LAT? Recent immigrant ELLs* who

are in Gr. 3–8 and 10 (AYP grades), are determined by the LPAC to be LEP-exempt

under state law, and routinely receive one or more of the allowable

linguistic accommodations in classroom instruction and testing.

The LEP exemption criteria in the LPAC manual have not changed.

*Remember that 1st year LEP-exempt immigrants will not take LAT reading. RPTE will continue to be their AYP reading test.


LAT Math Accommodations


Determining LAT Math Accommodations

Multiple accommodations will often be appropriate.

Decisions must be based on the individual needs of the student and whether the accommodations are used routinely in mathematics instruction and testing.


6 LAT Math Accommodations

1. Linguistic Simplification

2. Oral Translation

3. Reading Assistance

4. Bilingual Dictionary

5. Bilingual Glossary

6. English-Spanish LAT Side by Side



A student may ask the test administrator to say in simpler language what a test question is asking. Test administrators may provide this assistance using simpler words, pictures, or gestures, as long as they do not define or explain math terminology or a concept that the test question is assessing.



Secure linguistic simplification guides (LSGs) are provided to test administrators for use with this accommodation. When necessary, test administrators may provide additional allowable linguistic simplifications to meet individual students’ needs.

The LSG provides suggestions for simplifying eligible words in LAT test questions (English versions of LAT) and points out the math terms that the test is assessing and that must not be simplified (English and Spanish versions of LAT).


2. Oral Translation

At the request of the student, the test administrator may orally translate words, phrases, and sentences that the student does not understand. The test administrator is not permitted to define or explain math terms, concepts, or skills. The test administrator is permitted only to give the equivalent word or words in the other language.


3. Reading Assistance

At the request of the student, the test administrator may read aloud words, phrases, or sentences in the test question or answer choices that the student is having difficulty reading. Reading assistance is allowable regardless of whether the student is using the English version, the Spanish version, or both versions of the LAT form.


4. Bilingual Dictionary

Students may use a bilingual dictionary to find the translation of words they do not understand. Bilingual dictionaries that contain explanations, definitions, pictures, or examples of math terminology may not be used.


5. Bilingual Glossary

Students may use a locally developed bilingual glossary to find the translation of words they do not understand. The glossary must not include definitions, explanations, examples, or pictures that will aid students in understanding the math terms or concepts assessed. In the case of math terms, only native-language equivalents are allowed.


6. English-Spanish Side by Side

A Spanish-speaking student in Grades 3–6 may refer to both the English-version and Spanish-version LAT tests to enhance comprehension. If a student does not understand something in one language, the student may refer to it in the other language.


LAT Reading Accommodations


Determining LAT Reading Accommodations

Multiple accommodations will often be appropriate.

Decisions must be based on the individual needs of the student and whether the accommodations are used routinely in mathematics instruction and testing.

Consistent with LAT math accommodations


LAT Reading* Accommodations

Direct Linguistic Support:

1. Bilingual dictionary

2. English dictionary

3. Reading aloud – word or phrase

4. Reading aloud – entire test item

5. Oral translation – word or phrase

6. Clarification – word or phrase

* Note that LAT reading accommodations also apply to the written composition and revising/editing portions of ELA.


LAT Reading Accommodations

Indirect Linguistic Support:

7. Clarifying directions as needed

8. Breaks at request of student

9. Testing over 2 days

Accommodations 7–9 apply to all LAT reading examinees. LPAC decisions and documentation are not needed for these.


Direct Linguistic Support

1. Bilingual dictionary Throughout the test, the student may use a bilingual dictionary to find the translation of words they do not understand. Paper and electronic bilingual dictionaries are permitted.



2. English dictionary Throughout the test, the student may use an English dictionary, ESL dictionary, or picture dictionary. (Note that if the student is taking the Gr. 3–6 Spanish version test, the student may use a Spanish dictionary.)



3. Reading aloud – word or phrase The test administrator may read aloud a word or phrase to the student at the student’s request. This applies to passages and test items. Sentences and longer portions of text within a passage may not be read aloud.



4. Reading aloud – entire test item The test administrator may read aloud an entire test item (test question and answer choices) at the request of the student. Voice inflection must be kept neutral during the reading of test questions and answer choices.



5. Oral translation – word or phrase At the request of the student, the test administrator may orally translate a word or phrase that the student does not understand. The test administrator is not permitted to translate entire sentences or longer portions of text. This accommodation applies to passages and test items.

Exception: Not permitted for tested vocabulary words



6. Clarification – word or phrase At the request of the student, the test administrator may clarify the meaning of a word or phrase that the student does not understand. The test administrator is not permitted to clarify the meaning of entire sentences or longer portions of text. This accommodation applies to passages and test items.

Exception: Not permitted for tested vocabulary words


Indirect Linguistic Support

7. Clarifying directions This includes translating, rewording, and repeating the directions that are read aloud to students before the test.

8. Breaks at request of student This refers to flexible scheduling of breaks so that a student is able to take breaks as needed.


Indirect Linguistic Support

9. Testing over 2 days All students participating in LAT reading and ELA administrations will take their test over 2 days. The test administrator will be given explicit information about where to stop on Day 1 and where to begin on Day 2.


Planning for LAT Administrations


Planning for LAT Administrations

Planning for LAT involves – collaboration between LPACs, ARD committees when

applicable, math and reading teachers, and testing coordinators

determining and documenting accommodations determining the need for individual vs. small group LAT

administrations identifying and training appropriate LAT test

administrators identifying test locations Note the LAT

Administration

Planning Rosters.


Key Differences Between LAT Math and Reading Administrations

LAT math is administered to first-year LEP-exempt recent immigrants, LAT reading is not.

Unlike LAT math, this year’s LAT reading tests will not say “LAT” on the test booklet covers.

There is no LAT math option for SDAA II. There is an SDAA II LAT reading option.

Unlike LAT math, information about LAT test administrators and linguistic accommodations used will not be collected this year.

There are no Linguistic Simplification Guides for LAT reading.


Key Differences Between LAT Math and Reading Administrations

Giving Spanish and English tests side by side is not an option for LAT reading.

LAT reading accommodations have “word or phrase” constraints not found in LAT math accommodations.

English dictionaries and ESL dictionaries are not permitted for LAT math.

Bilingual glossaries are not permitted for LAT reading.

LAT reading is given over 2 days, not 1.


Planning

LAT examinees must not be tested in a room with students taking regular versions of state assessments.

LAT test administrators must be trained in general testing procedures and LAT-specific testing procedures. The January 29, 2007, TETN will provide information needed to give specialized training to LAT reading test administrators.


Contact Information

E-mail address: [email protected] Student Assessment Division phone number:

512-463-9536

The LPAC manual and powerpoint will be posted in the “ELL Assessment Information” section of the Student Assessment Division website.

Documents

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 6 S T U D E N T A S S E S S M E N T D I V I S I O N T E X A S E D U C A T I O N A G E N C Y Training on the 2006-2007 LPAC Decision-Making