Cobb County ESOL

Cobb Exit Criteria - 2013

The State Board of Education approved new ESOL program exit criteria on May 9th. To exit from the ESOL Program, there are two possible pathways.

 

Pathway ONE: Exit Based on Test Scores only

ACCESS Composite Proficiency Level (CPL) of 5.0 or higher on Tier B or C

AND

ACCESS Literacy Subscore of 4.8 or higher

To exit ESOL students based on this criteria, local schools must complete the following ESOL Program Exit Form: Download ESOL-Exit-FORM Cobb 2013

 

Pathway TWO: Exit Based on LAC (Language Assessment Conference)

ACCESS Composite Proficiency Level (CPL) of 5.0 or greater on Tier B or C with an ACCESS Literacy Subscore of lower than 4.8

OR

ACCESS Composite Proficiency Level (CPL) of 4.0 - 4.9 on Tier B or C with an ACCESS Literacy Subscore of 4.8 or higher

AND all criteria listed below:

• (Grades 3 - 8) passing scores on ALL 2013 CRCTs
• (Grades 9 - 12) passing scores on ALL 2012-2013 EOCTs or GHSGTs
• (Grades 3 - 8) final grades of 74 or higher for ALL 2012-2013 core-content area classes
• (Grades 9 - 12) final grades of 74 or higher for ALL 2012-2013 courses
• (Grades 3, 5, 8, and 11) passing score on state-mandated 2013 Writing Test, if 2013 ACCESS Writing score is below 4.0
• General Ed and ESOL Teacher recommendations indicating that student would be successful in mainstream classroom without ESOL support
• Local school administrative approval
• District ESOL personnel approval 

To exit ESOL students based on the above criteria, local schools must complete the following ESOL Program Exit LAC Form appropriate for their grade cluster:

    - Grades 3-5 Download 2012-2013forms_exit_lac-es

    - Grades 6-8 Download 2012-2013forms_exit_lac-ms

    - Grades 9-12 Download 2012-2013forms_exit_lac-hs

Please note: Due to the developmental nature of language on the kindergarten level, no Kindergartner will be exited from the ESOL Program. Due to there not being a state-mandated standardized assessment for Grades 1 and 2, there is not an option to exit 1st and 2nd grade students from the ESOL Program via a LAC.

For an easier flowhart, click to view Grades 1-12 Exit criteria May 2013

 

 

 

ACCESS Reports and Best Practice

The shipment of ACCESS reports to Cobb schools will include the following:

1. School Frequency Reports
2. Student Roster Reports
3. Teacher Reports
4. Parent/Guardian Reports
5. Student Record Labels

Below is a table of the items and best practices:

Note:  STUDENT RECORD LABELS – These labels (one for each student tested) are to be placed on the student’s permanent record.  Do NOT attach these labels to the ESOL green folders.

Alternate ACCESS 2013 scheduling and administration

The Alternate ACCESS is individually administered to ELs who meet the criteria. There are four sections to this test and each section is estimated to take 20 minutes. Of course, the administration time will vary depending on the student.

In CCSD, the Alternate ACCESS will be administered by specially trained district special ed staff. Schools that have ESOL students who have been identified as meeting the criteria for this assessment will be contacted by the special ed staff member designated for their school.

Test Administration details...

• The Listening and Reading Sections consist of multiple choice questions
• The Writing and Speaking Sections prompt the student for a constructed response
• Separate test forms are available for each grade level cluster
• All sections are adaptive, meaning that test items are presented until the student reaches his/her performance “ceiling”
• All test sections are hand scored by the test administrator; each item must be scored before moving on to the next item

Specific instructions on how to administer each section of the test can be found in the following resources:

• Test Administration Manual
• Test Administration Script
• Administering Alternate ACCESS for ELLs webinars
• Administering Alternate ACCESS for ELLs PowerPoint

 

ACCESS 2013 Parent Notification

In accordance with State and Federal guidelines, parents of EL students must be notified of ACCESS testing. The letters to notify the parents of all ELs of the local school test administration dates for ACCESS are listed below.

Once the local school establishes a testing schedule, the letters must be sent home with English on one side and the respective language on the other. 

ACCESS Testing Parent Notification Letters:

English: Download ACCESS Testing English 2013

Chinese:  Download ACCESS Testing Chinese 2013

French:  Download ACCESS Testing French 2013

Japanese:  Download ACCESS testing Japanese 2013

Korean:  Download ACCESS Testing Korean 2013 

Portuguese:  Download ACCESS Testing Portuguese 2013  

Russian:  Download ACCESS Testing Russian 2013  

Spanish:   Download ACCESS Testing Spanish 2013

Vietnamese:  Download ACCESS Testing Vietnamese 2013 

ACCESS Testing - Scheduling Considerations

As you prepare master schedules for ACCESS testing, make sure to keep in mind that the ACCESS is a federally and state mandated assessment. Local schools must adhere closely to the guidelines for administration of such assessments. The adminstration of the ACCESS must be approached with the same care and diligence as all other state-mandated assessments.

 

The test may only be administered duing the test window of January 22nd - March 5th, 2013. All ELs who are enrolled during the test window MUST be administered the ACCESS. Participation on the ACCESS is an AYP accountability measure for the district. This year for the first time we will also provide the Alternate ACCESS assessment to ESOL students who meet the state criteria. Only the ESOL - Special Ed students who meet the eligibility criteria  will be administered this one-on-one assessment. (Look for more details in a post on the Alternate ACCESS.)

Testing Environment

• Schedule the listening, reading and writing sections of the test in a classroom with ideally, no more than 22 students.
• Sequencing of test administration is not required in a particular sequence. No single section, however, may be administered over separate days.
• The classroom must be conducive to testing with only the student/s to be assessed and the examiner.
• Ensure there will be limited interruptions within the school on the testing day/s. (Make sure to check that the fire drill is not scheduled for that day.)
• Local school administration should monitor all group administration sessions.
• Seating arrangements for group testing must ensure that each student has adequate workspace for the test booklet, with sufficient space between students to discourage copying and to permit them to handle the materials comfortably. Seating arrangements for the speaking assessment is outlined in the ACCESS Administrator's Guide.
• Testing rooms should be well lit, have adequate ventilation, a comfortable temperature, and freedom from interruption. Place a "Testing --Please Be Quiet" sign on the testing room.

Test Examiners

• All staff administering the ACCESS test must be certified and currently employed in CCSD.
• All staff administering the speaking portion of the ACCESS or the Kindergarten ACCESS must hold the ESOL certification or ESOL endorsement.
• All staff administering the ACCESS must have completed the online training from the WIDA website, which includes the successful completion of the online quizzes with 100%. The training and the quizzes are required to be completed annually regardless of whether or not hte staff member has completed the training in a previous school year. (Contact Beth Kartheiser to obtain the user name and password for the training.)
• Examiners must compete the Nondisclosure and Confidentiality forms. The Nondisclosure form is located in the ACCESS Administrator's Guide and the Confidentiality form is in the Test Coordinator's Packet (posted in Blackboard).The local school test administrator must maintain the originals of these forms.

As you schedule testing administration plans, keep in mind the following information:

1. Listening:  25-30 minutes, machine scored
2. Reading: 35-40 minutes, machine scored
3. Writing:  75 minutes (only 30-35 minutes for Tier A for grades 1-2), rater scored
4. Speaking:  15-20 minutes, test examiner scored

For more information on the ACCESS administration, please see the Test Coordinator's Handbook from the Office of Accountibility and the GaDOE State Assessment Handbook.

Important Dates for ACCESS

ACCESS

The ACCESS is the federally-mandated assessment of English proficiency that is required for ESOL students. The testing window for ACCESS this year is January 22^nd – March 5^th. All active and waived ESOL students are required to participate in this assessment. ESOL students, who are on monitored status, have exited the ESOL Program and thus, do not participate in this assessment. Parents and/or students may not waive, defer or refuse this assessment. This year, for the first time, Georgia will administer the Alternate ACCESS. This modified ACCESS assessment is designed for ESOL students who are on an IEP, participate in GAA and have a cognitive disability.

As Cobb’s ESOL Department and Testing Department work collaboratively to ensure a smooth test administration, Beth Kartheiser from Assessment and Margaret McKenzie from ESOL are contacting schools that will be required to utilize this new assessment.

Listed below are important dates regarding ACCESS:

Thursday, November 15^th: ACCESS Test orders and list of teachers due via online form

Wednesday, November 28^th: all test label data finalized by local schools

Monday, January 7^th - Monday, January 21st: online training window for all teachers selected to administer ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS

Tuesday, January 22^nd – Tuesday, March 5^th: ACCESS test window

Wednesday, March 6^th – Thursday, March 7^th: warehouse ACCESS test return

 

Accommodations and ACCESS

ACCOMMODATIONS

Assessment administration accommodations on the ACCESS assessment may not be provided unless the student qualifies for special education services and the accommodation is required for the student’s disability and not his/her limited English proficiency.  The student must have an IEP with the type of accommodations indicated. 

Of all of the accommodations approved by the State for use with students with disabilities, the following accommodations contain specific restrictions on the ACCESS:

Presentation Accommodations:

Oral Reading of test questions in English only by reader or assistive technology - allowed on Writing section only

Oral reading of reading passages in English only by reader or assistive technology - allowed on Writing section only

Response Accommodations:

Student marks answers in test booklet - allowed on Listening, Reading, Writing; not allowed on Speaking

Student points to answers - allowed on Listening, Reading, Writing; not allowed on Speaking

Verbal response in English only - allowed on Listening, Reading, Speaking; not allowed on Writing

For more information regarding special education accommodations on the ACCESS for ELLs assessment, see the Georgia Department of Education Student Assessment Handbook 2012 - 2013 at http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Information-For-Educators.aspx  (pages 143 - 146)

Click here to download the WIDA Guidance on Special Education Accommodations for the ACCESS (Bear in mind that this guidance shows accommodations that may not be allowable in the State of Georgia: Download Accommodating_disabilities

ACCESS coding implications

Remember...if the EL qualifies for special ed AND accommodations are utilized on the ACCESS, mark "Y" for IEP Status, mark the appropriate box/boxes under "ACCOMMODATIONS," and indicate the student's primary disability code in the first two columns of "STATE DEFINED OPTIONAL DATA." Complete the WIDA form, indicate the accommodation used on the test and paperclip the form to the student's test booklet. WIDA codes for accommodations can be found on the pdf below.

Georgia-approved accommodations for Special Ed ELLs on the ACCESS with WIDA code: Download Special ed accommodations WIDA codes ACCESS 2013

What is ACCESS?

ACCESS for ELLs^® stands for Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners. This large-scale test addresses the academic English language proficiency (ELP) standards at the core of the WIDA Consortium's approach to instructing and evaluating the progress of English learners. To alleviate any confusion, the WIDA ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT)™, more aptly known as a screening tool, has a different purpose and format from the ACCESS test. To understand the relationship between the two tests, see Comparing W-APT™ and   ACCESS for ELLs^®.

From the WIDA Consortium

  This large-scale test first and foremost addresses the English language development standards that form the core of the WIDA Consortium's approach to instructing and testing English language learners. These standards incorporate a set of model performance indicators (PIs) that describe the expectations educators have of ELs at four different grade level clusters and in five different content areas.
   
   The grade level clusters include PreK-K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. There are five content areas of the standards. The first is called social and instructional language (SI), which incorporates proficiencies needed to deal with the general language of the classroom and the school. The others are English language arts (LA), math (MA), science (SC), and social studies (SS).
   
For each grade level, then, the standards specify one or more performance indicators for each content area within each of the four language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
   
    The WIDA framework recognizes the continuum of  language development within the four domains with six English language proficiency levels.

 

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5	Level 6
Entering	Emerging	Developing	Expanding	Bridging	Reaching

These levels describe the spectrum of a learner's progression from knowing little to no English to acquiring the English skills necessary to be successful in an English-only mainstream classroom without extra support. This final, exit stage for EL status is designated Level 6 (formerly ELL). Within each combination of grade level, content area, and language domain, there is a PI at each of the five points on the proficiency ladder, and the sequence of these five PIs together describe a logical progression and accumulation of skills on the path to full proficiency.
   
    Drawn from the PIs, the ACCESS for ELLs^® incorporates all five standards and English language proficiency levels in sections that correspond to the four domains. The target administration times for each section of the test are:

1. Listening:  25-30 minutes, machine scored
2. Reading: 35-40 minutes, machine scored
3. Writing:  75 minutes (only 30-35 minutes for Tier A for grades 1-2), rater scored
4. Speaking:  15-20 minutes, test examiner scored

The goal of the ACCESS for ELLs^® test is to allow students to demonstrate their level of proficiency through the PIs. However, there are far too many PIs altogether to present to any single test taker. A test with questions assessing each and every PI would be far too long to fit in any reasonable testing session. For any particular child, some of the questions on a comprehensive test might be dismissively easy, making it boring, while others would be exactingly hard, making it frustrating. It is important to avoid both possibilities to achieve a reliable test.

Cobb ESOL teachers may provide their students with sample items from the ACCESS to develop test item familiarity. These items are avaible for download from the WIDA site on the ACCESS section.

From the WIDA Consortium

What is the Alternate ACCESS?

WIDA has recently developed an alternate version of the ACCESS. This assessment is individually administered and is intended solely for ELs with significant cognitive disabilities severe enough to prevent meaningful participation on the ACCESS. The Alternate ACCESS will be available in Georgia for the first time during the Spring 2013 administration window.

Per the Georgia Department of Education's Assessment Department, the criteria for selection of a student on the Alternate ACCESS is as follows:

1. The student is an identified EL.
2. The student has been classified as a special education student and is receiving special education services.
3. The student has a cognitive disability.
4. The student participates in the Georgia Alternative Assessment (GAA).

The decision to assess the student annual progress in English via the Alternate ACCESS, must be determined by the IEP Committee that is comprised of the special ed teachers and ESOL staff.

 

2013 ACCESS Testing

2013 ACCESS Testing Window: January 22, 2013 - March 5, 2013

WIDA Online Training for Teachers administering the ACCESS test:

Only certified teachers may administer the ACCESS. The Speaking Portion as well as the entire Kindergarten ACCESS should only be administered by a certified ESOL teacher. The State of Georgia requires that all teachers complete the WIDA online training annually. Therefore, teachers who completed the training and quizzes last year, must complete them again this year. The training site and online quizzes can be accessed at http://www.wida.us/.  User name and password are required. Quizzes must be completed by January 7, 2013. A grade of 100% must be attained.

ACCESS 2012 - Interpretation of Scores

Background:

The ACCESS for ELLs assessment is a secure, large scale test anchored in the WIDA English proficiency standards. In Georgia, the ACCESS is the federally-mandated, annual English proficiency assessment. The ACCESS is divided into five, grade-level clusters: K, 1 - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 - 12 and three tiers: Tier A (beginning), Tier B (intermediate), Tier C (advanced).

The information below has been adapted from the WIDA Consortium's 2012 ACCESS Interpretive Guide. Click here to download the guide: Download ACCESS Interpretive Guide 2012 Final

ACCESS scores may be used for the following:

• Monitor student progress on an annual basis
• Establish when ELLs have attained English language proficiency according to state criteria
• Inform classroom instruction and assessment
• Aid in programmatic decision-making

ACCESS Scores (Grades 1 - 12):

A student's ACCESS scores are reported in three ways: raw scores, scale scores, and ELP (English Proficiency Levels). Raw scores are converted to corresponding scale scores that are then interpreted and reported as proficiency levels. Raw scores are reported for Comprehension, Speaking and Writing. Scale scores and proficiency levels are reported for all four language domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) and four different combinations of language domains: Oral Language (Listening and Speaking), Literacy (Reading and Writing), Comprehension (Listening and Reading), and Overall/Composite Score (all four domains).

Note: According to WIDA, raw scores should NEVER be used to track student's progress over time; however, scale scores can be used to monitor progress over time within a language domain, but not across domains.

Proficiency Level Scores:

The proficiency level scores are interpretive scores. This means that these scores are an interpretation of the scale scores. These scores describe the student's performance in terms of the six WIDA language proficiency levels (1 - Entering, 2 - Beginning, 3 - Developing, 4 - Expanding, 5 - Bridging, and 6 - Reaching). In the Teacher Report, these scores are reported as a whole number followed by a decimal. The whole number indicates the student's language proficiency level as based on the WIDA ELP Standards. The decimal represents the proportion of within the proficiency level range that the student's scale score represents, rounded to the nearest tenth. Thus, the decimal should never be rounded to determine proficiency or progress.

Composite Scores:

Students receive four different composite scores from a combination of weighted scale scores from the language domains. Composite scores are compensatory which means that a high score in one language domain could inflate the composite score and, conversely, a low score in one domain could deflate the composite score. Thus, the same overall composite score for two different students can reflect two very different profiles. A student's individual performance in each language domain provide a more comprehensive and realistic profile.

ACCESS Scores (Kindergarten):

Kindergarten ACCESS scores are reported a little differently than the scores for grades 1 - 12. Like the other grade levels, kindegarten ACCESS scale scores are part of the 1-600 range that spans all grade levels; however, unlike the other grade levels, Kindergarteners receive TWO interpretive proficiency level scores: one for instructional purposes and another for accountability purposes.

Kindergarten Instructional Proficency Level Scores:

The Instructional Porficiency Levels only appear onthe Teacher Report. The instructional proficiency levels are based on interpretations of the pre-K - K standards and take into consideration pre-literacy skills. These scores may be used by teachers to plan instruction for their ELLs.

Kindergarten Accountability Scores:

The Accountability scores are also interpretations of the scale scores; however, these scores are on the same scale and have the same meaning as the proficiency level scores for grades 1 - 12. These scores can and should be used for accountability purposes and for measuring student progress over time.

ES ACCESS Testing Schedule

The following is a template to help you create the schedule for the ACCESS Spring testing session.

ES Schedule Template 

ACCESS Tier Placement Video

Click here to watch a video from WIDA on determining ACCESS Tier placement of students.

Selecting Tier Levels for ACCESS

ACCESS for ELLs^® uses Tiers (A, B, or C) to maximize accuracy and validity of test results. This allows students to avoid responding to questions that are inappropriately difficult or easy.

Give careful consideration to Tier placement. For placement into the appropriate Tier, English learners must meet at least ONE of the criteria listed for the Tier.

Tier A

• EL who has entered the U.S. this academic year without previous instruction in English
• EL who recently tested on the W-APT and scored below a 2.0.

Tier B

• EL who has social language proficiency and some, but not extensive academic language proficiency.
• EL who has acquired some literacy in English but has not reached grade level literacy.

Tier C

• EL who has almost reached grade level literacy and academic language proficiency in core content areas.
• EL who will most likely meet the exit criteria for ESOL support services by the end of the academic year.

Most ELs at a local school will probably be placed on a Tier B. A student may be tested on the same Tier level for more than one year. WIDA has indicated that many ELLs will test on Tier B for two or more years. A student may have tested on Tier C last year and this year may have to test on a Tier B for reasons such as (1) incorrect tier placement last year or (2) entry into a new grade cluster this year.

For questions or advice on Tier placement, contact your District ESOL Lead or Margaret McKenzie.

ACCESS 2011 - Interpretation of Scores

Background:

The ACCESS for ELLs assessment is a secure, large scale test anchored in the WIDA English proficiency standards. In Georgia, the ACCESS is the federally-mandated, annual English proficiency assessment. The ACCESS is divided into five, grade-level clusters: K, 1 - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 - 12 and three tiers: Tier A (beginning), Tier B (intermediate), Tier C (advanced).

The information below has been adapted from the WIDA Consortium's 2011 ACCESS Interpretive Guide. Click here to download the guide: Download ACCESS_Interpretive_Guide11

ACCESS Scores (Grades 1 - 12):

A student's ACCESS scores are reported in three ways: raw scores, scale scores, and ELP (English Proficiency Levels). Raw scores are converted to corresponding scale scores that are then interpreted and reported as proficiency levels. Raw scores are reported for Comprehension, Speaking and Writing. Scale scores and proficiency levels are reported for all four language domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) and four different combinations of language domains: Oral Language (Listening and Speaking), Literacy (Reading and Writing), Comprehension (Listening and Reading), and Overall/Composite Score (all four domains).

Note: According to WIDA, raw scores should NEVER be used to track student's progress over time; however, scale scores can be used to monitor progress over time within a language domain, but not across domains.

Proficiency Level Scores:

The proficiency level scores are interpretive scores. This means that these scores are an interpretation of the scale scores. These scores describe the student's performance in terms of the six WIDA language proficiency levels (1 - Entering, 2 - Beginning, 3 - Developing, 4 - Expanding, 5 - Bridging, and 6 - Reaching). In the Teacher Report, these scores are reported as a whole number followed by a decimal. The whole number indicates the student's language proficiency level as based on the WIDA ELP Standards. The decimal represents the proportion of within the proficiency level range that the student's scale score represents, rounded to the nearest tenth. Thus, the decimal should never be rounded to determine proficiency or progress.

Composite Scores:

Students receive four different composite scores from a combination of weighted scale scores from the language domains. Composite scores are compensatory which means that a high score in one language domain could inflate the composite score and, conversely, a low score in one domain could deflate the composite score. Thus, the same overall composite score for two different students can reflect two very different profiles. A student's individual performance in each language domain provide a more comprehensive and realistic profile.

ACCESS Scores (Kindergarten):

Kindergarten ACCESS scores are reported a little differently than the scores for grades 1 - 12. Like the other grade levels, kindegarten ACCESS scale scores are part of the 1-600 range that spans all grade levels; however, unlike the other grade levels, Kindergarteners receive TWO interpretive proficiency level scores: one for instructional purposes and another for accountability purposes.

Kindergarten Instructional Proficency Level Scores:

The Instructional Porficiency Levels only appear onthe Teacher Report. The instructional proficiency levels are based on interpretations of the pre-K - K standards and take into consideration pre-literacy skills. These scores may be used by teachers to plan instruction for their ELLs.

Kindergarten Accountability Scores:

The Accountability scores are also interpretations of the scale scores; however, these scores are on the same scale and have the same meaning as the proficiency level scores for grades 1 - 12. These scores can and should be used for accountability purposes and for measuring student progress over time.