English Language Learners with Rare Circumstances for TELPAS

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1 English Language Learners with Rare Circumstances for TELPAS With very few exceptions, federal law requires that all K 12 Limited English Proficient (LEP) students participate in TELPAS. This includes LEP students classified in PEIMS as having parents who have declined bilingual/esl program services (W-H: parental waivers). LEP students are required to participate in TELPAS assessments annually until they meet exit criteria and are reclassified as non-lep. ELLs Receiving Special Education Services (Holistic Ratings Assessments) It may be necessary for the ARD committee, in conjunction with the LPAC, to determine that an ELL receiving special education services should not be rated in a particular language domain for reasons associated with the student s particular disability. Participation must be considered on a domain-by-domain basis. The reason for not rating a student in a particular domain must be well-supported and documented in the student s IEP and permanent record file. ELLs Receiving Special Education Services (Grades 2-12 Online Reading Test) An ELL receiving special education services for who the TELPAS reading test is inappropriate on the basis of the student s particular disability is not required to be assessed. The ARD committee must make this determination in conjunction with the student s LAPC in order to ensure that issues related to the student s language proficiency are carefully considered. Decisions not to assess students in reading should be rare. ELLs with Extenuating Circumstances There may be rare instances in which an ELL is unable to be rated in one or more domains due to extenuating circumstances. It is the responsibility of the CTC (Campus Testing Coordinator) to make decisions concerning extenuating circumstances. Documentation of the reason should be maintained on the campus. ELLs Enrolled at the End of the Rating Period An ELL who enrolls in a Texas school district from another state or country (or from a private school in Texas) and who will have been enrolled for fewer than 20 school days, at the end of the rating period, not counting holidays, is not required to be rated if there has not been sufficient time for the rater to complete the assessment requirements and determine the student s English language proficiency levels. However, every effort should be made to observe and rate the student in as many domains as possible. 1

2 Second Semester ELLs ELLs who arrived in the United States for the first time during the 2 nd semester of the school year are not required to take the TELPAS reading test if they are deemed by the LPAC to read virtually no English at the time of the assessment. Students deemed to read virtually no English must be assigned a rating of Beginning. This will be their baseline score and the level against which their progress will be measured in the following year s administration. Second semester immigrant students should take the test if the LPAC determines that they can read some English. With all of the circumstances above, these ELL students still must be enrolled in the TAMS (Texas Assessment Management System) on your campus for the TELPAS March Administration. The person responsible on your campus for creating groups needs to ensure that these students are placed into groups in the TAMS. For these students, either a proficiency rating or a score designation denoting why a student was not rated must be entered for each student in the domains of listening, speaking, reading (K 1 only), and writing. (Please note that students in grades 2-12 will have different steps for their reading test because they will be placed in a reading test session in which their test will be marked as complete.) Entering Proficiency Ratings for These Students In the event a student is not holistically rated, a score designation below should be selected on the Enter TELPAS Holistic Rating Information screen. Steps for Entering Proficiency Ratings for These Students Follow the steps below to enter proficiency ratings for these students. (Please note that this can only be done after you have created your rating entry groups.) 1. Click on the Student Evaluation tab 2. Click on Enter TELPAS Holistic Rating Information 3. In the Student Selector panel, click the + next to the rating entry group name to expand the group. 4. Then click on the student s name 5. In the Student Details view you will see the STUDENT S NAME, PEIMS ID, D/O/B, and ENROLLED GRADE 6. Verify that you have selected the correct student and then enter the proficiency ratings and rater information. 7. Click the Save button 8. Repeat steps 4 6 until each of your different students information has been entered 2

3 Choices to Select for Entering Proficiency Ratings for These Students E = Extenuating Circumstances Eligible student is unable to be rated in the specified domain(s) due to extenuating circumstances. *NOTE: Such extenuating circumstances should be rare. There is not a designation for absence because the ratings are based on observations over time. If extenuating circumstances is selected, documentation of the extenuating circumstances is required to be maintained on the campus. X = ARD Decision Student does not participate in the TELPAS holistically rated assessment in the specified domain(s) on the basis of the student s disability, as determined by the ARD committee in conjunction with the LPAC and documented in the student s IEP, according to 19 TAC, Chapter 101. *NOTE: For each domain, the assessments should be meaningful measures of English language proficiency for the vast majority of ELLs receiving special education services. Because of the observational and holistic nature of the assessments, decisions for a student not to participate should be extremely rare. Entering Do Not Score Designations and Accommodations Information for These Students (Grades 2-12 Reading Test) In the event that a student does not take or complete the reading test for grades 2 12, a do not score designation must be selected in the Score Code drop-down menu on the Student Test Details screen. If a student was allowed accommodations, the accommodation category or categories must be indicated in the Accommodations drop-down menus on the Student Test Details screen. The following categories of accommodations are included in this field. (Please note that detailed accommodation information is provided on pp. 6-7 of this document) *Presentation Accommodation *Response Accommodation *Setting Accommodation *Timing and Scheduling Accommodation *NOTE: If the student does not receive testing accommodations, these fields should be left in the <select> position. 3

4 Steps for Entering Do Not Score Designations & Accommodations Information for These Students Follow the steps below to enter do not score designations for these students. (Please note that this can only be done after you have created your test sessions.) These students must also have their test marked as complete. 1. Click on the Test Management tab 2. Click on Manage Test Sessions 3. Click on the session name to which the student belongs to 4. Then click on the student s name to open the Student Test Details 5. Click on the Edit button 6. Select the reading Do Not Score designation and accommodation information for applicable students (Please note that the accommodations fields are only displayed after the student has completed the test) 7. Click the Save button Steps for Marking a Test Complete for These Students A student s test should only be marked complete in a do not score situation. Some user roles do not have access to the Mark Test Complete button. If you do not see the button, your user role does not include access to the button. In this case, contact your CTC. *NOTE: The student cannot take the test if the student s test is marked complete. If you mistakenly mark a student s test complete, contact your CTC, who will then need to call Pearson s Austin Operations Center for assistance. 1. Return to the Session Details screen and select the checkbox next to the student s name 2. Click on Mark Test Complete to go to the Mark Test Complete screen 3. Enter the reason for marking the test complete 4. Then click on the student s name to open the Student Test Details 5. Click the Save button 6. The student s status will then appear as Marked Complete 4

5 Do Not Score Designations to Select for These Students A = Absent Student was absent throughout the entire 5 week testing window. *NOTE: A student should NOT be marked absent if the student was absent on the testing days but also fits one of the score designations below. If you are only responsible for a student s holistic ratings due to the student moving during the testing window, do not place the student in a test session or mark the student absent. N = Second Semester Immigrant Non-English Reader Non-English reader who enrolled in U.S. schools for the first time in the second semester of the school year, as determined by the LPAC and documented in the student s permanent record file. *NOTE: Such students are assigned a rating of Beginning on the test and assigned the minimum scale score. This will be their baseline score and the level against which their progress will be measured in the following year s administration. This designation should not be used for second semester immigrants who read some English. These students should take the reading test. X = ARD Decision Student does not participate in the grades 2 12 reading test on the basis of the student s disability, as determined by the ARD committee in conjunction with the LPAC and documented in the student s IEP, according to 19 TAC, Chapter 101. *NOTE: The test should be a meaningful measure of English language proficiency in reading for the vast majority of ELLs receiving special education services. A decision not to include a student should be rare. * = TEA-Approved Paper Administration TEA-approved paper administration for a student. *NOTE: This option should be used for a student who is already in a test session in the Assessment Management System. All student information, including holistic ratings, must be marked on the printed scorable documents for these students. O = Other Student Not to Be Scored Student experiences a test administration irregularity or illness during testing. 5

6 TELPAS Testing Accommodations Certain TELPAS reading test accommodations are available for eligible students with special needs. Detailed information about testing accommodations is found in the Accommodations Manual, which provides guidance to campus personnel in selecting, administering, and evaluating the use of accommodations in instruction and assessment. With the exception of DBA (Dyslexia Bundled Accommodations) and Braille tests, the same testing accommodations available for TAKS reading are available for eligible students taking the TELPAS reading tests. The decision to use a particular accommodation with a student is made on an individual student basis and takes into consideration both the needs of the student and whether the student routinely receives the accommodation in classroom instruction and testing. Any student with a special need may be considered for an allowable accommodation. Decisions about accommodations should be made by the appropriate committee well before testing is scheduled to begin. For some accommodations the campus must first submit an ARF (Accommodation Request Form) to the TEA (Texas Education Agency) for approval. In rare circumstances, a student may also need a testing accommodation that is not available with an online administration. Please contact the Student Assessment Department for information on requesting TEA s approval for a paperadministration. If you have questions about providing a student with a testing accommodation, contact your Special Ed Chairperson or the HISD Special Education Department. The list that follows includes the accommodations that may be used by eligible students taking TELPAS reading tests. Some accommodations apply only to paper administrations of the test. Presentation Accommodations *large print *magnifying or low-vision devices *colored overlays *photocopies of test *place markers *reading test aloud to self *sign/translate directions *amplification devices *manipulating test materials for students 6

7 Response Accommodations *other methods of response/transcribing *supplemental aids Setting Accommodations *minimizing distractions to the student *individual administration *small-group administration Timing and Scheduling Accommodations *extended time testing over two days *multiple or frequent breaks *visual, verbal, or tactile reminders to stay on task Instructions for administering large-print, paper-based tests can be found in the TELPAS Test Administrator Supplement for Paper Administrations, which is shipped with the TELPAS test booklets. Braille tests are not available. The following procedures are not permitted, as they may invalidate the test: *Students may not receive reading assistance *Students may not use English-language or foreign-language reference materials *Test items and reading selections may not be translated *Test questions, answer choices, and selections may not be rephrased or clarified. 7