NYSESLAT 2013 New York State English as a Second Language Assessment Test Diane Garafalo

What is the NYSESLAT? NYSESLAT is designed to measure the English language proficiency of students that are English Language Learners (ELLs) and is used for exiting the ESL program. New York State Education Department (NYSED) in partnership with Questar and collaboration with NYS teachers have developed this exam. A new exam comes out in April The 2013 NYSESLAT will feature greater emphasis on academic and classroom contexts and new items that address the Common Core shift to reading for information. Scoring procedures for Speaking & Writing have also changed Guide to the NYSESLAT and Test Samplershttp://

NYSESLAT Alignment Phase 1: Administration Administration Phase 2: Administration

2013 Changes Some existing question types revised New question types added Speaking test made more challenging Writing and Speaking rubrics revised

Changes to the Speaking Tests Speaking test now starts with the Social & Academic Interaction questions. Storytelling has been moved to the end of the test. A new question type (Response to Graphic Information) has been added: – Similar to Picture Description, but the prompt is a map, table, or chart instead of a picture. – Student responds orally to two questions about the graphic.

Changes to the Writing Test Extended writing response for K has been eliminated. Two new question types for grades 3-12: – Descriptive Writing Paragraph – Fact-based Essay Pre-writing has been eliminated. A planning page (not scored) will be provided for the grades 3-12 essays. Rubrics have been revised.

Proposed Changes to Proficiency Levels Proposed Changes to Proficiency Levels Five New Levels of Language Progressions Proposed by NYS: Entering Emerging Transitioning Expanding Commanding To replace current levels in ESL of Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Proficient. (*Only when CR 154 is officially revised) NYSESLAT will be revised to align with these five new levels.

About the NYSESLAT A secure NYS test, so it must be locked in a secure location until given Must be given by a certified teacher Is untimed NYS provides online test samples for practice

There are six grade-level assessments K

All four language modalities are assessed at each grade level. Speaking Writing Listening Reading

Testing Accommodations The NYSESLAT is designed specifically for English language learners. Therefore, testing accommodations ordinarily permitted for English language learners taking other State tests are NOT permitted for NYSESLAT. Except as indicated in the following two sections (reading and writing), English language learners with disabilities should be provided the testing accommodations specified in their IEP or Section 504 Accommodation Plan (504 Plan).

IEPs and 504 Plans Students with disabilities must be provided with the testing accommodations specified in their IEPs or 504 Plans when taking tests. It is the principals responsibility to ensure that this occurs and that those staff who will be providing these testing accommodations are appropriately trained. Proctors should be familiar with the accommodations specific to the particular test being administered. Only those testing accommodations that do not alter the constructs measured by the test are permitted. Students with disabilities must be provided with the testing accommodations authorized by the IEP or 504 Plan, with two exceptions: 1. The Reading subtest may not be read to any student (unless student is vision impaired) 2. For the Writing subtest, students may not receive assistance with or have their responses corrected for spelling, grammar, paragraphing, or punctuation

The Four Modalities The Speaking section is administered individually and asks students to respond to a word or statement read aloud or to a picture. The other sections can be administered to students in a group: The Reading section asks students to answer questions about stories printed in their test books. The Writing section asks students to write in response to pictures, questions and prompts in their test books. The Listening section asks students to select the correct response to a picture and/or word or statement read aloud.

Scoring of the Speaking Subtest New statewide scoring rules require that the Speaking subtest must be scored by a teacher who is not the students teacher of English as a second language or English language arts. Schools have three options for administering and scoring the Speaking subtest: 1. Assign someone other than the students teacher to administer and simultaneously score the Speaking subtest. 2. Have the students teacher administer the Speaking subtest while a disinterested teacher in the room listens to and simultaneously scores the students responses; or 3. Have the students teacher administer the Speaking subtest and record the students responses. The recording would subsequently be scored by a disinterested teacher.

Scoring of the Writing Subtest For the Writing subtest, all of the student responses to the constructed response questions must be scored by committees of teachers. No one teacher is to score more than approximately one-half of the constructed-response questions in a students Writing subtest booklet. No teacher who is a students teacher of English as a second language or English language arts may score any of the constructed-response questions in that students Writing subtest booklet.

How Are the Results Reported? Regional scoring will be done for Writing, in late May. Test results are sent to the RIC. The results are reported in raw scores, scale scores, and performance levels. The raw score is simply the number of correct answers, which is converted to a scale score, which makes it possible to compare scores across grade levels. Scale scores are divided into five performance levels that show how well students have mastered English language skills.

What Are the NYSESLAT Results Used For? The NYSESLAT is given every spring: Test results come back in July and provide students, teachers, and parents with an objective report of each students strengths and weaknesses in the English language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Results help determine whether these students are making adequate progress toward English language proficiency. Test results also help schools focus on ways to improve instruction so that ELL students become proficient in English.

(Cont.) Based on the results of the test, the students English language proficiency level is classified as Entering, Emerging, Transitioning, Expanding or Commanding. Such classification must be used to provide the required amount of language arts instruction prescribed under Part 154 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education and given by an ESL teacher. Part 154 is the States legal mandate that prescribes the requirements for the implementation of instructional programs and services for LEP students in New York State.

NYSESLAT Resources The 2013 NYSESLAT Testing Program & Test Prep Guide to the 2013 NYSESLAT Parent Report /ig-11eng.pdf Academic Vocabulary Lists Vocabulary.pdf How to Read Charts and Graphs Reading & Writing Power Point ppt.pdf 2013 Administration & Scoring of the NYSESLAT Video & Documents