1. Common Core Update
May 15, 2013

2. Understanding Assessments
Ability or Summative Assessments (Thermometers)
Understand Student Ability
Usually a Scaled Score
Growth Measure
Benchmarks
Diagnostic or Formative Assessments
Diagnose Student Strengths & Weaknesses
Must cover broad ability range
Content Assessments
Ensure Content Mastery
Understand Content Review Needs
November 16, 2018

3. Background Information
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia (SBAC)
And
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers (PARCC)
Providing some background information for them to consider as they review the problem sets

4. PARCC Priorities Next Generation of Assessments
Determine whether students are college and career ready or on track
Connect to the Common Core State Standards
Measure the full range of student performance, including that of high- and low-achieving students
Provide educators data throughout the year to inform instruction
Create innovative 21st century, technology-based assessments
Be affordable and sustainable

5. SBAC A Next Generation of Assessments
Align to Common Core State Standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy
Rigorously assess progress toward “college and career readiness”
Use common cut scores across the Consortium
Provide achievement and growth information
Tests that are valid, reliable, and fair for all students (except those with “significant cognitive disabilities”)
Use multiple measures of student performance
Use online technologies
Be operational in the school year

8. PARCC Assessment Plan

9. PARCC Assessments ELA/Literacy and Mathematics, Grades 3-11
Overall Claim for Grade 11 (Policy ALD) followed by the Content Claims (which are the Content Claims found in the Content Specifications) – Remember that these are considered the Content ALDs (Policy ALDs include both the overall claim and the content ALDs)

10. PARCC Proposed Guidance on Selecting Accommodations for ELs
When selecting accommodations for ELs, consider the student’s:
. Level of English language proficiency (ELP) on the state ELP test
Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced
. Literacy development in the native language
Native language literacy
Interrupted schooling/literacy background
. Background factors that impact effective accommodations use
Grade/age
Affective filter (i.e., level of student anxiety/ comfort with English)
Time in U. S. schools

11. PARCC Proposed Mapping Accommodations to ELP
WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® English Language Proficiency (ELP) Levels
ELDA English Language Proficiency Levels
Composite ELP Level
(Acosta et al., 2008)
Level 1
Entering
Pre-Functional
Beginning
Level 2
Emerging
Level 3
Developing
Intermediate
Level 4
Expanding
Advanced Intermediate
Level 5
Bridging
Advanced
Level 6
Reaching
Full English Proficiency not exited
Appropriate accommodations enable ELs to more effectively demonstrate their knowledge of the content. Because EL status itself is transitional in nature, there are accommodations specific to ELs that provide different degrees and types of linguistic support to ELs as they progress through beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of English language proficiency.
Many States currently use WIDA ACCESS for ELLs and ELDA ELP assessments to determine English language proficiency. To meet U.S. Department of Education Flexibility Waiver requirements, many States are or will be implementing new ELP/ELD standards in the next two years.
As a result, the ELP performance level descriptors in this chart will be updated to align with States' new ELP/ELD Standards.  
Proposed guidance for selecting EL accommodations on PARCC assessments will use a composite ELP level that aligns with current WIDA ACCESS and ELDA levels.

12. Proposed Accommodations for ELs
Beginning
Intermediate
Advanced
English/ Native Language Word-to-Word Dictionary (ELA/Literacy & Mathematics) ○š •
Test Directions clarified by test administrator in student’s Native Language (ELA/Literacy & Mathematics) 
š○ 
Read Aloud or Text to Speech:
Test items and response options read aloud in English (ELA/Literacy) ○ 
Scribe or Speech-to-Text:
Responses Dictated for Mathematics assessment in English (Mathematics)
Extended Time (ELA/Literacy and Mathematics)
Frequent Breaks (ELA/Literacy and Mathematics)

13. Our Concerns
Technical capabilities are not leveraged to maximize ELL participation, for example
A word-to-word glossary will not be embedded in the assessment tool
There is limited use of Native language in both reading of items and responding to items
There is no indication that PARCC explored the technological feasibility of providing side-by-side translations of the directions and/or the assessment items even though such practices fall along the continuum of accommodations
Operational Concerns
A PNP (Personalized Needs Profile) will be established for each student. It is not clear how/when this will be done though it is stated that for ELs it should be done early in the year.
Accommodations for ELLs would be determined for each EL, in their EL Plan. Few districts have an EL Plans and determining accommodations for each EL, particularly those with large percentage and/or numbers of ELLs, would be unrealistic.

14. Our Recommendations
PARCC should focus on defining the eligibility criteria for linguistic accommodations and not broader definition of ELLs
ELLs who score ‘below proficient’ on the state’s English Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) would be eligible for linguistic accommodations. This category would be determined by the state’s cutoff scores for deeming a student ‘proficient’ on their respective ELPA.
ELLs who have been deemed ‘proficient’ on their state’s ELPA but have not been exited from the LEP status due to other exit criteria, would not be eligible for accommodations.
For reporting purposes, the ELL subgroup (called LEP) is currently defined by federal law under NCLB.
Former ELL Designation
The “Former ELL Designation” should not be based on the regulatory fix that was meant for the accountability AYP calculations that is limited to only two-
years after an ELL has exited LEP status or stopped receiving Title III services. We recommend maintaining the former ELL designation through high school graduation and using a 2-year marker to monitor the ELL performance under Title III and to include these scores in accountability measures under state waivers or NCLB.

15. SBAC Balanced Assessment System

19. Next Steps