New Mexico English Language Proficiency Assessment ( Placement Test )

Copyright © 2006 by Harcourt Assessment, Inc. 1

TRAINING WORKSHOP

August 2006

New Mexico

English Language Proficiency Assessment

(Placement Test)


• Welcome• New Mexico ELP Placement

Test Overview• Scoring the Speaking Subtest• NMELPA Annual Assessment

Overview• Test Coordinator Information Note: Questions related to program policies and

procedures will be collected and a written Q & A document will be posted on New Mexico PED website.

Agenda


Describe purpose and student population

Describe test materials and content

Identify test administration protocols

Explain how to score the Placement Test

Practice scoring Speaking items

Placement Test Workshop Objectives


Identification, Assessment, and Program Placement of ELL/LEP

Students- State Guidelines

STEP 1: Identify students to be assessed for English language proficiency skills.

• Administer the Home Language Survey or the Student Language Survey (high school students).

• The Teacher Language Observation Form may also be used after enrollment if a student is not succeeding academically.


STEP 2: Assess students’ identified with the New Mexico ELP Placement Test

• The New Mexico ELP Placement Test must be administered within 20 days of the student’s enrollment.


STEP 3: Program Placement

•Students identified as LEP based on the results of the Placement Test are placed in a state-approved language program such as a stand-alone English Language Acquisition model or the State Bilingual Education program •Parents must be notified of placement within 30 days of enrollment


STEP 4: Annual Assessment

• NMELPA is administered annually to all students enrolled in ELL programs to assess English language acquisition and progress and to identify instructional needs


Questions?


New Mexico ELP Placement Test

PURPOSE: To measure the English language proficiency level of new students whose native language is not EnglishRESULTS: Will help schools determine whether a student requires English language instruction or can be placed directly into regular academic classes


FEATURES:•Assesses oral and written

language skills: listening, reading, writing conventions, and speaking (no open-response writing activity).

•Hand-scored with results retained in the student’s file.





SUBTEST FORMAT

Subtest FormatTime

Estimate* Administer

Listening Multiple-choice

40

Group

Reading Multiple-choice

Group

Writing Conventions

Multiple-choice

Group

Speaking Short Response

25 Individually

*10 min. prep time included



Test Administration Protocols

UNTIMED TESTING: All students should have sufficient time to complete test

ACCOMMODATIONS that do not interfere with the comparability of scores and are specified in a student’s IEP, 504, ELL/LEP plan can be provided during administration of the Placement Test

MODIFICATIONS are changes in test content and/or administration that interfere with the comparability of scores and are strictly prohibited on the Placement Test



• Initial Shipment of Placement Test Materials will be received by Districts:

Aug. 14-18 (based on an allocation)

• Ordering Additional Materials: If additional materials are needed TC’s

can order through Spectrum beginning Aug. 14



Grades 3-5

Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

Grades K-2New Mexico ELP Placement Test

Materials



Secure Test Materials

Primary Grades K-2

• Test Booklet (consumable)• Speaking Test Booklet (reusable)• Directions for Administering and

Scoring (reusable)


Secure Test MaterialsElementary Grades 3-5Middle Grades Grades 6-8High School Grades 9-

12

• Test Booklet (reusable)• Answer Document (consumable)• Directions for Administering and

Scoring (reusable)



Test Security

• All test booklets and student responses for the Placement Test are confidential and secure.

• Both used and unused materials must be kept in a secure location at all times.

• Test security procedures must be followed for the Placement Test.



Student Information

• Prior to administration, complete student information on the back cover of each student’s answer document and/or the Primary Level Student’s Test Booklet. (Do not allow students to fill in this information.)

• Once scored, the completed answer document (or Primary Test Booklet) should be placed within the student’s file along with other documentation regarding program placement



Student Information


Materials Required by the Test Administrator

• Directions for Administering and Scoring• Student’s Answer Document (or Primary Test

Booklet) for scoring the Speaking subtest• Extra supply of sharpened, soft-lead (No. 2

pencils)



The Directions for Administering and Scoring include:

• Test Security Guidelines• General and Specific Directions for Test

Administration• Dictated subtests• Directions for Scoring



Large-print versions of the Placement Test Booklets are available for order on Spectrum• Students should mark responses to the multiple-

choice subtests directly in the large-print test booklets.

• Test Administrators will score the Speaking subtest within the regular-print answer document (or Primary student’s test booklet)

• Both the large-print test booklet and the regular-print answer document must be kept in student’s file



Preliminary Planning• The School Test Coordinator (STC) is

responsible for ensuring that the Test Administrators (TA) are fully trained to administer and score the Placement Test

• Each TA must be able to administer a standardized assessment

• Thoroughly review the directions for administering the Speaking subtest and the complete speaking rubric before administering

the speaking subtest • Prepare students for taking the test



Components Needed for Scoring the Placement Test


• Directions for Administering and Scoring• Primary Test Booklets (K-2) and Answer Documents (3-12)


Instructions for Scoring1. Use the answer key found in the

Directions for Administering and Scoring to grade the multiple-choice items.

2. Record the number of items answered correctly on the back cover of the student’s answer document (or Primary test booklet).

3. Add the number of correct answers for all of the multiple-choice subtests and record the total as shown in the example.



New Mexico ELP Placement Test Example


Instructions for Scoring (continued)

4. Record the total number of points the student received for the Speaking subtest

5. Total the number of points for the entire test.

6. Look up in the DFA the student’s score in the Proficiency Score Ranges Table





New Mexico ELP Placement Test Example


Proficient Students who score at the Proficient level should be evaluated for appropriate placement within a program of regular classroom instruction.

Non-ProficientStudents who score at the Non-Proficient level should be placed in the appropriate ESL instructional program.


Document the student’s English language Proficiency level as well as the program placement decision on the student’s answer document or test booklet.


PED Contact Information

Margaret F. [email protected]

505-827-6799



Harcourt Contact Information• Questions regarding ordering and receiving of materials:

[email protected]: 1-800-763-2306Fax: 1-800-634-0424

• Training for Spectrum [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-763-2306Fax: 1-800-634-0424

• Program Administrator: Erica BaltierraPhone: 210-339-5606
