COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 132

June 25, 2004

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Jo Lynne DeMary Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	State-approved English Language Proficiency(ELP) Assessment for 2004-2005

The state-approved English language proficiency assessment for the 2004-2005 school year as required in Section 1111(b)(7) of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, will be the Stanford English Language Proficiency (SELP) test. The SELP test will assess the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills of all limited English proficient (LEP) students as required by NCLB.

During this transition period as information is analyzed regarding the newly developing ELP assessments, the Virginia Department of Education will pay for the administration and scoring costs associated with the SELP for all K-12 LEP students. This is a change from information previously referenced in Superintendents Memorandum, Administrative, Number 4, dated January 30, 2004, in which school divisions were informed that the department would pay for only the reading component of the ELP assessment for certain LEP students.

The department will continue to participate in the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) consortium for development of the English Language Development Assessment (ELDA). ELDA field-test results are expected to be received this fall and will be used to inform future ELP assessment decisions.

Additional details about the administration of the SELP for the 2004-2005 school year as well as training for test administrators will be forthcoming in a future superintendents memorandum.

If you have questions, please contact Lolita Hall, associate director for assessment and reporting, at (804) 786-9422 or by e-mail to darfax@mail.vak12ed.edu; or Roberta Schlicher, ESL coordinator, at (804) 786-1692 or by e-mail to rschlich@mail.vak12ed.edu.

JLD/rls