COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 5
January 5, 2006
INFORMATIONAL
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TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Patricia I.
Wright Acting
Superintendent of Public Instruction |
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SUBJECT: |
2005-2006
Flexibility for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students in Grades K-2 for
the English Language Proficiency Assessment |
In April 2005, the United States Department of
Education responded to the Virginia Board of Educations request for a waiver to
the requirement that the annual assessment of English Language Proficiency
(ELP) of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in Kindergarten through
grade 2 (K-2) include the assessment of reading and writing as well as
listening and speaking. The United States Department of Education denied
Virginias request for a waiver but indicated in its response that states may use a variety of
assessments to measure the progress of LEP students. For example, LEP students in K-2 may demonstrate proficiency on
state ELP standards in reading and writing with a portfolio of work samples or
recorded structured observations of students classroom performance over a
period of time. The ELP reading and
writing assessments of K-2 students need not be group-administered, a
paper/pencil test, or a single testing event.
For the 2005-2006 school year, school divisions may continue to use all four subtests of the Virginia Stanford English Language Proficiency (SELP) Preliteracy Assessment to fulfill the ELP assessment requirement for K-2 LEP students. However, school divisions also have the option of using a locally developed assessment or another alternative assessment to determine the English language proficiency of their LEP students in K-2.
If you have questions relating to the use of locally
developed or selected instruments to assess one or more of the four skill areas
(speaking, reading, writing, listening), please contact Laura Kennedy, (Laura.Kennedy@doe.virginia.gov)
LEP assessment specialist, at (804) 371-0258; or Valerie Gooss (Valerie.Gooss@doe.virginia.gov) ESL specialist, at (804) 786-1692.