COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 132
July 1, 2005
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
English Language
Proficiency Assessments for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students to Meet
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Requirements |
Section
1111(b)(7) of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires states to
ensure that local education agencies provide for an annual assessment of
English language proficiency. For the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 school years, the
Stanford English Language Proficiency (SELP) test has been the state-approved
and funded English language proficiency (ELP) assessment to meet the Title I
and Title III requirement for limited English proficient (LEP) students. As a result of feedback from school
divisions, for the 2005-2006 school year, the Department of Education will
allow each school division flexibility in selecting the ELP assessment it wants
to use. ELP assessments must be aligned
to Virginias ELP Standards of Learning (SOL) as required in the
legislation. The flexibility will allow
school divisions to use the SELP, if desired, or choose among other available
ELP assessments that are approved by the Virginia Board of Education. Additionally, school divisions have the
option of submitting their locally developed assessment for approval by the
Board of Education. The department is
preparing a list for board approval this month.
School
divisions flexibility in choosing an ELP assessment will apply only to the ELP
assessment requirement. The SELP will
continue as the state-approved assessment for those LEP students who are
eligible to use the reading component as a proxy for the SOL reading assessment
in grades 3 through 8. For 2005-2006,
the department will pay for the administrative and scoring costs of all
subtests of the SELP when the reading subtest is used as a proxy.
Attached to
this memorandum is a list of possible ELP assessments school divisions may
choose to use pending Board approval.
The list includes tests produced by consortia and those produced by
publishers. Please review the list of
assessments and select the ELP assessment that your school division would
prefer by July 15, 2005. Return surveys
to Val Gooss, ESL Coordinator, by fax at (804) 371-7347 or by e-mail at Valerie.Gooss@doe.virginia.gov.
If you have questions, please contact Val Gooss at (804) 786-1692 or Valerie.Gooss@doe.virginia.gov.
JLD/VG/smj
Attachment
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf132a.doc