| DATE: | July 14, 2017 |
|---|---|
| TO: | Division Superintendents |
| FROM: | Steven R. Staples, Superintendent of Public Instruction |
| SUBJECT: | Testing Accommodations for Formerly English Learners - Years 1 and 2 |
The purpose of this memorandum is to communicate a change in the eligibility criteria for testing accommodations for students identified as formerly English Learners (ELs).
Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, students within their first two years of monitoring as a formerly EL (Monitor Status Years 1 and 2) will be eligible for direct and indirect linguistic accommodations on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments. Formerly ELs are students considered to have achieved English language proficiency (ELP) on the WIDA ELP assessment, the ACCESS for ELLS® 2.0, or other state-approved ELP assessment.
- For the 2017-2018 school year, a Formerly EL student in Year 1 of Monitor Status is defined as a student who earned an Overall Proficiency Level of 4.4 or higher in Spring 2017 on the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0® OR was assessed with the Proficiency Level 5 Virginia English Language Proficiency (ELP) checklist for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 with Hearing and Visual Impairments.
- For the 2017-2018 school year, a Formerly EL student in Year 2 of Monitor Status is defined as a student who tested in Spring 2016 on Tier B or C of the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0® test and earned an Overall Proficiency Level of 5.0 or higher and a Literacy Proficiency Level of 5.0 or higher OR was assessed with the Proficiency Level 5 Virginia English Language Proficiency (ELP) checklist for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 with Hearing and Visual Impairments.
Students in Monitor Status Years 3 and 4 are not eligible for direct or indirect accommodations on SOL assessments.
Please note that any accommodations provided to ELs and Formerly EL students in Monitor Status Years 1 or 2, must first be documented in EL Assessment Participation Plans.
Refer to Appendix B in the Examiner’s Manuals for SOL assessments for detailed information on direct and indirect linguistic testing accommodations.
If you have questions, please contact the student assessment staff at student_assessment@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 225-2102.
SRS/SLR/cd