NEW YORK STATE ENGLISH AS A

SECOND LANGUAGE TEST

    (NYSESLAT)

 

 

 

GRADES 7-8

 

 

 

TEST SPECIFICATIONS

 

WITH LINKS TO STANDARDS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated October 30, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prepared by Educational Testing Service

Copyright © 2003 Educational Testing Service.

Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

 

 

 

 

PART I

 

 

 

 

 

 
TEST SPECIFICATIONS

 

for

 

 

WRITING

SPEAKING

READING

LISTENING
WRITING

 

Number of Writing Tasks:  3

 

Task Types are: 

 

 

 

SCORING THE WRITING EXERCISES

 

The 7-8 Writing exercises are scored holistically using a 0-1-2-3 point rating scale.

 

 

Scoring Task Type 1: Prewriting for a story/essay

 

 

Score

Characteristics of Students Responses

3

The student fills in all circles with clear and relevant ideas. The responses in all or most of the circles provide specific details and show thinking, imagination, or insight into the topic.

2

 

The student writes a relevant response in the center circle and in at least half of the other circles. Some of these responses provide specific details and show thinking, imagination, or insight into the topic.

1

 

The student writes in some of the boxes. The responses are general and may lack development or insight into the topic; however, the responses show some understanding of the task.

0

The response does not address the questions at all, or the information is irrelevant or incoherent.

 

Scoring Task Type 2: Writing the essay/story

 

 

Score

Characteristics of Students Responses

4

The student’s response:

  • is completely and easily comprehensible; has an appropriate main idea or theme
  • provides appropriate and specific details, examples and, if required, supporting evidence; and develops in a coherent and connected way
  • contains language that flows in well-developed sentences, with some variety in sentence structure
  • shows well-developed vocabulary resources (the student usually finds appropriate words to convey meaning)
  • displays few errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation; errors do not interfere with communication

3

The student’s response:

  • is comprehensible, though the reader may have to make an effort to understand it; has an identifiable main idea or purpose
  • provides some appropriate details, examples and, if required, supporting evidence; and develops in a coherent and connected way
  • is written entirely, or almost entirely, in complete sentences; displays some variety in sentence structure
  • shows emerging vocabulary resources (the student often finds appropriate words to convey meaning)
  • displays some errors in grammar (for example, in the use of articles and prepositions), spelling and punctuation, but these errors do not impede communication

2

 

The student’s response:

  • is somewhat comprehensible but often requires a marked effort on the part of the reader to understand it; may lack a main idea
  • often fails to provide appropriate details, examples, or evidence
  • displays little or no variety in sentence structure; the writing may be choppy or abrupt
  • shows basic vocabulary resources; errors in word choice sometimes interfere with communication
  • displays frequent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other conventions, and avoids more difficult structures; errors may interfere with communication

1

 

The student’s response:

·         is often incomprehensible; has no main idea or clear purpose; and may not address every part of the question/prompt

·         provides few, if any, details, examples, or evidence

·         contains few, if any, complete sentences; the writing may seem inappropriate or incoherent

·         shows a limited range of vocabulary, which interferes with communication

·         shows little control of grammar and of the conventions of written English

0

The student’s response is not recognizable as written English, does not address the question at all, or is completely irrelevant or incoherent.

Scoring Task Type 3: Editing a piece of writing

 

 

SCORE

Number of Errors the Student Corrects Properly

3

 

10 - 12

2

 

 

6 – 9

1

 

 

3 – 5

0

 

0 - 2

 

 

 

 

SPEAKING

 

Number of Test Questions:  5

 

Task Types for Students:

 

o       Narrate a story based on a 4-picture sequence*

o       Describe and interpret information in a chart or graph*

o       Give directions based on a map

o       Express an opinion or explain a personal preference

o       Ask appropriate questions in school or social situations

o       Provide information and assistance

o       Explain actions, choices, and decisions

o       Make an argument/speak persuasively

o       Make a comparison/contrast

 

 

* Asterisked item types will appear in each form.

 

 

SCORING THE SPEAKING TASKS

 

The 7-8 Speaking tasks are scored holistically using a 0-1-2-3 point rating system.  The administrator of the tasks scores each task after the student has finished speaking.

 

SCORING GUIDE FOR 7-8 SPEAKING

 

SPEAKING 3-2-1-0 SCALE

 

Score

Characteristics of Student Responses

 

 

 

 

 

3

The student’s response:

  • is completely and easily comprehensible
  • is coherent
  • is fluent
  • provides appropriate and specific details and/or examples
  • shows well-developed vocabulary resources (the student can usually find the right word)
  • may display grammatical mistakes (for example, in the use of articles or prepositions), but mistakes do not generally interfere with communication
  • may display an accent, but errors of pronunciation and intonation do not interfere with communication

 

 

 

 

2

The student’s response:

  • is comprehensible, but may require effort on the part of the listener
  • develops in a somewhat coherent way
  • is somewhat fluent
  • provides some appropriate and specific details and/or examples
  • displays a basic, but not wide or extensive vocabulary (the student sometimes cannot find the right word)
  • grammatical errors sometimes interfere with comprehension
  • may display errors in pronunciation and/or intonation that interfere with communication

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

The student’s response:

  • is somewhat comprehensible
  • presents limited ideas (the student has difficulty expressing a complete thought without prompting)
  • is spoken haltingly (the student usually does not produce no more than one or two words at a time)
  • provides few, if any, details or examples
  • shows a very limited range of vocabulary, which interferes with communication (the student often cannot find the right word)
  • makes numerous grammatical errors that interfere with communication
  • shows little control of pronunciation, intonation, or stress

 

0

The student gives no response, gives a response that cannot be understood as English, or does not demonstrate an understanding of English.

READING

 

Number of Questions:  25

 

Task Types for Students:

 

o       Reading comprehension passages with multiple-choice questions.  Students mark their answers on a multiple-choice answer sheet.

 

o       Passage Types

·        Fiction/Literary (1-3 passages)

·        Graphic (1-2 passages)

·        Non-fiction (1-3 passages)

 

Note on Passage Types

·        Among the nonfiction, fiction, and graphic passages, test item writers and test assemblers are encouraged to include passages that reflect cultural patterns and norms in the United States and /or the cultures and perspectives of immigrants to the United States.

 

o       Question Types That Must Be Represented:

·        Main Idea/Topic Summary

·        Detail/Fact

·        Vocabulary

·        Sequence of Events/Process

·        Inference/Prediction

·        Reference/Antecedent

·        Cause/Effect

·        Interpretation

·        Literary Elements such as Plot, Character, or Setting

 

Question Types That Will Also Be Represented, as Appropriate:

·        Author’s Purpose

·        Literary/Genre

·        Fact versus Opinion

 

 

LISTENING

 

Number of Test Questions:  24

 

Stimulus material for the Listening test is presented on an audiotape.  Students mark their answers on a multiple-choice answer sheet.

 

Stimulus Types:

 

·         Picture Description                         (4-8 Questions)

·         Informative/Academic             (6-8 Questions)

·         Literary Text                                     (2-4 Questions)

·         Social Interaction                         (8-12 Questions)

 

 

Question Types:

 

·         Matching Statements with Pictures                         (At least 4 questions)

·         Listening Selectively for a Specific Purpose (At least 3 questions)

·         Listening for Main Ideas                                     (At least 4 questions)

·         Listening for Details                                                 (At least 6 questions)

·         Making Inferences/Predictions                         (At least 3 questions)

 

Notes:

 

Stimulus material for the Listening test is presented on an audiotape.  Students mark their answers on a multiple-choice answer sheet.

 
 
 
 
 
 
PART II

 

 

 

 

 

 
ALIGNMENT OF STANDARDS AND TASK & QUESTION TYPES
Alignment of Standards and Specifications
Grades 7-8

 

New York ESL

Learning Standards

Task/Item Types

Standard 1:

English for information and understanding.

 

Writing – Prewriting, writing the story/essay, editing

 

Speaking – Narrate a story based on a picture sequence, describe and interpret information in a chart or graph, give directions based on a map, make a comparison/contrast

 

Reading – Nonfiction passages in everyday or academic language, passages presenting information in a graphically organized form (including charts, graphs, maps, and calendars), inference, sequence of events or stages in a process, compare, contrast, categorize information, vocabulary

 

Listening –Informative/academic, matching statements with pictures, listening selectively for a specific purpose, listening for main ideas, listening for details, making inferences/predictions

Standard 2:

English for literary response, enjoyment, and expression.

 

Reading – Stories or excerpts from fiction and/or poems, literary elements, such as plot, character, setting, or theme, predictions or inferences based on literary works, interpretation of literary meaning, literary genres

 

Listening – Literary text, listening for main ideas, listening for details, making inferences/predictions

Standard 3:

English for critical analysis and evaluation. 

Writing – Writing the story/essay

 

Speaking – Make an argument/speak persuasively

 

Reading – Main idea, facts or details, author’s purpose, reference

 

Listening – Making inferences/predictions based on in spoken text

Standard 4:

English for classroom and social interaction.

Speaking – Ask appropriate questions in school or social situations, provide information and assistance, explain actions, choices, and decisions, express an opinion or explain a personal preference

 

Listening – Social interaction

Standard 5:

English for cross-cultural knowledge and understanding.

Reading – Passages that reflect cultural patterns and norms in the United States and/or of the cultures and perspectives of immigrants to the United States

 

Listening – Social interaction

WRITING

 

ALIGNMENT OF TASK TYPES WITH