NYS Education Department Seal

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
89 Washington Avenue
Room 675 EBA

Albany, NY 12234

Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education
 

  

 

                                                                                    August 10, 2005

 

TO:                 District Superintendents

Superintendents of Public and Nonpublic Schools

Principals of Public, Nonpublic, and Charter Schools

 

FROM:           David Abrams   

 

SUBJECT:     NYSESLAT 2005 - Determining a Limited-English-Proficient Student’s Level of English Proficiency

 

I.   GENERAL INFORMATION

This memorandum provides the scale score ranges for the NYSESLAT 2005 and guidance and information concerning the interpretation of the scale scores.    An explanation of a multiple measures option for exiting limited-English-proficient (LEP) students from Part 154 programs is also provided in this memorandum.    This memorandum is being sent to the principal of each public, nonpublic, and charter school, to each district superintendent and to each public and nonpublic school superintendent.  A copy is also being e-mailed to all Part 154 and NCLB Title III contacts on the SED listserv.  This document will be posted on the New York State Education Department’s web site at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/nyseslat/. Superintendents and principals are advised to share this information with ESL/Bilingual program administrators and coordinators immediately. 

The NYSESLAT scale score ranges are based on the results of a Standard Setting conference in which New York State teachers set the appropriate student proficiency levels at each grade from K to 12.

II.   RAW SCORE TO SCALE SCORE CONVERSION TABLES

NYSESLAT is comprised of five test forms by grade band: K-1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12. Each grade band has four modalities: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.    To determine a student’s level of proficiency (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, and Proficient), a student’s raw scores must be combined as follows:

Ø     Listening & Speaking combined raw score

Ø     Reading & Writing combined raw score

 

The attached Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Tables (Attachments A-E) should be used to convert a student’s raw scores to scale scores.   Please note that there are separate conversion tables for each of the five grade bands as follows:

NYSESLAT

Grade Band

Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Tables

K-1

Attachment A

2-4

Attachment B

5-6

Attachment C

7-8

Attachment D

9-12

Attachment E

 

III.   METHOD FOR DETERMINING ESL PROFICIENCY LEVELS

A student’s scale scores on both Listening & Speaking and Reading & Writing determine English proficiency level.    The NYSESLAT Scale Score Ranges Chart (Attachment F) should be used to determine a student’s English Proficiency Level.  For the NYSESLAT 2005, separate cut scores have been established in scale score metric for each grade (K- 12).  To determine a student’s proficiency level in Listening & Speaking and Reading & Writing, follow these steps:

1.     Find the appropriate conversion table for a given student (i.e. Attachment A for a Grade 1 student and Attachment E for a Grade 10 student).

2.     Match the student’s combined raw score for Listening & Speaking to the corresponding scale score for Listening & Speaking on the “NYSESLAT Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Table.”

3.     Match the student’s combined raw score for Reading & Writing to the corresponding Scale Score for Reading & Writing on the “NYSESLAT Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Table.”

4.     Match the student’s grade and scale score on Listening & Speaking to the NYSESLAT Scale Score Ranges Table (Attachment F) to determine the student’s Listening & Speaking proficiency level.

5.     Match the student’s grade and scale score on Reading & Writing to the NYSESLAT Scale Score Ranges Table (Attachment F) to determine the student’s Reading & Writing proficiency level.

The following guidelines should be followed in determining a student’s overall proficiency level:

In summary, LEP students are determined to be English proficient when they achieve the minimum combined scale scores at the proficient level in both Listening & Speaking and Reading & Writing

 For example: A kindergarten student must achieve at least 610 on Listening & Speaking, and 608 on Reading & Writing to be classified as English proficient.  A first grade student must achieve a score of at least 643 on Listening & Speaking and 655 on Reading and Writing to be classified as English proficient.

 IV.   MULTIPLE MEASURES OPTION

 If a student meets the criteria for one of the multiple measures options within the same academic year, the student need no longer be considered limited-English-proficient.

a) Grade 4 ELA Test: A performance level of 3 or 4 on ELA 4 together with a total scale score of 669 or above on the combined Listening & Speaking sections of the NYSESLAT 2005 for grade 4 constitutes meeting the exit criteria from programs required under Part 154 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. This option would apply to students who took the ELA Grade 4 test in January 2005.  Students who have met this criterion within the same academic year need no longer be considered limited-English-proficient.

 b) Grade 8 ELA Test: A performance level of 3 or 4 on ELA 8 together with a total scale score of 684 or above on the combined Listening & Speaking sections of the NYSESLAT 2005 for grade 8 constitute meeting the exit criteria from programs required under Part 154 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.  This option would apply to students who took the ELA Grade 8 test in January 2005.    Students who have met this criterion within the same academic year need no longer be considered limited-English-proficient. 

 c) Regents Comprehensive Examination in English:  A score of 65 (or 55 if that is the local passing score option) on the Regents Comprehensive Examination in English constitutes meeting the exit criteria from programs required under Part 154 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

 

V.  FURTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS

If you have not received your students’ NYSESLAT score data, please contact your Regional Information Center (RIC) or Large City Scanning Center.   If you have any further questions about determining a limited-English-proficient student’s level of English proficiency, please contact the Office of State Assessment at emscassessinfo@ mail.nysed.gov or call 518-474-5902.  If you have any questions regarding ESL services or require technical assistance, please contact your local Bilingual/ESL Technical Assistance Center at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/biling/betac.html.

 

 

cc:       James Kadamus

 

ATTACHMENT A

Grades K-1 NYSESLAT

Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Table

 

K-1 Listening and Speaking

K-1 Reading and Writing

Raw Score

Scale Score

Raw Score

Scale Score

0

302

0

373

1

352

1

423

2

378

2

450

3

394

3

466

4

406

4

478

5

416

5

489

6

424

6

497

7

431

7

505

8

438

8

512

9

444

9

519

10

449

10

525

11

454

11

531

12

459

12

537

13

463

13

542

14

468

14

548

15

472

15

553

16

476

16

559

17

480

17

564

18

483

18

570

19

487

19

575

20

490

20

581

21

494

21

587

22

497

22

594

23

500

23

601

24

503

24

608

25

507

25

617

26

510

26

626

27

513

27

638

28

516

28

655

29

519

29

681

30

522

30

731

31

525

 

 

32

528

 

 

33

531

 

 

34

534

 

 

35

537

 

 

36

540

 

 

37

543

 

 

38

547

 

 

39

550

 

 

40

553

 

 

41

557

 

 

42

560

 

 

43

564

 

 

44

568

 

 

45

572

 

 

46

576

 

 

47

580

 

 

48

585

 

 

49

590

 

 

50

596

 

 

51

603

 

 

52

610

 

 

53

619

 

 

54

629

 

 

55

643

 

 

56

662

 

 

57

693

 

 

58

750

 

 


 

ATTACHMENT B

Grades 2-4 NYSESLAT

Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Table

 

2-4 Listening and Speaking

2-4 Reading and Writing

Raw Score

Scale Score

Raw Score

Scale Score

0

339

0

412

1

391

1

462

2

419

2

488

3

438

3

504

4

451

4

515

5

463

5

525

6

472

6

533

7

480

7

540

8

487

8

546

9

493

9

552

10

499

10

557

11

504

11

562

12

508

12

566

13

513

13

571

14

517

14

575

15

521

15

579

16

524

16

583

17

528

17

587

18

531

18

591

19

534

19

594

20

537

20

598

21

540

21

602

22

543

22

605

23

546

23

609

24

549

24

612

25

552

25

616

26

554

26

620

27

557

27

623

28

560

28

627

29

562

29

631

30

565

30

634

31

568

31

638

32

570

32

642

33

573

33

646

34

576

34

651

35

578

35

655

36

581

36

659

37

584

37

664

38

587

38

669

39

590

39

675

40

592

40

681

41

595

41

687

42

599

42

694

43

602

43

702

44

605

44

712

45

609

45

724

46

612

46

740

47

616

47

766

48

620

48

815

49

624

 

 

50

629

 

 

51

634

 

 

52

639

 

 

53

645

 

 

54

652

 

 

55

659

 

 

56

669

 

 

57

680

 

 

58

696

 

 

59

721

 

 

60

771

 

 


 

ATTACHMENT C

Grades 5-6 NYSESLAT

Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Table

 

5-6 Listening and Speaking

5-6 Reading and Writing

Raw Score

Scale Score

Raw Score

Scale Score

0

365

0

380

1

414

1

430

2

439

2

458

3

455

3

475

4

466

4

488

5

475

5

499

6

483

6

509

7

489

7

517

8

495

8

525

9

500

9

532

10

505

10

539

11

510

11

545

12

514

12

551

13

518

13

556

14

522

14

562

15

525

15

567

16

529

16

572

17

532

17

576

18

535

18

581

19

538

19

585

20

541

20

589

21

544

21

593

22

547

22

597

23

550

23

601

24

553

24

605

25

556

25

609

26

558

26

612

27

561

27

616

28

564

28

620

29

566

29

624

30

569

30

627

31

572

31

631

32

574

32

635

33

577

33

638

34

580

34

642

35

583

35

646

36

586

36

650

37

589

37

654

38

592

38

658

39

595

39

663

40

598

40

667

41

601

41

672

42

604

42

677

43

608

43

682

44

612

44

688

45

616

45

694

46

620

46

701

47

624

47

709

48

628

48

719

49

633

49

730

50

639

50

746

51

644

51

772

52

650

52

822

53

657

 

 

54

665

 

 

55

674

 

 

56

684

 

 

57

697

 

 

58

714

 

 

59

741

 

 

60

792

 

 


 

ATTACHMENT D

Grades 7-8 NYSESLAT

Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Table

 

7-8 Listening and Speaking

7-8 Reading and Writing

Raw Score

Scale Score

Raw Score

Scale Score

0

392

0

375

1

441

1

431

2

467

2

463

3

482

3

483

4

494

4

498

5

503

5

509

6

510

6

519

7

517

7

528

8

523

8

535

9

528

9

542

10

532

10

548

11

537

11

553

12

541

12

558

13

545

13

563

14

549

14

568

15

552

15

572

16

556

16

576

17

559

17

580

18

562

18

584

19

565

19

588

20

568

20

592

21

571

21

595

22

574

22

599

23

577

23

602

24

580

24

606

25

583

25

609

26

585

26

612

27

588

27

616

28

591

28

619

29

594

29

623

30

597

30

626

31

599

31

629

32

602

32

633

33

605

33

636

34

608

34

639

35

611

35

643

36

614

36

646

37

617

37

650

38

620

38

654

39

623

39

658

40

626

40

662

41

629

41

666

42

632

42

670

43

636

43

674

44

639

44

679

45

643

45

684

46

646

46

689

47

650

47

695

48

654

48

701

49

658

49

708

50

663

50

716

51

668

51

725

52

673

52

737

53

678

53

752

54

684

54

778

55

691

55

828

56

699

 

 

57

708

 

 

58

719

 

 

59

735

 

 

60

760

 

 

61

810

 

 


 

ATTACHMENT E

Grades 9-12 NYSESLAT

Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Table

 

9-12 Listening and Speaking

9-12 Reading and Writing

Raw Score

Scale Score

Raw Score

Scale Score

0

412

0

417

1

461

1

468

2

486

2

494

3

501

3

510

4

512

4

522

5

520

5

531

6

527

6

539

7

533

7

546

8

539

8

553

9

544

9

558

10

548

10

564

11

552

11

568

12

556

12

573

13

559

13

577

14

563

14

581

15

566

15

585

16

569

16

589

17

572

17

593

18

575

18

596

19

577

19

600

20

580

20

603

21

583

21

606

22

585

22

609

23

588

23

613

24

590

24

616

25

593

25

619

26

595

26

622

27

598

27

625

28

600

28

628

29

602

29

631

30

605

30

634

31

607

31

637

32

610

32

640

33

613

33

643

34

615

34

646

35

618

35

649

36

621

36

653

37

623

37

656

38

626

38

659

39

629

39

663

40

633

40

666

41

636

41

670

42

639

42

674

43

643

43

678

44

646

44

683

45

650

45

687

46

654

46

692

47

658

47

697

48

663

48

703

49

667

49

710

50

672

50

718

51

678

51

727

52

683

52

738

53

690

53

753

54

697

54

779