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:

 

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:

• To move from one level of proficiency to the next, the LEP student must score within the range of the higher proficiency level in both Listening & Speaking and Reading & Writing components.
• To move from the limited-English-proficient level to the English proficient level, the LEP student must score at the proficient level in both Listening & Speaking and Reading & Writing components.
• LEP students who have moved in only one combination of modalities should remain at the lower proficiency level.
• A description of the ESL Proficiency Levels is available on the Office of Bilingual Education’s website at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/biling/nysben.html.
   

 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