Administering the
Ohio Test of English Language Acquisition
(OTELA) Grades K-2
2015
Columbus City Schools
Purpose and Nature of OTELA K-2
 Determine Level of Language Acquisition
 Separate Inventories for K and 1-2
 Observation of Student Behaviors
 Typical Behavior Over Time
2015 Test administration window:
 January 12 to February 27, 2015
 Contents of the K-2 Inventory:
Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking

Remember:OTELA Inventories
 Are carried out in everyday, naturalistic settings
 Involve multiple methods and measures
Verbal and non-verbal procedures
 Occur across diverse aspects of curriculum
 Involve a range of activities
 May involve multiple people
 Need to be age appropriate
 Will vary in the amount of support required

What You Will Need
Directions for Administration (DFA)
For Grade K OR Grades 1-2 AND …
A Scannable
Student Score Sheet
(Remember—Use #2 Pencil!!!!)
Optional Use
 Preliminary
Student Score
Sheet Found in
DFAs (copy as
needed)
 Must record on
scannable student
score sheet at end
of testing window
Administration Tips
 Read Quick Start Guide
 Define Terms
 Review Inventories for each grade band
as appropriate
 Make a copy of the Pupil Accountability
List for Test Administrator to keep track of
which sections of the OTELA Inventory
have been completed.
 Make sure the PAL check lists are complete!!
(These checks need to be transferred to the
official PAL.)
Score Points for the
OTELA K-2 Inventories
 No Evidence of Mastery (0)
 Minimal Evidence; With Much Support (1)
 Moderate Evidence; With/Without Support (2)
 Clear Evidence; Independence (3)
Useful Tips
• Use data that you already have (self-created assessments,
TRC &Dibels, etc.
• Collaborate with Mainstream teachers
• Assess multiple students in a group setting
• Visit ODE website
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing/Ohio-Test-of-EnglishLanguage-Acquisition-OTELA
Ohio Guidelines for K-2 OTELA
Reading and Listening Inventories
Passage
Length
Guidelines
K
1st
Grade
2nd
Grade
Short
Up to 75
words
Up to 100
words
Up to 150
words
Medium
75-100
words
100-200
words
150-200
words
Long
100-125
words
200-250
words
200-275
words
Ohio Guidelines for Defining Teacher
Support for the K-2 OTELA
The standards further define limited and
extended support as follows:
 Limited support – A minimal use of the
supports indicated above, only on an
“as-needed” basis.
 Extensive support – A systematic and
regular use of the supports described
above.
Types of Teacher Support for the
K-2 OTELA
Support promotes student comprehension of
speech or written texts and may include:
 Visual aids
 Manipulatives
 Cues
 Graphic organizers
 Modified speech
 Simplified texts
 Questioning and probing for clarification
 Explanations
 Modeling
CAUTION: Need for Accuracy in
Scoring on K – 2 OTELA
 CCS teachers MUST attend to accuracy
when observing and scoring a given behavior
of a student in grades K – 2 on the Inventory
 The drastic drop in scores from 2nd to 3rd
grade is evidence of this
 The preference is to have an ESL Teacher
administer the K – 2 OTELA if at all possible
Returning Test Materials
 When completed, the Test Administrator
should put the test booklets in numeric
order.
ODE Link for OTELA
 http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing/Ohio-
Test-of-English-Language-Acquisition-OTELA