ACCESS for ELLs
Alternate ACCESS for ELLs
Test Window
February 3 - March 21, 2014
What's NEW 2013-2014!
• Changes in training requirement (ppt page 6).
• Changes in Listening test format (ppt page 14).
• Changes in time limits slightly different (ppt page
15).
New last year 2012-2013
• Alternate ACCESS for ELLs for some students in grades 1-12
is available.
• ELL teachers and/or Special Ed teachers will be trained in
January to administer this assessment.
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Important Dates for ACCESS for ELLs
12/17/2013 - Pre-ID file data provided by the state. Completed.
1/15/2014 - Districts receive test materials.
2/3/2014 - 3/21/2014 - ACCESS for ELLs test window.
3/25/2014 - All test materials returned to MetriTech.
5/27/2014 – Early reports arrive in districts.
8/26/2014 – District receives student paper results, ISR.
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What is ACCESS for ELLs?
 It is a large-scale test for English language
proficiency based on the WIDA English
Language Development (ELD) Standards that
form the core of the WIDA Consortium's
approach to instructing and assessing English
language learners (ELLs) in Grades K–12.
 It is a secure assessment given annually
during a specific test window determined by
each state.
WIDA Consortium manual
2013-2014
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Benefits of ACCESS for ELLs
 Test results are received before school is out in the spring
and can be used to plan for next year's instruction.
 Assesses ELL student growth in the 4 domains: Reading,
Writing, Listening & Speaking.
 Aligned to WIDA English Language Proficiency
Standards
•
•
•
•
•
Social and Instructional Language (SIL)
Language of English Language Arts (LoLA)
Language of Mathematics (LoMA)
Language of Science (LoSC)
Language of Social Studies (LoSS)
 K-12 alignment to measure student growth over time.
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WIDA Training Courses

District MLL staff created personal accounts for
various SPPS staff to enter the ACCESS for ELLs
Online Training Courses and complete the required
test training modules.
WIDA Consortium manual 2013-2014
 Recertification is required for test administrators for the groupadministered tests (reading, writing and listening) is required.
 Certification required in every domain for new staff.
 Kindergarten ACCESS requires annual recertification for all domains.
 Alternate ACCESS requires annual recertification for all domains.
 District MLL staff are training licensed teachers to administer the
grades 1-12 speaking test, K-12 Alternate ACCESS tests and all
kindergarten tests.
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Roles and Responsibilities - SAC
 ACCESS School Assessment Coordinator
 Arranges and schedules test sessions for the school.
 Takes inventory of materials upon receipt and returns materials to
MetriTech, the test materials vendor.
 Verifies that there are enough testing materials.
 If needed, request additional testing materials from District
Assessment Coordinator - robin.lane@spps.org and
michael.wirtz@spps.org
 Distributes test materials in the school on each day of the test.
 Makes sure test administration is performed by trained test proctors.
 Reminds test proctors that all test materials are to be kept secure
and confidential at all times.
 Coordinates distribution of teacher reports and parent/guardian
reports.
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Roles and Responsibilities, cont.
 Test Proctors
 Attend MLL training for every domain (Train the Trainer)
 Become familiar with procedures for test accommodations
for ELLs with disabilities
 Properly account for test booklet security immediately
before, during, and after test administration
 Assure that pre-ID labels are attached to test booklets
correctly or that student data is properly bubbled in on test
booklet covers if no label is provided
 Administer the ACCESS for ELLs
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Tier Structure of ACCESS
for ELLs
WIDA Consortium manual
2013-2014
9
Importance of Tier Placement
 Test items are presented in 3 tiers for each grade
level cluster: A, B, and C.
 Each tier presents items to the student that are neither
too easy nor too difficult.
 The majority of students will receive the Tier B form of
the test. Tier A is intended for very low proficiency
students and Tier C is for students close to reaching
full English language proficiency.
 Appropriate tier placement maximizes the accuracy
and validity of the ACCESS for ELLs test results.
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Tier Placement Guidelines
 MLL staff has designated which tier each student
should take based on their ELL Level and number of
years in the US.
 After reviewing the MLL's criteria, when in doubt, place
the student in the higher tier.
 A number of students are no longer considered ELL
because of their high performance on the 2012-2013
ACCESS, MCA reading or GRAD reading & writing.
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SPPS ACCESS for ELLs
Tier Placement Protocol
 Tier A: non-US born students, less than 2 years
in the US, and level 1-3
 Tier B: US and non-US born, 0-6 years in the
US, and level 1-4
 Tier C: US and non-US born, 6 or more years in
the US, and level 1-5
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Planning for the Administration
 Students receiving direct service or
support service must participate in the
ACCESS for ELLs assessments
 ACCESS student lists with tier information
has been posted to the REA Password
Protected Website
 Student lists of Special Ed Accommodations
for ACCESS students will be posted to the
REA Password Protected Website
 https://mis.spps.org/data_center/
13
Test Administration Duration
Change in Listening test format
 Listening items for the Listening test are precorded for all tiers in grades 1 – 12
 Provides to schools on CDs
 One CD for every eight test forms at each
grade level
 Requires CD player or computer with
CD/DVD drive with speakers
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Test Administration Duration, cont.
 For scheduling purposes, approximate administration times for each
individual test are given below. While this sequence is
recommended by WIDA, the sections of the test may be administered
in any order.
 Session 1: Listening and Reading (85 minutes):
 Listening Test (25 - 40 minutes)
 Reading Test (35 - 45 minutes) New time change DO NOT
affect students with IEPs/504 Plans who require an extended time
accommodation
 Plus 15 minutes convening students and
distributing/collecting materials
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Test Administration Duration, cont.
 Session 2: Writing (75 minutes):
 Writing Test Tier A; grade-level clusters 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
should take no more than 60 minutes
 Writing Test Tier A; grade-level cluster 1-2 (30 minutes, plus
five (5) additional minutes to finish writing if needed
 Writing Test Tiers B and C; all grade-level clusters (60
minutes), plus five (5) additional minutes to finish writing if
needed
 Plus 15 minutes for convening students and
distributing/collecting materials
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Test Administration Duration, cont.
 Session 3: Speaking (15 minutes):
 The Speaking Test is individually administered
 Plus 5 minutes for transition between students
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Test Materials Orders
 ACCESS for ELLs materials, grades K-12, were ordered
using information provided by the MLL Dept.

Alternate ACCESS for ELLs and Large Print books for some
students in grades 1-12 were ordered using information
provided by the MLL and Special Ed Departments.

Additional materials may be ordered if necessary.
 Braille is available for ACCESS for ELLs
Braille accommodation must be indicated in the student’s IEP.
 Only Tier B test form is available in Braille.

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Test Security
 Only district and school test coordinators and test
administrators (or other authorized staff) may handle secure
test materials.
 Ensure that all staff viewing materials sign a Non-Disclosure
Agreement. Available at
http://rea.spps.org/Test_Coordination2.html.
 Place all secure materials in locked storage.
 Do not leave materials unattended before, during or after
testing.
 Do not share any specific test information with students prior
to, during or after testing.
 Do not copy any test booklets or other secure materials.
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Test Security cont.
 Track all secure test materials. Anything that contains a
test item is considered secure and must be tracked.
 SCHOOL SECURITY SIGN-OUT FORM
 tracks test/answer books, scripts, charts, etc. from the coordinator
to the test proctor.
 CLASSROOM SECURITY CHECKLIST (Student List
with tiers)
 tracks test books from the proctor to the student.
 The proctor must sign at the bottom of these lists.
 Excel file with pre-coded students is available on the REA Password
Protected Site in the Data Center and may be used as the
Classroom Security Checklist; you will need to add a test booklet
number column.
 https://mis.spps.org/data_center/
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Sample School Security
Signout Form - from SAC to Proctor
Grade
Materials
Kindergarten
Administrator
Kits
Security
Numbers
Receiving Test
Administrator’s
Signature
Date &
Time
Received
School Test
Coordinator’s
Signature
Date and
Time
Returned
Student
Response
Booklets
1-2 Tier A
Test Booklets
Administrator
scripts
1-2 Tier B
Test Booklets
Administrator
scripts
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Test Security cont.
 SACs must hold a training meeting for all ACCESS
proctors from your school about test security.
 SACs must have school proctors sign-in to prove they
attended the meeting.
 SACs must have school proctors sign one Non-disclosure
Agreement per school year.
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Test Security & Training Proctors
 Topics to cover during your training meeting
 Proctors must be impartial observers (cold hearted?)
during the test administration.
 Have proctors call their SAC with any questions they
may have about test items.
 Reproducing or paraphrasing an item in an email or in
writing is a MAJOR breach in security.
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Test Security & Training Proctors, cont.
 Pencils and dictionaries
 Pencils - #2 only, mechanical pencils or pens may
NOT be used - schools provide or students may use
their own.
 Cell phones, PDAs or translation devices may not be
used.
 Dictionaries may not be used.
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Test Security & Training Proctors, cont.
Materials Not Allowed During Testing
 All instructional posters and graphics in the classroom or
on a student's desk that are related to the subject being
tested must be covered or removed during the
administration of a test assessing the subject. If the
materials are related in any way to the subjects being
tested, they must be covered or removed. (revised MDE
policy 2010-2011)
 ALWAYS follow MDE policy. The ACCESS for ELLs
manual states posters and graphics in classrooms don't
have to be covered or removed. This is incorrect for
Minnesota test administrations.
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Test Security & Training Proctors, cont.
TEST ADMINISTRATION REPORT (TAR)
 All invalidations of a student’s test must be documented on
the MDE TAR which is available on the REA Test
Coordination website.
http://rea.spps.org/Test_Coordination2.html
 All unique circumstances; transcribing answers, fire drills,
etc. must be documented on a TAR
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Test Security & Training Proctors, cont.
 Lavatory use or illness during testing –
collect test materials from student before
s/he leaves the room
 What to do when students finish the test
 Remain seated or leave the classroom? you decide
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Send tracking paperwork & Non-Disclosure
Agreements to the Testing Office at 360
 Send paperwork through district mail to the REA Testing
Office, 360 Colborne
 Copy of Monitor Training Sign-in Sheet
 Non-Disclosure Agreements-one for every person that had
access to tests

One non-disclosure agreement per person per year
 School Security Signout Form, signed

From the SAC to the Monitor
 Classroom Security Checklists (student lists), signed

From the Monitor to the Student
 Copy of Test Administration Report(s) if needed
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Materials for Each School
 School Packing List - use to inventory materials

notify DAC if anything is missing
 Grade/Tier Header Sheets
 Documentation of Materials Not Returned Form
 District and School Test Administration Manual, secure
must be returned to vendor
 Speaking Tests for each grade-level cluster; Listening,
Reading and Writing test/answer booklets
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Materials for Each School, cont.
 Test Proctor script/manual for each grade
cluster & tier tested

1 per set of 8 booklets ordered (grades 1-12)

1 per set of 15 booklets (Kindergarten)
 5% overage of student test booklets are
included
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School Procedures Upon Receipt
of Test Materials
 Inventory materials
 Divide test booklets into groups for each scheduled
testing session.

Test booklets may not be distributed prior to testing
session
 Decide who does the following, SAC or Proctors

Place pre-ID labels containing the student demographic
information in the box on the front cover of the test booklet.

If pre-ID label contains incorrect information, all of the
demographic information for that student must be filled in by
hand on the student's test/answer book.
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Miscellaneous Information
 Mark students absent/not tested for specific tests at the end
of the test window
 To handle errors on pre-ID labels, see information beginning
on page 17 of the ACCESS Test Administration Manual
 must hand bubble an answer document for the student if the
student label has errors
 Large print test answer must be transcribed to a scannable
test/answer book.
 must complete a MDE Test Admin Report (TAR) with name of
student and scribe.
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Miscellaneous Information,
cont.
 How
to package materials for return to
MetriTech, Inc.
 Know your district and school ID numbers to bubble in on header
sheets
 One grade cluster and tier under each header sheet. i.e. cluster
3-5 Tier A uses one header sheet, cluster 3-5 Tier B uses a
different header sheet
 All materials will be returned to MetriTech from the schools, NOT
the Testing Office as written in the manual
 ALL test/answer books, scripts, Kindergarten kits & Speaking test
flip charts are secure and MUST be returned to MetriTech.
 Use plastic bags to return all scorable test/answer books.
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Questions or Comments?
For more information, please contact
the WIDA Help Desk:
1-866-276-7735 or help@wida.us
World Class Instructional Design and Assessment, www.wida.us
Center for Applied Linguistics, www.cal.org
Develops test items, conducts research on assessments and provides
technical and psychometric expertise to the WIDA Consortium
MetriTech, Inc., www.metritech.com
Prints, scores, reports and distributes all ACCESS for ELLs test materials
and results
© 2010 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, on behalf of the WIDA Consortium
www.wida.us
Robin Lane
District-wide Testing Coordinator (DAC)
Research, Evaluation and Assessment Testing Office
360 Colborne Street
robin.lane@spps.org
651.767.8257 - phone
651.335.3753 - cell
SPPS Test Coordination Website
http://rea.spps.org/Test_Coordination2.html
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Michael Wirtz
District-wide Testing Coordinator (DAC)
Research, Evaluation and Assessment Testing Office
360 Colborne Street
michael.wirtz@spps.org
651.632.3776 - phone
651.261.0045 - cell
SPPS Test Coordination Website
http://rea.spps.org/Test_Coordination2.html
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Front and Back Covers of Test Booklet
X
X
X
X
Place correct student label
here if available.
X X X X
X
X
MARSS #
Fill in grids if you do
not have a correct.
X
CIF #
X
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