Resources from the ELL Linguistic Accommodations Research Summit

The following resources, divided into Web Sites and Documents, were recommended by researchers and practitioners as being highly relevant to the topic of linguistic accommodations for English language learners.

Web Sites

The Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center (AACC) maintains a Web site on special populations, with several resources the center has developed to help states improve their assessments and accountability systems regarding ELLs. In addition, the AACC site has links to reviewed resources including research reports, products and tools, guidance, and services that meet the criteria of an expert committee.

The Center on Instruction (COI) has an ELL strand section of its Web site with access to materials and resources on instruction and intervention developed by COI as well as several external sources. The materials include delivery models and professional development for teachers in content and language areas. Resources are divided by grades K–3, 4–6, and 7–12.

The Limited English Proficient (LEP) Partnership is a U.S. Department of Education (USDE) initiative that offers technical assistance to states working to improve assessments for LEP students. The USDE partnered with the National Council of LaRaza, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Comprehensive Center on Assessment and Accountability, and the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, and all states were invited to be a part of the partnership.

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk (MCPER) is a multidisciplinary research unit at The University of Texas at Austin that comprises eight partners from across Texas, as well as one from Colorado. MCPER is organized within three institutes: the Autism Spectrum Disorders Institute, the Mathematics Institute for Learning Disabilities and Difficulties, and the Dropout Prevention Institute.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has a Web site devoted to information on ELL state assessments. All of the TEA resources related to ELLs and assessments are located in the TEA Student Assessment section of the Web site. This page is divided into the following sections: Administrative Rules and Laws; The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS); Language Proficiency Assessment Committees (LPAC) Resources; Linguistically Accommodated Testing (LAT) Administration; Resources from Presentations, Conferences and TETNs; and Scoring. Individual resources from TEA referenced at the research summit are listed in the documents section below.

The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education (GW-CEEE) ELL Accommodations Toolkit and database contains two studies and the Guide for the Refinement of State Assessment Policies for Accommodating ELLs. In addition to the guide and studies, the toolkit contains a database which allows users to compare ELL accommodations in state policies. Finally, the toolkit contains links to state policy documents and additional research articles on specific ELL accommodations. The research team at GW-CEEE includes Charlene Rivera, Research Professor and Executive Director; Lynn Shafer Willner, Senior Research Scientist; and Barbara Acosta, Senior Research Scientist.

Documents

From the U.S. Department of Education

Abedi, J. (2008). Linguistic modification. Part I—Language factors in the assessment of English language learners: The theory and principles underlying the linguistic modification approach. Washington, DC: LEP Partnership. Retrieved from http://ncela-beta.edstudies.net/files/uploads/10/LingusiticModificationBE024210.pdf

Parker, C. E., Louie, J., & O’Dwyer, L. (2009). New measures of English language proficiency and their relationship to performance on large-scale content assessments (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2009–No. 066). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2009066.pdf

Sato, E. (2008). Linguistic modification. Part II—A guide to linguistic modification: Increasing English language learner access to academic content. Washington, DC: LEP Partnership. Retrieved from http://ncela-beta.edstudies.net/files/uploads/10/LingusiticModificationBE024210.pdf

From Comprehensive Centers

Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center. (2009). Framework for High-Quality English Language Proficiency Standards and Assessments. San Francisco, CA: WestEd. Retrieved from http://www.aacompcenter.org/pdf/ELPFramework_Jan2009_AACC.pdf

Francis, D., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Practical guidelines for the education of English language learners: Research-based recommendations for the use of accommodations in large-scale assessments. (Under cooperative agreement grant S283B050034 for U.S. Department of Education). Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. Retrieved from http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL3-Assessments.pdf

From Texas State Agencies

Required Curriculum, Title 19, Texas Administrative Code, Part 2, Chapter 74, Subchapter A. (December 2007 update). Retrieved from http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=19&pt=2&ch=74&sch=A&rl=Y

Texas Education Agency, Student Assessment Division. (2008). LPAC decision-making process for the Texas assessment program: Procedural manual and forms for the 2008–2009 school year. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3278&menu_id3=793

Texas Education Agency, Student Assessment Division. (2008). Texas student assessment program: 2008-2009 accommodations manual: Guidelines for selecting, administering, and evaluating the use of accommodations for all students. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/AccommManual_2008_09.pdf

Texas Education Agency, Student Assessment Division. (2009). Grades 3–8 and 10, linguistically accommodated testing (LAT): Test administrator manual 2009: Mathematics, reading/ELA, and science. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from  http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/rpte/LAT_Manual_2009.pdf

Texas Education Agency, Student Assessment Division. (n.d.). Information about your child's LAT results [Brochure]. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from  http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/rpte/LAT_Flier.pdf

From Other Sources

Acosta, B. D., Rivera, C., & Shafer Willner, L. (2008, October). Best practices in state assessment policies for accommodating English language learners: A Delphi study. Arlington, VA: The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education (GW-CEEE). Retrieved from http://ceee.gwu.edu/AA/BestPractices.pdf

Bailey, A. L., Butler, F. A., & Sato E. (2007). Standards-to-standards linkage
under Title III: Exploring common language demands in ELD and science standards. Applied Measurement in Education, 20(1), 53–78.

Wolf, M. K., Kao, J., Griffin, N., Herman, J. L. Bachman, P. L. Chang, S. M., &
Farnsworth, T. (2008). Issues in assessing English language learners: English proficiency measure and accommodation uses, Report 2. Los Angeles, CA: National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing. Retrieved from: http://www.cse.ucla.edu/products/summary.asp?report=732

Shafer Willner, L. & Rivera, C. (2009, March). Review of Texas' state assessment policies for accommodating English language learners—2008-2009. Unpublished manuscript, The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education.