Pennsylvania
On this page you will find:
Assessment Materials & Training |
Question |
Information |
Contact |
How do I gain access to view and/or download W-APT screener materials? |
Your W-APT Username and Password are required |
Your district facilitator |
How do I set up my account for the ACCESS for ELLs® Test Administrator Training Course? |
You will need:
- Your name
- Your email address
-Your district name or the name of your LEA |
-
|
Your district facilitator will register you for an account. Afterwards, you should receive an enrollment email with your username and password. If you don't see this message, please check your spam and bulk mail folders. |
Your district facilitator |
Am I required to take the training quizzes to become approved to administer the ACCESS test? |
Yes |
Login |
Do I need to retake the training quizzes if I passed them last year? |
No, but review of the training course is strongly recommended, particularly the speaking test portion. First time test administrators must complete the training course. |
Login |
Do I need to provide proof of a passing quiz grade (80%) from previous years? |
Yes |
Please confirm with your district facilitator that he or she has record of your passing quiz grade on file. |
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Important ACCESS for ELLs® Dates |
Task |
Start Date |
End Date |
| Test Administration Training |
09/17/07 |
12/05/07 |
Test Ordering |
10/08/07 |
10/29/07 |
Pre-ID Ordering |
10/08/07 |
10/29/07 |
State Receives Test Materials |
- |
12/10/07 |
Test Window |
1/07/08 |
02/01/08 |
Order Additional Materials Deadline |
- |
01/18/08 |
Districts Ship Completed Materials to MetriTech |
- |
02/08/08 |
Reports Shipped to State* |
04/07/08 |
04/09/08* |
Correction Window |
04/09/08 |
05/07/08 |
* Subject to change depending on when all test booklets are received by MetriTech.
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Miscellaneous Information
Required Exit Criteria:
- Score of Basic on the annual Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA).
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
- For students transferring from other states, out-of-state academic achievement assessment results may be considered when the academic proficiency level is comparable to Basic on the PSSA.
- For students that are in a grade that is not assessed with the PSSA, LEA’s must use each of the remaining criteria listed below to exit students.
- Score of Proficient (Bridging as per the Pennsylvania Language Proficiency Standards for English Language Learners) in the areas of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing on the annual state English language proficiency assessment. The Proficient (Bridging) score will be based on the total composite assessment results. (see below for an explanation of the updated specific score requirements).
Additional Exit Criteria:
- Final grades of C or better in core subject areas (Mathematics, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies).
- Scores on district-wide assessments that are comparable to the Basic performance level on the PSSA.
In addition to the release of this Pennlink, PDE will post the required statewide LEP exit criteria on the website at www.pde.state.pa.us/esl.
ACCESS for ELLs© tier assignment and proficiency score requirements for exit from English language instructional programs:
Composite Proficiency Scores
ACCESS proficiency scores, as presented on the teacher report, consist of a whole number followed by a decimal. The whole number indicates the student’s proficiency level (1.0 = Entering, 5.0 = Bridging). The decimal, ranging from 1-9, represents the progress within the proficiency level that the student achieved. For example, 4.0 is the lowest score in the Expanding proficiency level, while 4.9 is highest score before a student progresses into the Bridging proficiency level.
ACCESS Tiers and scoring caps
The ACCESS assessment is broken into 3 tiers (A, B, or C) at each grade level cluster. Scores for the Tier A assessments are capped at 4.0. Scores for the Tier B assessments are capped at 5.0. The Tier C assessment is the only assessment on which a student can achieve a score from 1.0 to 6.0.
ACCESS criteria for exit
For the 2006-2007 school year, a student with a composite score of 5.0 on a tier B assessment or 5.0 or higher on a tier C assessment may be exited after meeting the other PA exit criteria previously described. For subsequent years, only scores above 5.0 on a Tier C assessment will be acceptable for exit.
Kindergarten
The maximum overall composite language proficiency score that a student taking the Kindergarten form of ACCESS can receive is 3.7.
To be considered for exit, a kindergarten student must, at a minimum:
- have an oral language score of 3.8.
- have a composite proficiency score of 2.7.
Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, the ACCESS kindergarten assessment score range will be 1.0 to 6.0 and the same exit criteria as all other grade level clusters will apply.
Background