Approved Language Proficiency Tests

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New Jersey State Department of Education
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Department – Approved Language Proficiency Tests

ACCESS for ELLs®
WIDA Consortium
Wisconsin Center for Educational Research (WCER)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1025 W. Johnson Street, MD #23
Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A.
Tel: 608-263-4216, Fax:608-263-3733
www.wida.us

WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT)
WIDA Consortium
Wisconsin Center for Educational Research (WCER)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1025 W. Johnson Street, MD #23
Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A.
Tel: 608-263-4216, Fax:608-263-3733
www.wida.us

Idea Proficiency Test Ballard & Tighe Publishing Company 480 Atlas Street Brea, California 92821 Phone: (800) 321-4332, Fax: (714) 255-9828 www.ballard-tighe.com	Regional Office c/o Vita Evans 480 Atlas Street Brea, California 92821 Phone: (800) 321-4332, Fax: (714) 255-9828 www.ballard-tighe.com
Language Assessment Scales and Language Assessment Scales Links CTB/McGraw Hill 20 Ryan Ranch Road Monterey, CA 93940 Phone: (800) 538-9547 FAX: (800) 282-0266 www.ctb.com	Regional Offices c/o Russ Dusewicz 27 Hazelhurst Drive Voorhees, NJ 08043 (856) 627-6877 FAX: (856) 627-1033 Russ_Dusewicz@ctb.com
MAC II Test of English Language Proficiency Questar Assessment, Inc. (formerly Touchstone Applied Science Associates, Inc.) 4 Hardscrabble Heights PO Box 382 Brewster, New York 10509 Phone: (845) 277-4900 (800) 800-2598 (Customer Service) FAX: (845) 277-3548 www.QuestarAI.com	Questar Assessment, Inc. (formerly Touchstone Applied Science Associates, Inc.) 4 Hardscrabble Heights PO Box 382 Brewster, New York 10509 Phone: (845) 277-4900 (800) 800-2598 (Customer Service) FAX: (845) 277-3548 www.QuestarAI.com
Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment (CELLA) Accountability Works, Inc. 7315 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 215 E Behtesda, Maryland 20814 Phone: (301) 469-3443 FAX: (301) 469-3445 www.awschooltest.com Ted Rebarber	Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment (CELLA) Accountability Works, Inc. 7315 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 215 E Behtesda, Maryland 20814 Phone: (301) 469-3443 FAX: (301) 469-3445 www.awschooltest.com Ted Rebarber

Language Proficiency Test Standards for Determining Limited English Proficiency

ACCESS for ELLs®

WIDA Consortium

ACCESS for ELLs® is the required language proficiency test that msut be administered annually every spring. ACCESS may be used as one indicator to exit students from a language assistance program. The regulation mandating the use of multiple criteria for identifying and exiting students from language assistance programs services is still current. For students in grades K through 12, an ACCESS for ELLs™ proficiency level of 4.5 or higher is recommended for exiting a program if multiple criteria support the decision.

WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT)

WIDA Consortium

The WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT)™ is an adaptive test that can gauge students’ proficiency up to and beyond level 5 of the WIDA ELP Standards. Like ACCESS for ELLs ®, there are five grade level clusters (Kindergarten, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). Unlike the ACCESS for ELLS ®, all scoring of the W-APT is completed on site by the test administrator. All sections of the test are scored as the test is administered. After completion of the Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing, the Test Administrator will use the instructions on the scoring sheet to calculate the students’ overall Proficiency Level.

Grades 1-12

The regulation mandating the use of multiple criteria for identifying and exiting students from language assistance programs services is still required. For students in grades 1 through 12, a W-APT proficiency level of 4.5 or higher is recommended for exiting a program if multiple criteria support the decision.

Kindergarten

The Kindergarten test is organized into parts (A through E), each progressively more difficult. If the student successfully completes a part (e.g., A) they move on to the next part. The score sheet indicates the criteria for successful completion and will indicate how far the student progresses in the adaptive administration. For example to successfully complete part D of the Listening and Speaking exam, a student must answer at least 3 questions correctly in Part A, 3 questions correctly in Part B, 3 questions correctly in Part C, and 4 questions correctly in Part D.

The W-APT may be used to help determine eligibility of a kindergarten student for language assistance or to help identify when a student is able to exit a language assistance program. Eligibility may be determined at any time during the school year. However, the Reading and Writing sections of the W-APT test are only appropriate during the second half of the Kindergarten year.

For example, eligibility for language assistance program services for a student tested in September is contingent on students NOT successfully completing any Parts A, B, and C of the Listening and Speaking Test. If a student is tested in February, the student will take the Listening and Speaking, Reading and Writing tests. If the student does not successfully complete the appropriate parts in any one of the three tests, the student is eligible for language assistance. Districts should consider other indicators in making their placement decision.
To exit a language assistance program a student is expected to meet the criteria in all three test sections. The following chart demonstrates the standards for program entry and exit in kindergarten

	Eligibility for Language Assistance Kindergarten		Exit Language Assistance
Test Section	Administered Before January 1 of the School Year	Administered After January 1 of the School Year	Administered at the End of Kindergarten
Listening and Speaking	Does not successfully complete parts A, B, C, and D	Does not successfully complete parts A, B, C, and D OR	Successfully complete parts A, B, C, and D AND answer at least 3 questions correctly in Part E AND
Reading		Does not successfully complete parts A, B, and C OR	Successfully complete parts A, B, C, and D AND
Writing		Does not successfully complete parts A, B, and C	Successfully complete parts A, B, C, and D

Language Assessment Scales (LAS)

CTB/McGraw Hill

Use the LAS Language Proficiency Index (LPI) to determine program placement.

LPI (RW/O)	Category	Description
1/2	LEPa	low-level R and W skills
1/3		mid-level (limited) L and S skills
1/4	LEPb	low-level R and W skills
1/5		high-level (proficient) L and S skills
2/2	LEPc	mid-level R and W skills
2/3		mid-level (limited) L and S skills
2/4	LEPd	mid-level R and W skills
2/5		high-level (proficient) L and S skills
3/2	LEPe	high-level R and W skills
3/3		mid-level (limited) L and S skills
3/4	FEP	high-level R and W skills
		high-level (proficient) L and S skills

Standard

Any student that places below the FEP (Full-English Proficient) category and has at least one other indicator as per N.J.A.C. 6A15-1.3(c) is limited English proficient.
Other indicators include the following:

Reading level;
Previous academic performance;
Achievement on standardized tests in English; and
Teacher judgment.

Idea Proficiency Test (IPT)
Ballard and Tighe Publishers
Use the IPT designations to determine program placement.

Oral Tests

- Non-English Speaker
- Limited-English Speaker
- Fluent-English Speaker
Reading Tests

- Non-English Reader
- Limited-English Reader
- Competent-English Reader
Writing Tests

- Non-English Writer
- Limited-English Writer
- Competent-English Writer

Standard

Any student who falls in the "limited" category or below, in any of the tests, oral, reading, or writing and has at least one other indicator as per N.J.A.C. 6A15 1.3(c) is limited English proficient.
Other indicators include the following:

Reading level;
Previous academic performance;
Achievement on standardized tests in English; and
Teacher judgment.

Using Multiple Criteria for Program Entry and Exit

Districts must continue to use multiple indicators, as specified in code [N.J.A.C. 6A:15-1.3(c) and 6A:15-1.10(b)] to determine which students need English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or bilingual program support and which students can function independently in a monolingual English classroom. These indicators must be used for both identification of LEP students and for determining readiness to exit from bilingual/ESL/ELS program services

MACII Test of English Language Proficiency

Questar Assessment

Use the Standard Score Cut Points to determine program placement. A student scoring below the cut point for the appropriate grade and time of year can be considered limited English proficient.

Standard Score Cut Points*
Test Level	Grade	Fall	Spring	SEM**
Red	K	210	220	8
Red	1	566	588	14
Blue	2	548	564	12
Blue	3	558	574	12
Orange	4	543	559	10
Orange	5	556	569	11
Ivory	6	545	557	10
	7	551	562	10
	8	555	567	10
Tan	9	549	560	10
	10	558	570	11
	11	568	583	11
	12	580	593	11
*For grades 1-12, cut points are set for Total Battery scores. For grade K, cut points are set in terms of total Speaking and Listening scores.

**The standard error of measurement (SEM) of a test is a measure of reliability that represents the amount by which a score may vary due to errors of measurement. Thus, the larger the SEM, the greater the likelihood that a student might be misclassified. The SEM can be used to establish a band within which errors are most probable. For students whose scores fall within the band defined by the cut score plus or minus one SEM (e.g., 539 to 559 for Fall, 9th grade), additional data should be used to corroborate the placements.

Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment (CELLA)

CELLA Proficiency Levels

A student scoring below English Proficient and has at least one other indicator as per N.J.A.C. 6A15 1.3(c) is conisdered limited English proficient.

Listening and Speaking Proficiency Levels

Beginning students speak in English and understand spoken English that is below grade level and require continuous support.

Low Intermediate students speak in English and understand spoken English that is at or below grade level and require some support.

High Intermediate students, with minimal support, speak in English and understand spoken English that is at grade level.

English Proficient students speak in English and understand spoken English at grade level in a manner similar to non-ELL students.

Reading Proficiency Levels

Beginning students read below grade level text and require continuous support.

Low Intermediate students read at or below grade level text and require some support.

High Intermediate students read at grade level text with minimal support.

English Proficient students read at grade level text in a manner similar to non-ELLs.

Writing Proficiency Levels

Beginning students write below grade level and require continuous support.

Low Intermediate students write at or below grade level and require some support.

High Intermediate students write at grade level with minimal support.

English Proficient students write at grade level in a manner similar to non-ELLs.