Get documents about "Administering the ACCESS for ELLs®
Document Sample
Administering the ACCESS for ELLs®
Speaking Test
Emily Evans, Center for Applied Linguistics
January 2007
New Jersey Department of Education
Developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics
Training Objectives
To understand the background and structure of the
ACCESS for ELLs® Speaking test
To be able to administer the ACCESS for ELLs®
Speaking test
To be able to reliably score the Speaking test
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 2
Background on the Speaking Test
Addresses the performance indicators from the WIDA
standards for Speaking.
Assesses the type of speech a student would typically
use in school and instructional contexts across each of
the WIDA standards.
Conducted in a one-on-one, question-answer interview.
All questions are standardized and read from a script.
Student responses to questions are assessed for
proficiency using a scoring rubric.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 3
Format of the Speaking Test
Speaking test consists of three scripted sections
A warm-up in which the test administrator puts the student at
ease
The test questions
A wind-down in which the test administrator leaves the student
with a positive impression of his or her performance on the test.
Test questions are grouped into thematic folders
(identified as “parts” within the test).
Test questions are presented in a structured sequence
determined by their intended proficiency level.
Test is “adaptive,” that is, questions are presented until
the student reaches his or her performance ceiling.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 4
Pathway Through Speaking Test
Warm-up
Student
Response
Assign
Score
Test
Questions
Loop through questions
until student reaches
performance ceiling
Wind-down
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 5
Format of a Thematic Folder
The speaking test includes three thematic folders,
identified as “parts” within the test
Part A
Tests the SI standard at proficiency levels 1, 2, and 3
Part B
Tests the LA & SS standards at proficiency levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
Part C
Tests the MA & SC standards at proficiency levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
Kindergarten test includes only Part A and Part B
Each thematic folder includes a set of tasks and each
task a set of questions.
Each task with its accompanying questions is aimed at
eliciting speech at one particular proficiency level.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 6
Example Speaking Test Thematic Folder
What the student What the test administrator
sees—Picture Cue Part A sees—Script
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 7
Speaking Picture Cue Booklet
Picture Cue booklets are printed two sided and bound in a flip chart format. The
picture cue faces the student and the script faces the test administrator. The
script also includes a thumbnail graphic of what the student is seeing.
Studen
t TA
TA nt
Stude
Script Side Picture Cue Side
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 8
Reading the Test Script
Sample of Script
In the script, the test administrator reads aloud all text
that is bolded.
Text that is in the regular font (not bold) includes staging
and navigation instructions to the test administrator.
These instructions are not read aloud.
Instructions introduced by “if” signal conditional
questions, which are asked only if warranted by the
student’s previous responses.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 9
Navigating the Test
Part A: SI Part B: LA/SS Part C: MA/SC
T1 T1 T1
T2 T2 T2
T3 T3 T3
If score on If score on If score on
task is ?, task is ?,
T4
task is ?, T4
Meets or Meets or Meets or
Exceeds, Exceeds, Exceeds,
go to next go to next go to next
task. task. T5 T5
task.
or or or
If score on If score on If score on
task is task is task is
Approaches or Approaches or Approaches or
No Response, No Response, No Response,
go to Task 1 of go to Task 1 of stop the
Folder B. Folder C. Speaking Test.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 10
The Speaking Rubric
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 11
Task Level Expectations
Every task and question asked the student is based on a
set of expectations for what the response will look like.
Areas of speech around which scoring expectations are
based
Linguistic Complexity
Expectations of the quantity and organization of the student’s
verbal response
Vocabulary Usage
Expectations of the student’s use of appropriate vocabulary for
grade level and proficiency level
Language Control
Expectations of the student’s control of English grammar, word
choice in context, and the English sound system
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 12
The Scoring Scale
Speaking Test Scoring Scale
Exceeds Exceeds task level expectations in quantity and/or quality
Meets Meets all task level expectations in quantity and quality
Approaches task level expectations, but falls short in quantity
Approaches
and/or quality
No response; response incomprehensible; student unable to
No Response
understand directions
“Meets” is highlighted on the scale to emphasize that a task is designed to
elicit speech that will meet expectations of the proficiency level it targets.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 13
Scoring Rules
A rating of Meets or Exceeds each receives a point
value of 1.
There are no extra points awarded a score of Exceeds.
The Exceeds rating indicates a strong expectation that the
student will be able to respond with at least a Meets rating to
the following task in the test.
A rating of Approaches or No Response each receives
a point value of 0.
The 0 point value reflects the fact that the student could not
meet one or more of the requirements of the scoring rubric.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 14
Scoring Rules
If in doubt between a score of Meets or Approaches,
you can mark in the center column below the question
mark (?) on the score sheet and administer the next
task.
If the student gives a performance that meets the task level
expectations on the next task, assign that task a score of Meets,
and go back and assign the task, previously scored a question
mark, a score of Meets.
If the student gives a performance that very clearly fails to meet
the task level expectations on the next task, it is most likely that
the performance was also deficient on the previous task.
Assign the current task a score of Approaches or No Response
as appropriate, and go back and assign the task in question a
score of Approaches.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 15
The Scoring Sheet
The Speaking Test Scoring Sheet is found as the last
page of the student test booklet.
In some states that have a longer test window for the
speaking test than for the other tests, the Speaking Test
Scoring Sheet is a separate document.
Test administrators must make a mark on the scoring
sheet immediately after the student responds to the last
question in a task.
The mark represents the student’s performance on the
complete task, not individual questions on the task.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 16
The Scoring Sheet
The scoring sheet should be
filled out completely; that is, a
score for each of the 13 task
items must be marked.
Any task not administered
because the student has
reached a ceiling level within
a part should be marked as
Not Administered.
If a “?” is marked for a task
and resolved with a Meets or
Exceeds by administering the
following task, it is not
necessary to erase the mark.
Administering the ACCESS Speaking Test 17
Questions
or
Comments?
For more information, please contact the WIDA Hotline:
1-866-276-7735 or www.wida.us/helpform
World Class Instructional Design and Assessment, www.wida.us
Center for Applied Linguistics, www.cal.org
Metritech, Inc., www.metritech.com
