1

Performance of ELL Students on 2008 Grade 3-8 ELA Tests

David AbramsAssistant Commissioner for Standards, Assessment,

and Reporting

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Performance of ELL Students on 2008 Grade 3-8 ELA Tests

This analysis summarizes the performance of NYS public and charter school ELLs on the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts tests in 2008. The ELA performance of former ELLs who exited in 2006 and 2007 is also presented.

The analyses are based on 72,698 ELLs who took the State Grades 3-8 ELA tests in January 2008 and the NYSESLAT in May 2008. The analyses of the former ELLs are based on the 30,564 ELLs who exited in 2006 and 2007 and whose 2008 Grades 3-8 ELA scores are available.

The ELL population has significantly improved their performance on the Grades 3-8 ELA tests between 2007 and 2008. The percentage of ELLs scoring at Level 3 and above has increased and the percentage of ELLs showing serious academic deficiencies has decreased.

Former ELLs had comparable chance to score proficient (Level 3 or above) on the Grades 3-8 ELA tests as the English proficient students.

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Number of ELLs Tested On Grades 3-8 ELA Tests

2007 Total = 72,082 2008 Total = 72,698

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

ELL 2007 Total 17093 14200 11480 9934 9299 10076

ELL 2008 Total 17302 14614 11852 10258 9675 8997

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

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Performance of ELLs On 2008 Grades 3-8 ELA Tests

18 24

10 11 12

34

18

4944

56

74 71

60

57

33 32 34

15 186

25

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

ELA Level 1 ELA Level 2 ELA Level 3 & 4

5

The Mean Scale Score increased for ELLs in every grade, though the smallest increase is

seen in Grade 8

638

631636

627 627

609

630

620

605600

621622624

633

580

590

600

610

620

630

640

650

Grade 3ELA

Grade 4ELA

Grade 5ELA

Grade 6ELA

Grade 7ELA

Grade 8ELA

Total

2007 2008

6

There was an Increase in the Percentage of ELLs Scoring At Levels 3 and 4 except for Grade 8

33% 32%34%

15%18%

25%

6%

31%

23%

19%

10%

7%

18%

6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

2007 2008

7

There was an Increase in Percentage of ELLs Scoring At Level 2 and Above

82%76%

90% 89% 88%

74% 69% 73%

84%

61% 61%

71%66%

82%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

2007 2008

8

There was a Noticeable Decrease in Percentage of ELLs Scoring at Level 1

26%

31%

16%

39% 39%

29%28%

18%

24%

10% 11% 12%

34%

18%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

2007 2008

9

There was an Increase in Percentage of Proficient ELLs Scoring at Levels 3 and 4, but no gain in

Grade 8

65%69%

44%

62% 59%

55%

69%

53%

38%36%

24%

52%

69%

24%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

2007 2008

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Performance of ELLs on Grades 3-8 ELA Tests by NYSESLAT Proficiency Level: As Student Performance on NYSESLAT increases, there is a

greater chance that students will score at Levels 2 and/or Levels 3 & 4

72

33

5

28

63

67

40

27

59

1

41

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Beginning(n=6639)

Intermediate(n=17451)

Advanced(n=31837)

Proficient(n=13102)

NYSESLAT Proficiency Level

ELA Level 1 ELA Level 2 ELA Level 3 & 4

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Grade 3 ELL Performance By NYSESLAT Proficiency Level

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

ELA Level 1 88% 42% 5% 1% 18%

ELA Level 2 11% 53% 61% 30% 49%

ELA Level 3+4 1% 6% 35% 69% 33%

Beginning Intermediate Advanced Proficient Total

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Grade 4 ELL Performance By NYSESLAT Proficiency Level

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

ELA Level 1 92% 58% 12% 2% 24%

ELA Level 2 7% 38% 57% 33% 45%

ELA Level 3+4 1% 4% 31% 65% 31%

Beginning Intermediate Advanced Proficient Total

13

Grade 5 ELL Performance By NYSESLAT Proficiency Level

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

ELA Level 1 55% 22% 2% 0% 10%

ELA Level 2 42% 72% 63% 31% 57%

ELA Level 3+4 3% 7% 35% 69% 34%

Beginning Intermediate Advanced Proficient Total

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Grade 6 ELL Performance By NYSESLAT Proficiency Level

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

ELA Level 1 63% 18% 1% 0% 11%

ELA Level 2 37% 81% 85% 56% 75%

ELA Level 3+4 0% 1% 13% 44% 15%

Beginning Intermediate Advanced Proficient Total

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Grade 7 ELL Performance By NYSESLAT Proficiency Level

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

ELA Level 1 47% 9% 1% 0% 12%

ELA Level 2 52% 86% 75% 38% 71%

ELA Level 3+4 1% 4% 24% 62% 17%

Beginning Intermediate Advanced Proficient Total

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Grade 8 ELL Performance By NYSESLAT Proficiency Level

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

ELA Level 1 89% 45% 8% 2% 34%

ELA Level 2 11% 55% 86% 74% 60%

ELA Level 3+4 0% 0% 6% 24% 6%

Beginning Intermediate Advanced Proficient Total

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ELL Performance By Number of Years of ESL Services

Duration Total

<1 883

1 2,982

2 10,422

3 10,527

4 16,177

5 12,478

6 8,250

7 5,016

8 3,256

9 1,542

10+ 859

1730 30

21 16 17 11 9 9 14 17

57

47 4954

54 54 6273 76

7778

26 22 21 26 31 29 2718 15 9 5

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

<1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+

Number of Years

ELA Level 1 ELA Level 2 ELA Level 3+4

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ELL Performance By Need/Resource Category

19 2315 18 14 9

58 55

5455

54

47

23 2231 27 32

45

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

NYC Large City Urban-Suburban

Rural Average Low

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3+4

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ELL Performance By Major Home Language Group

2611 15 16

919 14

54

54 4859

55

5957

2035 37

2536

2230

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Arabic(n=1530)

Bengali(n=1231)

Chinese(n=1169)

Haitian Creole(n=1077)

Russian(n=933)

Spanish(n=48011)

Urdu(n=1027)

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3+4

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Performance of ELLs With Disabilities

3947

17 18 18

48

31

4639

6477 74

50

57

15 14 2012

6 8 2

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

ELA Level 1 ELA Level 2 ELA Level 3 & 4

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Performance of ELLs Without Disabilities

13 167 8 10

30

14

49 4653

73 70

62

57

38 38 40

19 218

29

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

ELA Level 1 ELA Level 2 ELA Level 3 & 4

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Performance of ELLs With Disabilities By Disability Type

46.9

85.7

38.7

29.1

30.6

67.9

50.5

25.5

32.9

30.1

50.0

22.9

46.9

14.3

52.0

55.7

59.0

31.0

41.4

57.4

53.1

56.3

43.8

54.3

6.3

9.3

15.1

10.3

8.1

17.0

14.0

13.5

6.3

22.9

0.0

1.2

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Autism

Deafness

Emotional Disturbance

Hearing Impairment

Learning Disability

Mental Retardation

Multiple Disabilities

Orthopedic Impairment

Other Health Impairment

Speech/Lang. Impairment

Traumatic Brain Injury

Visual Impairment

L1 L2 L3+4

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Percentage of ELLs at Level 3-4 onby Disability Status

6%8%

2%

38% 38%40%

19%21%

8%

29%

14%15%

20%

12%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

With Disability Without Disability

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Percentage of ELLs scoring at Level 1 by Disability Status

39%

47%

17% 18% 18%

48%

31%

13%16%

7% 8% 10%

30%

14%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 3-8

With Disability Without Disability

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Comparison of Non-ELL, ELL and Former ELL Students’ Performance on Grade 3-8 ELA Tests

3%

18%

0%

25%

57%

27%

72%

25%

73%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Non-ELL ELL Former ELL

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3+4

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Comparison of Non-ELL, ELL and Former ELL Students’ Performance:

Percentage of Students at Level 3 & 4

74% 75%

81%

70%73%

59%

33% 32% 34%

15%

83% 83%79%

57%62%

18%

6%

43%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

Non-ELL ELL Former ELL

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Percentage of ELLs Scoring at Each of the NYSESLAT Proficiency Levels

Passing/Failing the Regents English Exam in Grade 11

88 83

57

34

12 17

43

66

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Beginning(n=408)

Intermediate(n=3504)

Advanced(n=1984)

Proficient(n=832)

Fail Pass

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Percentage of ELLs Scoring at Each of the NYSESLAT Proficiency Levels

Passing/Failing the Regents English Exam in Grade 12

8777

5944

1423

4157

0%

10%

20%

30%40%

50%

60%

70%

80%90%

100%

Beginning(n=342)

Intermediate(n=2275)

Advanced(n=858)

Proficient(n=352)

Fail Pass

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NYSESLAT Scores Predict ELA Performance Well

NYSESLAT scores explained 46% to 53% of the variance in ELA performance across grades in 2008.

Multiple Regression Model Summary

Grade Correlation Coefficient

Grade 3 0.725

Grade 4 0.722

Grade 5 0.677

Grade 6 0.721

Grade 7 0.696

Grade 8 0.721

*Dependent Variable: ELA scale score*Predictors: NYSESLAT Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing scores

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Summary

In 2008, the percentage of ELLs meeting the ELA standards increased from 18% in 2007 to 25% in 2008; the percentage of ELLs showing serious academic deficiencies in ELA deceased from 29% in 2007 to 18% in 2008.

NYSESLAT scores are good predictors of the ELA

performance, accounting for 43% to 53% of the variance in ELA scale scores across grades. ELLs who scored at the proficient level on the NYSESLAT had a much better chance to meet the ELA standards than those who scored below proficient.

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Summary

Former ELLs in grades 3 to 5 had comparable chance as English proficient students to meet the ELA standards, the percentage of former ELLs in grades 6 to 8 ranged from 43% to 62%.

ELLs in the elementary grades, with 3-6 years of services, and those from schools outside the Big 5 cities were more likely than their counterparts to score proficient on the Grade 3-8 ELA tests.

ELLs who scored at Level 1 on the 3-8 ELA tests were more likely to be in the middle school grades, with less than 3 years services.