TELPASTexas English Language Proficiency Assessment System

TELPAS is the Texas K12 ELL assessment of English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

TELPAS measures how well ELLs understand and use English for everyday use and academic purposes.

TELPAS reports four English language proficiency levels:

Beginning

Intermediate

Advanced

Advanced High

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Purposes of TELPAS Reading, Grades 2–12

To assess progress of LEP-exempted students

To indicate when LEP exemptions areno longer necessary

To monitor English language reading proficiency of Spanish TAKS examinees

To monitor English language reading proficiency of students no longer eligible for a LEP exemption and are struggling in English acquisition

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Understanding the TELPAS Proficiency Levels

To understand TELPAS results, we must

understand what the TELPAS proficiency

levels mean.

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TELPAS Proficiency Levels in a Nutshell Beginning: Little or no ability to function in English in

social and academic settings

Intermediate: Limited ability to function in English in social and academic settings; can understand and use simple language structures and high-frequency English in routine contexts

Advanced: Can handle grade-appropriate English, although ongoing linguistic support is needed

Advanced high: Can handle grade-appropriate English with minimal linguistic support; limited English does not stand in the way of academic achievement

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What TELPAS Results Tell Us

TELPAS ratings of beginning and intermediate

indicate a significantly limited ability to use

English as a medium for learning academic

material.

ELLs in U.S. schools 3 years or more who are

still at these levels need carefully planned, highly

intensive instructional interventions to accelerate

English acquisition.

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What TELPAS Results Tell Us

ELLs in U.S. schools 3 years or more who are

at the beginning or intermediate level are

NOT likely to understand the English used on

standardized achievement tests. Their results

on such tests must be interpreted with

caution.

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TELPAS and AMAOs TELPAS is used in the AMAO accountability

system for ELLs. Under NCLB, states must show annual increases in the progress ELLs make in learning English and in attaining English language proficiency.

Our progress goal is to evaluate the percent of ELLs making at least one proficiency level of progress a year.

Our attainment goal is to evaluate the percent of ELLs reaching the advanced high proficiency level.

AMAOs are Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives.

AMAO 1 Progress in Learning English

• AMAO 1 measures the percent of LEP students who make at least one proficiency level of progress a year based on their TELPAS composite proficiency rating.

AMAO 2Attainment of English Language Proficiency

• Measures the percent of LEP students who attain an advanced high TELPAS composite proficiency rating.

• Method 1 evaluates the percent of current LEP students who reach Advanced High on TELPAS. This method does not consider how long a students have been in U.S. schools.

• Method 2 takes time in U. S. variables into account, which addresses the effect that varying influxes of immigrants may have within and across districts.

AMAO 3Meeting AYP in Reading and Mathematics

• AMAO 3 measures the percent of LEP students who are successful on the reading and mathematics tests used in AYP determinations. AMAO 3 is met when districts meet AYP for their LEP student group.

• While TELPAS and LAT results are used in AYP determinations for recent immigrants who qualify for a LEP exemption, TAKS in English or Spanish* is the required assessment for nonexempt LEP students.

HEB DISTRICT SCORES 2007-2008

AMAO 2 (REQUIRED 2.5%)

GRADES K-2 28%

State 16%HEB DISTRICT SCORES 2007-2008

AMAO 2 (REQUIRED 25%)

GRADES 3-12 55%

State 45%

Grade Total number of LEP students rated in the spring of 2008

% of LEP students who attained an advanced high level on the TELPAS composite score

Grades K-2 1007 28%

Grades 3-12 1211 55%

Grade Total number of LEP students rated in the spring of 2008

% of LEP students who attained an advanced high level on the TELPAS composite score

K 327 11%

1 326 29%

2 354 42%

3 260 50%

4 200 55%

5 163 62%

6 139 67%

7 115 52%

8 92 40%

9 85 55%

10 73 56%

11 43 63%

12 41 49%

TEXAS ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT SYSTEM SUMMARYSPRING 2008