Research Evidence to Support Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) in Reclassification Decisions

• In Event: Consortium of State and Regional Educational Research Associations Distinguished Paper Session 3

Abstract

State and federal laws require that all students classified as English learners (ELs) be assessed for English language proficiency (ELP). This requirement is grounded in students’ right to an equal and appropriate education, and the importance of ensuring that language barriers do not preclude access to that right. Given these stakes, it is critical to establish the validity of ELP assessments. This report summarizes results from two studies conducted by the California Department of Education to evaluate its large-scale ELP assessment for EL students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. We present a series of analyses to evaluate and validate the state’s current thresholds for reclassifying EL students with the most significant cognitive disabilities – an understudied group in assessment literature.

Authors

• Kelly Bacher, California Department of Education

• Molly M. Faulkner-Bond, WestEd

• Patricia Bigham Baron, Educational Testing Service

• Shuqin Guo, California Department of Education

• Min Huang, WestEd

• Alesha Moreno-Ramirez, CDE, Multilingual Support Division,

• Mao J. Vang, California Department of Education