ELD News
Keeping you in the know!
ESL Celebration 2017: One World
ACCESS Scores
As you know, ACCESS scores are now available in DRC. Please email Remy Rummel if you are still unable to access your school's scores. Scores will only be available for certified ELD staff; classified staff will not have direct access to scores. WIDA has created a number of resources available for a variety of stakeholders, including:
- Parent Letters: follow THIS LINK for a variety of languages. Please include this letter when sharing scores with parents. If you need a letter translated into a language that is not available, please submit your translation request.
- Administrator Letter: follow THIS LINK for a letter to your school's administration team. This includes important information about growth, standard setting, and implications for schools.
- Teacher Letter: follow THIS LINK for a letter to your students' classroom teachers.
- Special Service Providers and Special Educators: follow THIS LINK for a letter to your Special Education team.
Paper Scores
Paper scores are now available for pick up at the Wilcox building (620 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock). You may pick up your school's box this week or wait for delivery at our ELD Think Tank on Tuesday, May 9th. If you choose pick up your results at Wilcox, please be sure to check in with either Christina Levesque, Mimi Ernst, or Judy Cable and sign your test results out. *You must choose one of these options.
Conversations With Students
ACCESS is created to show a student's progression as a student learning English. When discussing ACCESS with your students (or other stakeholders), please do not frame your conversation around "passing". Passing would indicate failure if a specific score was not attained. Please be mindful and do not use verbiage such as "pass" when discussing ACCESS with your students, teachers, and families. Please do talk about the fact that ACCESS provides a student's English proficiency level, and indicates their growth as an English Learner.
Redesignation
Districts have not yet received cut scores for redesignation for FEP Y1 monitoring from CDE. The lack of cut scores is a result of the recent WIDA Standard Setting Process, and we will have official cut scores from CDE after May 24, 2017.
As a general rule, this means that we cannot yet determine eligibility for redesignation for some students because we do not know the score required for Fluent English Proficient. While you may share ACCESS scores with your students and families, please do not correlate ACCESS scores with Redesignation at this time.
You will notice that all redesignation forms have been removed from the District ELD google site. Once guidance has been received, forms will be updated and uploaded for your use.
We will have more information at the ELD Think Tank, and you will receive further instructions when we release the 2017 End of Year Instructions.
**A few of you have referred to the CDE CLD Guidebook. This was revised in October of 2016, and CDE was not aware of the need for a change in cut scores. The CLD Guidebook is currently being updated to reflect updated cut scores, and the revision is NOT YET COMPLETE.
ACCESS Growth
You may be asking, "What would my student's have earned last year on ACCESS?" WIDA has released the Score Lookup Calculator. Once logged in, the Score Lookup Calculator will translate your student's scores, and it will inform you of their actual growth from 2016 ACCESS TO 2017 ACCESS. This calculator will not be used by CDE, and it is intended only for your instructional purposes.
Parent Outreach: Understanding Your Child's ACCESS Scores
- 12:00 PM -1:00 PM: ACCESS for Parents Lunch & Learn: Castle Pines Master Association Event Hall (360 Village Square Lane)
- 5:00-6:00 PM: ACCESS for Parents: Lone Tree Library Event Center (10055 Library Way, Lone Tree)
Please distribute invitations once you receive them; A paper or emailed invitation is appropriate. We will provide a Spanish interpreter for each meeting. If you are aware of a parent who will attend who needs a language other than Spanish, please email Remy and Cindy.
Wrapping Up 2016-2017
- You will receive the End of Year Instructions when we receive Redesignation Guidance or by Monday, May 8th - whichever arrives first.
- Your ELD Programming Evaluation spreadsheet is DUE May 15, 2017 by the end of the day.
- Working files (see this document) must created and maintained for each student in your building who is identified as and English Learner. Working Files may be electronic or paper based, and must be accessible to your administrator by the end of the year.
ACCESS Analysis & ELD Think Tank
Please bring:
Laptop, iPad, or device Your school’s January 2016 & January 2017 ACCESS Scores (Student Roster Reports) ELD Programming Evaluation Spreadsheets
Please Note: Colorado districts are postponing all WIDA Screener training at this time as Colorado will delay the transition to the WIDA Screener. You will receive more information about this change at the ELD Think Tank. While the WIDA Screener is on hold, we will meet as a whole group beginning at 8:00.
Would you like a GREAT student created t-shirt?
WIDA MODEL and Newcomer Kits
Materials / Curriculum Suggestions
From the Last Newsletter . . .
Early Identification Window - Opening May 1st for Kindergarten
Following assessment, submit all paperwork (as usual) to Christina Levesque at Wilcox. For more information and processes, see the District ELD Google site.
READ Plan Exemption 2 Submissions
Great Opportunities for Students
- Latino Outdoors: Camp Scholarships
- Vestido Rojo
Upcoming Dates
Early ID Window: Kindergarten opens May 1
ELD Think Tank / WIDA Screener Training: Tuesday May 9, 2017 8:00-3:00
ELD Programming Evaluation Spreadsheets DUE May 15, 2017 by the end of day
Timely Topics: June 6-9, July 24-25
Quick Links
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/109415669014016956676
District ELD Google site - including the ELD Department calendar on the HOME page
https://sites.google.com/a/dcsdk12.org/district-esl-site/home
ELD Guidance Documents - https://sites.google.com/a/dcsdk12.org/district-esl-site/home
Family Outreach Proposal Form:
ELD Meeting Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Z6QogfyjwuOmRUmwtuJ45e57zhw