December 3, 2007
ISBE DELL e-broadcast 2007.81 - IMAGE
Assessment Information
Dear Educators Serving English Language Learning:
The message below is a re-broadcast of information transmitted
from our assessment division this past Friday.
Dear IMAGE Coordinators:
You are probably aware that the Illinois Measure if
Annual Growth in English (IMAGE) will not be administered
in 2008. After several years of analyses, modifications,
and negotiations with the federal government, it’s
become clear that a state accountability test for English
Language Learners (ELLs) cannot be built using the
IMAGE platform. Therefore, to attain compliance with
federal laws and regulations, ELL students in Illinois
public schools will participate in the annual state
assessment, in grades 3-8, with the Illinois Standards
Achievement Test (ISAT), and at grade 11, with the
Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE). Special accommodations
for these students are being developed to assist in
this effort. These accommodations will be announced
by late December/early January.
Students who would have taken IMAGE in 2008 in grades
3-8 will participate in ISAT reading and mathematics.
Those in grades 4 and 7 will, additionally, participate
in ISAT science. The ISAT Writing Test will NOT be
expected of these students because their participation
in the ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension and Communication
in English State to State) testing program satisfies
that requirement. Grade 11 ELLS, who would have taken
IMAGE in 2008, will participate in both days of PSAE.
Follow state guidance on the PSAE webpage (http://www.isbe.net/assessment/pdfs/psae_grad_guid_memo.pdf)
to ensure that these students qualify for graduation.
From now through the end of the ordering window, ISAT
materials for ELLs in grades 3-8 should be ordered
online through the Questar Service Point system to
avoid the unnecessary consumption of ISAT Writing materials.
Districts that have already ordered ISAT materials
for their ELLs through the Pearson website do NOT have
to retract those orders, but should be aware that Pearson
will include ISAT Writing materials with those orders
that ELLs will NOT use if they participate in ACCESS
in January of 2008.
PSAE materials for grade 11 students who would have
taken IMAGE must be added to the regular PSAE orders.
ACT, unfortunately, will not accept any grade 11 materials
orders submitted through Questar.
If you have questions, feel free to respond to call
the Student Assessment Division at ISBE, (217) 782-4823.
back to 2007-08 Archive
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777
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