La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § CXI-3307

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 8, August 20, 2024

Section CXI-3307 - Limited English Proficient Students

A. All LEP students must participate in statewide assessments. LEP students qualify; however, for accommodations provided they are used in the students' regular classroom instruction and assessment. Test accommodations must not be different from or in addition to the accommodations provided in the classroom during instruction and assessment and must not compromise test security or confidentiality.

B. Limited English Proficient Student-an individual:

1. who is aged 3 through 21;

2. who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or secondary school;

3. who was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English;

4. who is a Native American or Alaska Native or who is a native resident of the outlying areas and comes from an environment where a language other than English has had significant impact on such individual's level of English language proficiency; or

5. who is migratory, whose native language is a language other than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; and

6. whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the individual:

a. the ability to meet the state's proficient level of achievement on state assessments described in Section 1111(b)(3);

b. the ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or

c. the opportunity to participate in society (PL-10710, Title IX, Sec. 9101[25].

C. Approved Accommodations for LEP Students

1. The following accommodations are to be provided for LEP students participating in the LEAP, GEE, iLEAP, LAA 2, and EOC assessments.

a. Extended Time/Adjusted Time. Every student must be given extended or sufficient time to respond to every test item. Time may be adjusted for certain students, such as those who have short attention spans or those who may be unable to concentrate for long periods of time on a given task. The test administration time may have to be altered considerably to allow for intermittent short breaks during the testing period, or it may be determined appropriate to administer the test in a number of short sessions. Testing may also be stopped and continued at a later time if a student's behavior interferes with testing. The elapsed time must be documented and the test administrator must closely monitor that test security is maintained. All sessions, however, must be completed within the specified test administration dates, including makeup sessions.

b. Individual/Small Group Administration. Tests may be administered to a small group (maximum, eight students) or to an individual requiring more attention than can be provided in a larger classroom. If other selected accommodations affect the standard administration of the test (e.g., extended time on a timed test, tests read aloud), individual or small group administration must be used.

c. Provision of English/Native Language Word-to-Word Dictionary (No Definitions). LEP students may use either a standard or an electronic English/native language word-to-word dictionary, without definitions, on all sessions of the test. On the written composition sessions of the tests, all LEP students may use an English/native language word-to-word dictionary with definitions; this is not an accommodation.

d. Tests Read Aloud. Students may be allowed to have portions of the tests read to them, with the exception of portions designed to measure reading comprehension, which are clearly designated in the Test Administration Manuals. No passages, questions, or distractors (multiple choices) of any English language arts assessment that measures reading comprehension may be read aloud. Such tests include the Reading and Responding session of LEAP, GEE, and LAA 2, Reading, Part 2 of iLEAP grades 3, 5, 6, and 7, Reading Comprehension of iLEAP grade 9 and the "old" GEE, and any others developed to measure this skill. Directions only to these sessions may be signed or cued. When signing or cueing, the test administrator must exercise caution to avoid providing answers. It is a breach of test security to provide signs or cues that convey answers.

e. Test Administered by ESL Teacher or by Individual Providing Language Services. Familiarity with the speech patterns of the ESL teacher or individual providing language services may assist the student in understanding the test directions or the portions read aloud if the student receives the accommodation Tests Read Aloud.

D. Spanish language versions of math state assessments are provided for limited English proficient (LEP) students in grades 3 through 8.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § CXI-3307

Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1562 (July 2005), amended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 32:240 (February 2006), LR 33:264 (February 2007), LR 33:1010 (June 2007), LR 36:983 (May 2010), LR 37:821 (March 2011), Amended by LR 41616 (4/1/2015).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:1941 et seq., and R.S. 17:24.4 (F)(3).