Introducing the WLPT

1
Introducing the WLPT!

• An Overview of the Washington Language
  Proficiency Test (WLPT)
• Dr. Richard Gómez Jr.

2
Prior to the WLPT

• No Common State-Wide Assessment for ELL
  Population
• Wide Variety of ELL Assessments
• Tests Unsecured
• Prevented Identification of Stronger Programs
• Accountability for Student Achievement Compromised

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Purpose for the WLPT

• A Secure Measure of Annual English Proficiency
  Gains in Reading Writing
• 70,000 Students/159 Languages
• About 7 of WA Student Population
• Growing Between 7 to 10 Each Year

4
Purpose for the WLPT

• Grades Tested
• 2-12 for 2002
• K-12 for 2003
• Data Returned on Six Levels
• Student, Teacher, Grade, Building, District,
  State
• WASL ITBS Correlations (35 Rule)

5
Selection of the WLPT

• RFP Out in October
• Five Proposals Submitted
• Metri-Tech, Language Proficiency Test Series
• Riverside, Woodcock-Muñoz
• McGraw Hill, Language Assessment Scales
• Ballard Tighe, IDEA
• Touchstone

6
Selection of the WLPT

• All Publishers Were Invited to Make a
  Presentation in Person to a State-Wide
  Representative Committee
• Committee Voted Unanimously to Go With
  Metri-Techs Assessment

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The WLPT

• Group Administered
• Each Component Takes about 1 Hour
• Instructions to Students Standardized
• Translations/Paraphrasing of Instructions Allowed
• Test Progresses from Simple to More Difficult
• Tests Scored by Metri-Tech
• Test Results Returned by May 31

8
The WLPT

• Each Student Receives a Profile Sheet
• Translated into Spanish/Russian
• Data Provided to OSPI in Friendly Format
• All Test Booklets Accounted for
• Three Versions for Each Test Cluster
• Test Scores are Scaled Permitting Comparisons
  Over Time and Across Clusters
• Scores Take Into Account Age of Student

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Tracking WLPT Scores

• USIC Assigned to Each ELL Student
• 20 Districts Completed
• Completed Project by July 31, 2002
• WLPT Scores Tracked for Each ELL
• Track Annual Academic Performance (WASL ITBS)
  for Current AND Former ELL Students

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Academic Effectiveness of Bilingual Education
Models
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Questions Answers