Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills TAKS en espaol: A Spanish TAKS Update

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Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
en español A Spanish TAKS Update

• Presenters
• Silvia Alvarado-Bolek
• Jonathan Cole
• Student Assessment Division
• Texas Education Agency

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Background

• In 1994 the SBOE adopted a plan to develop
  Spanish-version assessments to evaluate the
  academic skills of English language learners
  (ELLs) receiving academic instruction in Spanish.
• In 1997 Spanish-version assessments were
  incorporated into the state assessment program.
• In 1999 the 76th Texas Legislature mandated the
  inclusion of Spanish-version tests in the state
  assessment program.

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Student population in Texas

• Hispanic 2,127,647
• White 1,638,571
• Other 828,724
• PEIMS October 2007

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• Approximately 732,000 Texas students are
  classified as ELLs
• (EE12)
• About 120 languages are spoken in Texas public
  schools
• About 92 of Texas ELLs speak Spanish
• PEIMS October 2007

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Why TAKS in Spanish?

• To measure if ELLs are learning the Texas
  Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum
  in their own language as they receive academic
  instruction in Spanish and learn English

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Who is eligible to take TAKS in Spanish?

• ELLs in grades 36 whose academic skills are most
  appropriately measured in Spanish

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Who makes assessment decisions for ELLs?

• The language proficiency assessment committee
  (LPAC)
• In the case of an ELL serviced by special
  education, both the LPAC and admission, review
  and dismissal (ARD) committee

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Spanish TAKS Tests

• Reading Grades 3 6
• Mathematics Grades 3 6
• Writing Grade 4
• Science Grade 5

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Spanish Tests for LEP Students Served by Special
Education

• TAKS (Accommodated) forms, which will be
  available in all TAKS grades and subjects this
  year, will be available in Spanish in grades 36.
• A Spanish version of TAKSModified (TAKSM) is
  not available.

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Spanish TAKS

• Based on the TEKS curriculum
• English and Spanish TAKS assess the same test
  objectives and student expectations
• Same number of items per objective in English and
  Spanish

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• Item Development
• Approaches

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Initial Model

• Prior to the 2004-2005 school year,
  Spanish-version assessments were transadapted
  from English items
• Transadaptation translate and adapt for
  cultural and linguistic appropriateness
• Transadaptation process involved some limitations

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Current Model

• Field testing of Spanish items began in 2005.
• Spanish-version tests use some items that are
  transadapted and some that are independently
  developed.
• English and Spanish tests are built separately,
  using separate field-test data.
• Spanish and English tests include different items.

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Spanish TAKS Writing

• Passages and items have always been developed
  originally in Spanish.
• Spanish grammar and usage cannot be tested if
  adapted from English.
• Prompts are transadapted when appropriate.

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Spanish TAKS Mathematics and Science

• Most items are transadapted from English items.
• Very few items are developed independently from
  English.

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Spanish TAKS Reading

• Transadapted and unique passages (those developed
  only in Spanish) are used to build tests.
• Transadapted passages and items may have
  significant differences in English and Spanish
  for linguistic or cultural reasons.
• More unique passages are being developed every
  year.

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Examples of adaptations

• Titles of passages
• Idioms / slang
• Figurative language
• Body language
• Tested vocabulary words
• Technical words
• Cultural references
• Geographical names

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Who participates in Spanish item development?

• Pearson
• Assessment specialists
• Former bilingual teachers
• Bilingual writers
• Professional translators
• TEA
• Curriculum and assessment staff
• Texas Educators
• - Bilingual teachers and specialists across
  the state

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Educator Item Review

• Bilingual teachers review the items
• for ?
• appropriateness
• item content and difficulty
• language accessibility
• potential bias

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Resources used for Spanish TAKS

• The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
• Information booklets
• Textbooks
• Dictionaries and grammar references

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• Item Development Annual Activities

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• Test contractor develops and submits items to TEA
  (transadapted and unique items).
• TEA curriculum, assessment staff, and test
  contractor meet to review the proposed test
  items.
• Bilingual educators serve on educator review
  committees to review the items before
  field-testing.
• Items are field-tested.
• Bilingual educator committees convene again to
  review the items and the field-test results.
• Items are placed in the item bank to be used on
  future tests.

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• Spanish-English TAKS Alignment

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Spanish-English TAKS Alignment

• The item development and review processes are
  parallel in English and Spanish.
• English and Spanish test developers collaborate
  to adhere to the same test specifications and
  content guidelines.
• English and Spanish teams at TEA work together
  throughout the entire item development, test
  construction, and test booklet production
  process.

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• The same guidelines concerning the range of item
  content and cognitive complexity are applied.
• Educator committees that attend data reviews for
  English and Spanish receive technical training on
  how to interpret field-test statistics.
• English and Spanish test specifications are
  communicated in the same manner to educators and
  the general public through information booklets
  written for each grade and subject.

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English and Spanish TAKS Tests ?

• assess the same TAKS test objectives and TEKS
  student expectations
• are built to the same blueprint
• are equated annually to ensure that the original
  performance standards are maintained

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For More Information

• http//www.tea.state.tx.us/
• Telephone [phone]
• For ELL Questions
• ELL.tests_at_tea.state.tx.us