Title III of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires that Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs), which measure progress in achieving English fluency for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students, be reported each year to the U. S. Department of Education. A committee of Arkansas educators, using the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, selected the Maculaitis Assessment of Competencies (Mac II) to determine progress in meeting Arkansas English Language Acquisition (ELA) Standards. All LEP students enrolled in grades K-12 will be assessed annually. For the 2004-2005 school year, the testing window will be March 21, 2005, to April 29, 2005.
The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) will conduct a compressed videoconference on February 11, 2005, for English as a Second Language (ESL) coordinators and test coordinators, to train for administration of the MAC II. Measurement Incorporated (MI) and Touchstone Applied Science Associates (TASA), Inc. will conduct the training. The morning training session, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., will address administering the MAC II to grades K-3. The afternoon training session, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., will address administering the MAC II to grades 4-12. Anyone who administers testing in both grade clusters (K-3, 4-12) should attend both sessions.
A registration form and list of available viewing sites are attached. Registration needs to be completed and sent by February 4, 2005, to Charlotte Marvel, Arkansas Department of Education, #4 Capitol Mall, 105A, Little Rock, AR 72201-1071. Fax: 501-682-4886 or email cmarvel@arkedu.k12.ar.us.