Title III of No Child Left Behind requires the annual assessment of limited English proficient (LEP) students’ progress in the development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in English and in the acquisition of academic language in English language arts and mathematics. English language proficiency assessment test scores are reported each year to the United States Department of Education.
A committee of Arkansas educators, using the Request for Proposal process, selected the English Language Development Assessment (ELDA) to determine LEP students’ progress in meeting Arkansas English Language Proficiency Standards. All LEP students enrolled in grades K-12 will be assessed annually using the ELDA starting in spring 2007. For the 2006-2007 school year, the testing window is April 2 - May 11, 2007.
The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) will conduct a compressed interactive videoconference on Tuesday, February 13, 2007, for English as a Second Language (ESL) program coordinators and test administration personnel to train for the administration of English Language Development Assessment. The training from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. will be conducted for the administration of the ELDA for Grades 3 - 12. An afternoon session will be held from 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. to conduct the training for the administration of the ELDA for kindergarten through Grade 2.
The registration form and list of available videoconference viewing sites are attached. Registration should be completed and returned by February 5, 2007, to Dr. Ellen Treadway, Arkansas Department of Education, Office of Curriculum, Assessment, and Research, 4 Capitol Mall, Room 202-A, Little Rock, AR 72201, Fax: 501-683-0585, or email: ellen.treadway@arkansas.gov.