California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) and English learners
Many times when districts exceed the one percent limitation on the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), the excess is due to an English learner (EL) issue. Many teachers and school administrators lack the training needed to differentiate between ELs and special education needs. Likewise, when ELs are placed in special education classes, many of their parents are unable to understand district letters about testing or placement. Therefore, they are not in a position to advocate for their child to be retested, re designated, or reassigned. For more information on how to involve parents, including those who do not speak English, refer to Recommendation12—Partnerships.
Teaching team members need to understand results from the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) tests and home language surveys so that they can be more adept in placing and teaching ELs. Curriculum specialists from the district or county office can help team members learn more about how to use results from these tests to improve student learning.
The very real need for the middle grades to equip students with many of the skills they will need to pass the California Achievement High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) in the tenth grade means that the teacher and administrators must prepare EL and special education students with grade-level curriculum so they are able to master the content of the standards. Professional development that focuses on delivering curriculum to special education and EL students requires that teachers understand when and how to use the CAPA Core Adaptations and to use differentiated instruction to meet the needs of EL and special education students. Increased teacher skills in this area will help many districts and schools have steady achievement and may help meet the instructional needs of their students.
Additionally, when EL or special education students are referred to Student Study Team (SSTs—also known as Student Success Teams), members need information about the use of non biased individual assessments, including those that assess information processing and neural processing.
Now part of the Academic Program Survey, the English Learner Subgroup Self Assessment helps school and district administrators to evaluate EL assessment results as they prepare the Local Educational Agency Plan.
In the Spotlight
Mathson Middle School, Alum Rock Union School District, a 2006 On the Right Track School
Mathson’s API score rose steadily from 2002 through 2006. The school staff members attribute much of their success to a strategic use of data to focus instruction for English learners. Mathson staff members also increased the school day by 50 minutes to provide intervention and to accelerate language acquisition. Language development is woven into the curriculum due to staff understanding that language must not be a barrier to learning the standards. To understand more about the strategies used at Mathson, view the profile developed for the SchoolsMovingUp online Web conference: Mathson Middle School Archived Presentation.
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