ACCESS testing

Dear Parents,

Students will begin the annual ACCESS testing on April 1st.  The ACCESS is the exam that determines whether or not students remain in the English language learning program.  Below is an explanantion of the ACCESS test.

Understanding the ACCESS TestThe ACCESS test consists of four parts: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  The ACCESS test rates students on five English proficiency levels.  These levels range from a student who speaks single words to someone uses long sentences.  The ranges are illustrated on the chart below.  

 The ACCESS test asks students to respond to questions from the subject areas of Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts.  They are assessed by how they use the English language when responding to the questions.  A student may be asked to write a word problem.   Students are also tested on their knowledge of the language used in the classroom.  For example, students may be given a set of directions orally.  Then, they are asked to point to pictures that correspond to the oral directions.   Students at each grade level have different levels of English fluency. Therefore, each grade level ACCESS test has three tiers for students: Tier A, Tier B, and Tier C.  The three tiers are based on the level that each student can communicate in English.   For example, A non-English speaking 1^st grade student will be given a Tier A test.  Whereas, a 1^st grade student who has spoken English for several years will be given a Tier B or Tier C test.  The following chart lists what each student needs for each tier.  A student must meet one of the criteria for each tier to qualify for that exam.  Also attached is a Speaking test chart which lists some of the expectations for students at each level of proficiency.                                                                                            Best of luck with testing!

                                                                                           Mrs. Rogin and Mrs. Cleveland