Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/06/24/04-14358/title-i-improving-the-academic-achievement-of-the-disadvantaged
Timestamp: 2017-05-24 13:58:09
Document Index: 782933664

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:: Title I-Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
A Proposed Rule by the Education Department on 06/24/2004
35461-35465
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Invitation To Comment
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/04-14358
Start Printed Page 35462
These proposed regulations are needed to implement statutory provisions regarding State, LEA, and school accountability for the academic achievement of recently arrived students with limited English language proficiency. As a diverse Nation, we educate students from many different countries. There are approximately 5.5 million students in U.S. schools who do not have English as their first language. Some States report that as many as 120 languages are represented in their schools. Often, the recently arrived students have difficulty demonstrating their knowledge through State content assessments in English due to language barriers or schooling experiences in their native country. Students need time to become acclimated to their new community and to schooling in the United States. Several researchers have reported the isolation and confusion newcomer students feel in their schools upon arrival and sometimes well into the first year.[1] This creates a challenge for the many States that do not offer native language assessments for all students, and available accommodations generally would not provide a real opportunity for newly arrived LEP students to demonstrate their mastery of a content area in English. The proposed regulations would allow approximately one year for schools and LEAs to provide intensified language instruction programs well aligned with the State's English language proficiency (ELP) standards and linked with State academic content and student academic achievement standards.
These proposed regulations also would allow a State to include “former LEP” students within the LEP category in making AYP determinations for up to two years after they no longer meet the Start Printed Page 35463State's definition for limited English proficiency. The LEP subgroup is a subgroup whose membership can change from year to year, as students who have acquired English language proficiency exit and recently arrived students enter the subgroup. Because LEP students exit the LEP category once they attain English language proficiency, school assessment scores may not reflect gains that the LEP student subgroup has made in academic achievement.
Proposed Regulations: The proposed regulations would provide a new assessment option for a subset of LEP students—recently arrived LEP students who have attended schools in the United States (not including Puerto Rico) for less than 10 months. Under proposed § 200.6(b)(4), a State would be able to exempt recently arrived LEP students from one administration of the State's reading/language arts assessment. Recently arrived students would still be required to participate in the State's mathematics assessment and the ELP assessment.
Reasons: In proposing these amendments to § 200.6, we recognize that taking a State's reading/language arts assessment, even with accommodations, requires a certain level of English language expertise. This expertise is essential for LEP students to participate meaningfully in the reading/language arts assessment and to receive a valid and reliable assessment score. Absent native language assessments (which in many cases are not practicable to create) and without this flexibility, recently arrived LEP students would be required to take a reading/language arts test that does not produce useful information. This is a different situation than a mathematics assessment, for which accommodations are available, to enable recently arrived LEP students to demonstrate content mastery in mathematics. With this new flexibility regarding participation in a State's reading/language arts assessment, recently arrived LEP students will be able to participate in the State's assessment system in a manner that makes sense given their educational experiences and English language skills.
Proposed Regulations: The proposed regulations in § 200.20(f) would change the requirements for how SEAs are to include the following students in AYP determinations: (1) Recently arrived LEP students, and (2) students who were LEP but who have attained English proficiency and exited the LEP category Start Printed Page 35464as the State defines that category (i.e., former LEP students).
For recently arrived LEP students, a State would not be required to include their results from the mathematics or (if taken) reading/language arts assessments in AYP decisions, even if the student has been enrolled for a full academic year as defined by the State. If recently arrived LEP students take either the ELP assessment or the State's reading/language arts assessment, § 200.20(f)(1)(i) of the proposed regulations would allow the State to count these students as participants toward meeting the 95 percent participation requirement for AYP determinations in reading/language arts. Similarly, § 200.20(f)(1)(i) of the proposed regulations would allow recently arrived LEP students to be counted as participants for AYP determinations in mathematics when they take the mathematics assessment.
Under proposed § 200.20(f)(2), in determining AYP for the LEP subgroup, a State also may include the assessment scores from the reading/language arts and mathematics assessments for students who were LEP but who have exited the LEP category during the last two years. The proposed regulations would not, however, require a State to include these former LEP students in counts to determine whether a school or LEA has a sufficient number of LEP students to yield statistically reliable information under § 200.7(a), nor do they count for Title III funding. When reporting the achievement results on State and LEA report cards, as required under section 1111(h)(1)(C), § 200.20(f)(2)(iii) of the proposed regulations would not allow results of former LEP students to be included as part of the LEP subgroup because there is a difference between data used for system accountability and data used for providing information to parents.
Reasons: In proposing amendments to § 200.20, we are addressing concerns about the instructional needs of students in the LEP subgroup. If recently arrived LEP students take the reading/language arts assessment, a State would not be required to include results from that assessment in AYP calculations. The purpose of this proposal is to provide maximum flexibility in a State's assessment and accountability policies. A State that wants recently arrived LEP students to participate in the reading/language arts assessment may have them do so without having their results affect a school's or LEA's AYP rating. Similarly, when recently arrived LEP students take the mathematics assessment, the State is not required to include those results in AYP calculations. This approach ensures that States and LEAs may make individual assessment decisions for the benefit of these recently arrived LEP students (e.g., whether a student takes the reading/language arts assessment or not) without affecting a school's or LEA's AYP rating.
Would the proposed regulations be easier to understand if we divided them into more (but shorter) sections? (A “section” is preceded by the symbol “§ ” and a numbered heading; for example, § 200.13 Adequate yearly progress in general.)
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2. Amend § 200.6 as follows:
A. Revise the introductory text in both § 200.6 and paragraph (b)(1)(i); and
§ 200.6 Inclusion of all students.
A State's academic assessment system required under § 200.2 must provide for the participation of all students in the grades assessed in accordance with this section.
(ii)(A) A State may exempt a recently arrived student from one administration of the State's reading/language arts assessment under § 200.2.
(B) The State's mathematics assessment under § 200.2.
3. Amend § 200.20 as follows:
§ 200.20 Making adequate yearly progress.
(f)(1) In including recently arrived students, as defined under § 200.6(b)(4), in determining AYP, a State may—
(A) Count those students in the limited English proficient subgroup to determine if the number of students is sufficient to yield statistically reliable information under § 200.7(a);
(B) Assess those students' English language proficiency under § 200.6(b)(3); or
See L. Cheng, Challenges for Asian/Pacific American Children and their Teachers, ERIC Digest (ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education) (1999); J. Dufresne & S. Hall, LEAP English Academy: An alternative high school for newcomers to the United States, MINNE-WI TESOL Journal 14 (1997); R. Gonzalez, Title VII Newcomer Program: Final report 1993-1994, (Austin Independent School District, Texas, Office of Research and Evaluation) (1994); C. Moran, J. Stobbe, J. Villamil Tinajero & I. Tinajero, Developing Literacy: Strategies for working with overage students, reprinted with permission for distribution at the Symposium on the Education of Over-age LEP Students with Interrupted Formal Schooling (1997); L. Olsen, Learning English and learning America: Immigrants in the center of a storm, Theory into Practice 39, 196-202 (Autumn 2000); L. Olsen, A. Jaramillo, Z. McCall-Perez, & J. White, Igniting change for immigrant students: Portraits of three high schools, Oakland, CA: California Tomorrow (1999).