New CELDT Administrator
The Standards and Assessment Division is pleased to welcome our new California English Language Development Test (CELDT) Administrator – Dr. Lily Roberts. In addition to becoming the new CELDT Administrator, Dr. Roberts is also responsible for administering the following state testing programs: the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE), the General Educational Development (GED), and the Physical Fitness Test (PFT). For the last two years, Dr. Roberts has administered the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE).
With an extensive background in large-scale assessment, Dr. Roberts is very familiar with issues pertinent to the CELDT, such as test development and administration, test security, analysis and reporting of test results.
CTB Reporting Error
In mid-January, the California Department of Education (CDE) was informed by CTB/McGraw-Hill (CTB), the test contractor for the CELDT that an error occurred in the reporting of results for the Form F (2006-07 Edition) Writing assessment. CELDT District Coordinators were informed by CTB of this error.
As a result of this error, CELDT Writing and Overall scale scores were reported as being modestly, but consistently lower than they should have been. Consequently, the Overall proficiency-level classifications were incorrectly reported for approximately two percent of students tested statewide in grades 2 through 12. These students were mis-identified as scoring one level below where they should have been placed. All other students in grades 2 through 12 were identified in the correct proficiency level. Results for kindergarten and first grade were not affected as Writing is not assessed in these grades.
CTB posted the revised General Research File electronically on the CTB CELDT Web site (Outside Source), the week of January 22-26. Students that were affected were identified within the electronic file. CTB also delivered districts with the GRT on CD files prior to the end of January.
To correct this error, CTB is sending Student Proficiency Level Reports and labels for grades 2 through 12 only.
The Data Review Module (DRM) is not affected.
CTB has assured CDE that this will not happen again. To that end, CTB is implementing enhanced quality control measures.
Annual Assessment
- The CELDT annual assessment (AA) window closed on October 31, 2006.
- If your school district has not received individual results for the students assessed during the AA window, contact CTB, the CELDT test contractor, by phone at 800-994-8594 or by e-mail at celdt@ctb.com.
- California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 11511.5 indicates that school districts shall notify parents or guardians of the student’s results within 30 calendar days following receipt of the results from the test contractor.
- If an English learner was not tested during the AA window, score locally using the E-tip available on the CTB CELDT Web site (Outside Source), and use the results for program planning. If an English learner is tested after the AA window and scored locally for program placement purposes, those scores may NOT be used in the coming year as prior year scores.
- CELDT testing after October 31 should only be done with Form F-1.
Data Review Module
CTB provides the Data Review Module (DRM) to edit and correct certain biographical data fields for all students tested during AA window. Local educational agencies that receive Title III funds must use the DRM to complete or correct data essential to the calculation of the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs).
- California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 11510, states:
- “Annual Assessments” are administrations of the CELDT to enrolled pupils who are currently identified as English learners.
- “Annual Assessment window” begins July 1 and ends on October 31 of each school year.
- “Initial assessment” is the administration of the CELDT to a pupil whose primary language is other than English, as determined by the Home Language Survey, who has not previously been assessed for English language proficiency in a California Public School.
- English learners (only those that have previous CELDT results) who were not assessed during the AA window may be assessed following the AA window and their tests should be scored locally. Those answer documents should not be sent to CTB for official scoring. Results of students tested outside of the AA window will not be included in results for editing or updating during the DRM.
- In prior years, many districts included previous grades that were not equal to the current year or one year lower than the current year in their Pre-ID files. On the Form F DRM, those records will show an error. If the district does not have results from the year prior to the current year, the district should remove the previous records and grade and leave them blank. Otherwise, provide the proper previous results and the previous grade that is equal to or one year lower than the current grade.
- There have been changes to what is classified as a warning and what is classified as an error. The entire DRM Data File Layout is available on the CTB Web site (Outside Source). The following lists the error and warning changes:
Errors – The record will show an Error if any of the following are met:
Test Purpose = 1 for Initial Identification only; Test Purpose = 2 for Annual Assessment only.
- If Test Purpose = 2 and Previous Grade is not equal to Current Grade (GIS Grade) or Current Grade minus 1 (GIS Grade - 1)
- If Test Purpose = 2, but not ALL appropriate previous scale scores AND Previous Grade are blank.
- If Test Purpose = 2, but not ALL appropriate previous scale scores AND Previous Grade are entered.
- If Test Purpose = 1 AND either Previous Scale Scores and/or Previous Grade are entered.
Warnings – The record will show a Warning if the following is met:
- If Test Purpose = 2 AND all Previous Scale Scores and Previous Grade are blank.
Scoring Guides
There have been some questions regarding the SKILL AREA RAW SCORE CONVERSION tables in the Scoring Guides. Please note that the lowest and highest scores within the different proficiency levels are NOT cut scores, although sometimes they may coincide. As the title of the table implies, that table only lists the raw scores and their corresponding scale scores.
In the Scoring Guide, raw score to scale score conversions may change from year to year due to the equating process. The cut scores, however, will not change.
Proficiency Level Scale Score Ranges
There are two errors in the Proficiency Level Scale Score Cut Points distributed during the Standards and Assessment Information meetings held in Sacramento on October 10 and in Burbank on October 17. First of all, the table should be entitled Proficiency Level Scale Score Ranges. Additionally, the scale score ranges listed for Grade 3 are INCORRECT (the table is a duplicate of Grade 2). The correct proficiency level scale score ranges may also be found at Scale Score Ranges.
More Information
Additional information about the CELDT is available on the CDE Web site at CELDT Web site (Outside Source). Questions may be directed to CDE’s CELDT Office by phone at 916-319-0784 or by e-mail at celdt@cde.ca.gov.
