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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois Measure of Annual Growth in English
3 (IMAGE) Test was developed as a proficiency test and not as a
4 test to measure student achievement relative to the Illinois
5 Learning Standards (ILS); and
 
6     WHEREAS, The United States Department of Education has
7 indicated through its peer review process that the IMAGE Test
8 is no longer an acceptable achievement test for English
9 Language Learner (ELL) students; and
 
10     WHEREAS, On February 15, 2008, the State Board of Education
11 received notification from the U.S. Department of Education
12 that the request for flexibility for ELL students made in a
13 January 8th letter to the U.S. Department of Eduction was not
14 approved; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has not produced an
16 acceptable replacement test to administer to students who are
17 learning English; instead, the State Board of Education
18 announced that the IMAGE Test will not be given in 2008 and
19 that students with limited proficiency in English will take the
20 same assessment test as English-speaking students; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Discontinuing the IMAGE Test or failing to

 

 

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1 implement a similar alternative examination will negatively
2 impact students, schools, and districts throughout this State;
3 assessment data may be swayed by poor test scores of students
4 who simply do not understand English, resulting in schools or
5 districts failing to meet federal standards; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has offered a short
7 term solution for 2008 that involves accommodations for the
8 Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and the Prairie
9 State Achievement Examination (PSAE), which include timing,
10 scheduling, setting, and presentation; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has proposed a 5-year
12 English Language Learner Assessment Plan and a cost analysis
13 for the development and implementation of a transadapted ISAT
14 for math and science; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The 5-year English Language Learner Assessment
16 Plan is a working document that must be flexible to accommodate
17 changes in the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the
18 peer review process, and new assessment requirements;
19 therefore, be it
 
20     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
22 urge the State Board of Education to be responsible for

 

 

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1 communicating the lack of comparability of ELL assessment data
2 to that of previous years to stakeholder groups and for
3 denoting this on a school district's school report card under
4 Section 10-17a of the School Code; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That we urge the State Board of Education to work
6 aggressively to implement the 5-year English Language Learner
7 Assessment Plan; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That as this plan is implemented, the State Board
9 of Education recognize the importance of a comprehensive
10 communication plan and aggressively pursue a dialogue with
11 legislators, educators, students and their families,
12 communities, and other stakeholder groups; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That we urge the designation of appropriate
14 resources needed to adequately address the assessment of ELL
15 students; and be it further
 
16     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
17 delivered to the State Board of Education and the U.S.
18 Department of Education.