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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 483


 

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    WHEREAS, The Illinois Measure of Annual Growth in English 
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(IMAGE) Test was developed as a proficiency test and not as a 
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test to measure student achievement relative to the Illinois 
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Learning Standards (ILS); and

 
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    WHEREAS, When the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) 
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came into being, the State Board of Education attempted to 
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modify the IMAGE Test so that it might satisfy NCLB achievement 
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testing requirements for accountability purposes, but in the 
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end was unsuccessful; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Education ruled that the 
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IMAGE Test did not serve as a valid measure of assessing 
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students' abilities under federal law; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has not produced an 
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acceptable replacement test to administer to students who are 
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learning English; instead, the State Board of Education 
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recently announced that the IMAGE Test will not be given in 
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2008 and that students with limited proficiency in English 
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("ELLs") will take the same assessment test as English-speaking 
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students; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Discontinuing the IMAGE Test or failing to 
 


 






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implement a similar alternative examination will negatively 
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impact students, schools, and districts throughout the State; 
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assessment data may be swayed by poor test scores of students 
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who simply do not understand English, resulting in schools or 
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districts failing to meet federal standards; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has offered a 
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short-term solution for 2008 that involves accommodations for 
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the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and Prairie 
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State Achievement Examination (PSAE), which include timing and 
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scheduling, setting, and presentation; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the State Board 
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of Education to make a formal request to the U.S. Department of 
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Education that the results from the ISAT and PSAE scores for 
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those ELLs who would otherwise have been eligible to take the 
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IMAGE Test in 2008 and 2009 not be used to calculate Annual 
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Yearly Progress for the next 2 years; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That we urge the U.S. Department of Education to 
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grant the request of the State of Illinois and not use results 
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from the ISAT and PSAE for those ELLs who would otherwise have 
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been eligible to take the IMAGE  Test in 2008 and 2009 for the 
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next 2 years; and be it further
 
 


 






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    RESOLVED, That if the U.S. Department of Education grants 
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the State of Illinois's request, we urge the State Board of 
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Education to work aggressively to develop an alternative 
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examination for ELLs that will be ready for adoption in 2 
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years; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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delivered to the State Board of Education and the U.S. 
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Department of Education.