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1
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 483

 
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, When the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)
7 came into being, the State Board of Education attempted to
8 modify the IMAGE Test so that it might satisfy NCLB achievement
9 testing requirements for accountability purposes, but in the
10 end was unsuccessful; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Education ruled that the
12 IMAGE Test did not serve as a valid measure of assessing
13 students' abilities under federal law; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has not produced an
15 acceptable replacement test to administer to students who are
16 learning English; instead, the State Board of Education
17 recently announced that the IMAGE Test will not be given in
18 2008 and that students with limited proficiency in English
19 ("ELLs") will take the same assessment test as English-speaking
20 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 the 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
7 short-term solution for 2008 that involves accommodations for
8 the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and Prairie
9 State Achievement Examination (PSAE), which include timing and
10 scheduling, setting, and presentation; therefore, be it
 
11     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
12 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the State Board
13 of Education to make a formal request to the U.S. Department of
14 Education that the results from the ISAT and PSAE scores for
15 those ELLs who would otherwise have been eligible to take the
16 IMAGE Test in 2008 and 2009 not be used to calculate Annual
17 Yearly Progress for the next 2 years; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That we urge the U.S. Department of Education to
19 grant the request of the State of Illinois and not use results
20 from the ISAT and PSAE for those ELLs who would otherwise have
21 been eligible to take the IMAGE Test in 2008 and 2009 for the
22 next 2 years; and be it further
 

 

 

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