SR0483enr 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

09500SR0483 Enrolled LRB095 15306 NHT 41294 r

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 483

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the State Board of Education and the U.S. Department of Education.