THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
DENNIS M. WALCOTT, Chancellor
DIVISION OF ACADEMICS, PERFORMANCE AND SUPPORT - Scan Center 44-36 Vernon Boulevard, 2nd Floor - Long Island City, NY 11101

ASSESSMENT MEMORANDUM #2, 2012-2013

DATE: TO:

August 27, 2012 COMMUNITY SUPERINTENDENTS AND PRINCIPALS OF ALL SCHOOLS Grace Pepe, Director of Assessment Operations Division of Academics, Performance and Support (DAPS)

FROM:

SUBJECT:

Administration of the Language Assessment Battery-Revised (LAB-R) and the Spanish LAB for General and Special Education Students ______________________________________________________________________ PURPOSE The revised Language Assessment Battery reflects the current diagnostic trends in determining if a student is in need of bilingual education or English as a Second Language (ESL) services. LAB-R will be administered only once to a student to determine eligibility for bilingual education or ESL services. New York State developed the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT), which is administered in the spring, to determine whether the student will continue to receive services for the next school year. All LAB-R eligible new entrants must be tested in fall 2012. LAB-R eligible students must be tested within the first ten days of initial enrollment. Refer to LABR Teacher Directions regarding procedures for administering the exam. Service eligibility for new entrants is determined by cut scores on LAB-R. For Levels III, IV, & V, neither the Speaking Subtest nor the Writing Rubric for Level V is mandatory. If a student has been administered the LAB-R in error, the student must test out of services on the NYSESLAT. LAB-R may not be given again. The following procedures for the identification and placement of new English Language Learners (ELLs) must be used for all new entrants who are starting school in 2012-2013. Please refer to Attachment #1 for details regarding procedures from the New York State Education Department (SED) for details regarding procedures for identification and placement of new ELLs. NOTE: REMEMBER TO USE ONLY FORM "B" OF THE LAB-R AND THE REVISED HOME LANGUAGE IDENTIFICATION SURVEY (HLIS) INCLUDING INTERVIEW (Attachment #2). IMPORTANT: DO NOT SEPARATE GENERAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION; USE ONE ENVELOPE. PRE-K STUDENTS ARE NOT TESTED WITH LAB-R. STUDENTS THAT ARE REGISTERED DURING THE SUMMER, WHOSE HOME LANGUAGE IS OTHER THAN ENGLISH ARE NOT TESTED BEFORE SEPTEMBER. LAB- R IS ADMINISTERED TO A STUDENT ONCE. IF THE STUDENT LEAVES THE COUNTRY FOR A YEAR OR MORE, THE STUDENT CANNOT BE RE-TESTED.

ASSESSMENT MEMORANDUM #2, 2012-2013

PAGE 2

ELLs who scored below a State-designated level of proficiency on a test of English language skills, and left the NYC school system for more than a year will continue taking NYSESLAT until Proficient. The LAB-R is the only assessment instrument in New York City Department of Education’s for measuring the English language proficiency of a student and identifying them as an ELL. All new entrants that are LAB-R eligible must be tested within the first ten days of initial enrollment.

Only the revised 2006 home language identification survey and criteria may be used to determine whether new entrants are LAB-R eligible.

CALENDAR PLEASE NOTE: Week of August 27th ALL LAB-R SCORES WILL BE POSTED IN ATS AS FALL 12 LABR A supply of test booklets and blank answer documents for LAB-R (Form B) and Spanish LAB (Form B) will be DELIVERED to schools.

Within the first ten days of entrance

ADMINISTER LAB-R (Form B) or Spanish LAB (Form B) when appropriate to new entrants who were admitted within the first ten days of school.

September 28th by 12:00 noon October 1st through October 25th October 25th by 12:00 noon October 26th through November 30th November 30th by 12:00 noon December 3rd through December 20th December 20th by 12:00 noon

Completed answer documents are to be RETURNED to your Borough