TELPAS
Background
Student Dashboard Metrics
English Language Learners (ELL) are an important and large segment of the school-aged population. The Texas English Language Profieciency Assessment System (TELPAS) metric indicates TELPAS scores and corresponding language levels for ELL students. Moreover, in focus groups with over 2,600 Texas educators, the TELPAS metric was repeatedly called out as necessary for classroom educators.
Primary Metric
- TELPAS: student's score on TELPAS with historical comparisons.
User Interface
Dashboard Example
Figure 1 shows the TELPAS Language Assessment metric as seen on the student dashboard.
Figure 1 TSDS TELPAS Metric
Status Definition
This metric provides information on the level of English the student has learned. A student's TELPAS score is based on listening and reading scores, each of which is converted to a number between 1 and 4 (proficiency levels) and averaged. See Table 5 on this page for the exact calculation. For a definition of proficiency levels, see the Appendix on this page.
The Status and Status indicators are determined by the composite score. The student's composite score is displayed in the Value column.
Table 2 lists the Status indicators as seen on the student dashboard.
Metric Indicator | Trend Comparisons | |||
Metric Name | Sub-metric Name | Metric Status Indicator | Compares: | To: |
TELPAS | not applicable | Red (Proficiency Level) = If student proficiency is Beginner or Intermediate AND grade level is greater than 4 OR if the proficiency level is less than Advanced High AND the grade level is 10 or higher Green (Proficiency Level) = If the proficiency level is Beginner or Intermediate for grades PK-3 OR proficiency level is greater than Intermediate for grades 4 or higher OR proficiency level is Advanced High AND grade level is 10 or higher N/A = no score exists | Current year | Prior year |
Trend Definition
The objective of trends is to increase the number of students advancing in their knowledge of English.
Trend Indicators: Objective is to indicate TELPAS | |||
Up green | If the score for the current assessment is one or more levels greater (beginner to intermediate to advanced to advanced high) than previous assessment | ||
Unchanged | If the score for the current assessment is the same level as previous assessment | ||
Down red | If the score for the current assessment is one or more levels less (advanced high to advanced to intermediate to beginner) than the previous assessment |
Periodicity
Best practice is to load the data for this metric at least annually prior to the beginning of the school year. Given that Pre-LAS, LAS, LAS-O and TELPAS are administered in the spring time, the data does not need to be uploaded monthly.
Recommended Load Characteristics | |
Calendar | Spring Semester |
Frequency of data load | Spring |
Latency | Yearly |
Interchange schema | Interchange-StudentAssessment.xsd |
Tooltips
The standard tool tips for the metric definition, column headers, and help functions display for this metric.
The following are tooltips specific to the metric:
- Green metric status: BEGINNER, INTER or ADVANCED
- Red metric status: BEGINNER or INTER
- 'More' indicates drill down views for this metric
- is ‘No change from the prior period'
- is ‘Getting worse from the prior period’
- is 'Getting better from the prior period'
Business Rules
This metric addresses the TELPAS examinations.
Students in grades K-12 may take the TELPAS. The dashboards display a Metric Value (Composite Score) and a Status (Composite Rating) as outlined below:
Composite Rating (Numeric Value) | Composite Score |
Not Available (0) | 0.0 |
Beginning (1) | 1.0-1.4 |
Intermediate (2) | 1.5-2.4 |
Advanced (3) | 2.5-3.4 |
Advanced High (4) | 3.5-4.0 |
A Composite Rating of Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced will display red; a Composite Rating of Advanced High will display green.
Data Assumptions
- The student data is loaded into the DCD.
- Transfer students (late enrollment) who do not have complete transcripts are indicated.
Computed Values
Table 5 defines how values are calculated for this metric. The result of the calculation displays in the Value column on the student dashboard.
Metric Values | |
TELPAS | Composite Score, derived by converting the student's listening and reading ratings to a number from 1 (Beginning) to 4 (Advanced High) and taking the average of the two numbers. |
Data Anomalies
Anomalies
Metrics are sensitive to when and how often the data is loaded. Benchmarks are run after testing windows, grading periods, or other designated interval.
Late enrollees are likely to be missing previous assessment data.
Loading of data from multiple administration dates.
Dashboards only display current year information at the student level.
Campus rollups include historical information from prior years when available.
The most recent exam displays in the classroom assessment detail view of benchmark performance.
Teachers viewing a section with more than one grade level or students that were tested on different TEKS will scroll to the right to see the next set of TEKS for students that took a different exam.
Best practice is to use footnotes to address these anomalies.
Footnotes
Footnotes are used to provide additional information concerning the metric. Footnotes are sequential for the entire page. Therefore, a metric's footnote may not begin with the number 1.
The following footnotes appear below the metric:
Students who have retaken the benchmark
Transfer students with an incomplete transcript
Date of Refresh
Best practice is for the date of last data refresh to appear next the metric in the following format:
(2/2011 - 5th grade) - for each subject area
Implementation Considerations
Apparent Non-Participation
Assuming that the district has received and loaded timely test result data from Pre-LAS, LAS, LAS-O or TELPAS, students who did not participate in the test can be identified by the report comments. Table 6 explains the report comments.
Report Comment | Definition of Code |
EC = EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES | Student could not be rated because of extenuating circumstances. |
- - - NO RATING / INFORMATION AVAILABLE | Student did not take TELPAS reading or comprehension, and composite information could not be determined because the appropriate language-area proficiency ratings were not available. |
AB = NOT TESTED—ABSENT | Student was absent during the TELPAS reading test. |
X = NOT TESTED—ARD DECISION | Student did not participate on the basis of special education needs as determined by his or her admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee in conjunction with the language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC) and documented in the student's individualized education program. |
O = NOT SCORED—OTHER | TELPAS reading score code was coded “OTHER” due to a test administration irregularity or illness during testing. |
TELPAS Participation Expectation
Students may take the Pre-LAS, LAS and LAS-O from K through 2nd grade. The TELPAS examination may be taken from K through 12th grade. Proper application of the metric requires that the district or campus establish clear expectations for when students should take the examination, and if a student has not taken either assessment, determine at what point an intervention is in order.
Incomplete Transcripts and Missing Pre-LAS, LAS, LAS-O or TELPAS Scores
Transfer students may have incomplete transcripts that do not show prior Pre-LAS, LAS, LAS-O or TELPAS participation. Timely acquisition of a transfer student’s transcript is imperative to apply this and other metrics.
TELPAS and STAAR Considerations
In an effort to ensure a strong link between academic language proficiency as defined through TELPAS and academic achievement as defined by STAAR, the TELPAS exam may be adjusted.
Drill Downs
Drill Down View
The dashboards include the option to drill down and see more detail that is associated with a metric. There is one recommended drill down for this metric – a historical view of performance. Table 7 lists the drill down views that are recommended for this metric.
Historical | Graph of metric values over multiple time periods. |
Description
The TELPAS detail drill down displays the historical examinations taken, associated comprehensive score and current year.
Dashboard Example
Figure 2 shows the TELPAS metric as seen on the student dashboard.
Figure 2 TSDS TELPAS Metric
Business Rules
The Historical Graph allows the user to see historical data across multiple timeframes. As time passes, there are many bars to be displayed; therefore, the slider on the bottom allows the user to adjust the number of bars displayed as well as the time period shown. The timeframes for this metric were chosen based on educator feedback.