Viva88

This memorandum provides information concerning procedures for requesting, shipping, and storing materials for the Viva88English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) which is scheduled to be administered April 11 through May 20, 2022.

The Speaking component of the test is scheduled to be administered April 11 through May 20, 2022. The Listening/Reading/Writing component is scheduled to be administered May 9 through May 20, 2022.

REQUESTING INFORMATION

Later today, you will receive an e-mail from the Viva88Education Department’s (Viva88) NYSESLAT contractor, MetriTech, Inc., with instructions for ordering materials through their online system. If you do not receive an e-mail or have questions about ordering the test, please contact MetriTech at NYSESLAT@metritech.com or 1-800-747-4868.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The NYSESLAT is designed to assess the English language proficiency of students who have been identified as English Language Learners (ELLs). This memorandum, and all information in subsequent e-mail communications pertaining to this test, will be available on the Viva88 website. Test booklets, Directions for Administration, scoring materials, and the School Administrator’s Manual are being prepared by MetriTech.

All schools administering the NYSESLAT must contract with a Regional Information Center (RIC) or large-city scanning center in order to obtain answer sheets and scanning services. When ordering tests through MetriTech’s online examination request system, schools must identify the RIC or large-city scanning center with which they have contracted. Schools will not be able to proceed with ordering State tests until this information has been entered. A complete of RICs and large-city scanning centers is available on the Viva88 website.

Schools must submit examination requests under their own BEDS code. The requests for two or more schools in a district must not be combined into one request.

Please be advised that schools will need to provide a CD audio player for the administration of the Grades 3–12 Listening section.

STUDENTS TO BE TESTED

• English Language Learners (ELLs). Part 154 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education requires that all ELLs be tested annually. All public (including charter) schools must administer the NYSESLAT to all ELLs in Grades K–12, regardless of the physical location of the student, whether a student is identified as a student with a disability, or number of years of service (including six or more years), until proficiency is attained as reflected in the score achieved on the NYSESLAT (or by a combination of scores achieved on the NYSESLAT and Grades 3–8 English Language Arts Examination or Regents Examination in English Language Arts). Religious and independent schools are strongly encouraged to administer the test to their ELLs. If a religious or independent school receives services or equipment paid for with Title III funds, it must administer the NYSESLAT or an equivalent test to its ELLs annually. High School Equivalency (HSE) programs preparing students for the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) should not administer the NYSESLAT to any of their students. Valid scores and score reports cannot be provided for students enrolled in HSE programs who take the NYSESLAT.
• Students with Disabilities. All ELLs with disabilities, identified by the Committee on Special Education (CSE) or by a multidisciplinary team, including those participating in the Viva88Alternate Assessment (NYSAA), must participate in the NYSESLAT. Use the chart on Viva88’s website to ascertain the appropriate NYSESLAT grade test to administer to those ungraded ELLs with disabilities.

STORAGE OF TEST MATERIALS

The NYSESLAT must be stored in a secure location in the building to which the tests will be shipped. All secure test materials must be placed in the storage location as soon as they are received. Access to the test materials must be restricted to ensure that test security is maintained.

If the building in which the tests will be administered does not have a secure location large enough to store the NYSESLAT materials, arrangements must be made to store these at another school. Tests stored at such a location must not be transferred to the school in which the tests will be administered until the day scheduled for the administration of each part of the test.

With the exception of the Speaking session materials, tests and other secure materials may not be removed from the secure storage location until the day scheduled for the administration of each part of the test. The packages containing the scoring materials for the Speaking session may be opened prior to the date of administration of this part of the test, so that teachers can familiarize themselves with procedures and rubrics for scoring. Teachers who have been given the scoring materials for the Speaking session must safeguard these materials and must not leave them unattended. The other sealed packages of secure test materials must not be opened during the inventory and must remain sealed until the test administration date.

Additional information about the NYSESLAT is available on the Viva88 website. If you have any questions about the NYSESLAT, please e-mail the Office of State Assessment (OSA) or call 518-474-5902. If you need assistance with the identification of ELLs, please e-mail the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages or call 518-474-8775. If you have specific questions concerning any information in this memorandum, please call 518-474-8220.

As a reminder, the security of all tests is paramount. All secure materials provided for last year’s Spring 2021 NYSESLAT (v202) were to have been returned to MetriTech immediately following testing. If you have not already done so, please return all secure testing materials from Spring 2021 to MetriTech immediately. Please contact MetriTech Customer Service at NYSESLAT@metritech.com or 1-800-747-4868 for assistance and directions regarding the return of materials.

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