Assessment Scores

The following paragraphs briefly describe the types of scores provided for TELPAS. For more detailed technical information on assessment scores, refer to the Technical Digest, available on the Assessment Reports and Studies webpage.

Scale Scores

The scale score is a statistic that allows comparison of scores by adjusting for variations in the difficulty of the forms used in different administrations. Thus the scale score can be used to determine whether a student achieved the beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high proficiency level, to compare one student’s performance to another’s on the same assessment, and to compare performances by cohorts of students on the same assessment in different years. However, the scale score cannot be used to evaluate a student’s progress across grades or domains.

Raw Scores

The raw score represents the number of points earned on an assessment. By itself, the raw score has limited utility; it can be interpreted only in reference to the total number of points on an assessment. Raw scores should not be compared across test administrations. The raw score is reported by domain and by reporting category. Refer to the Raw Score Conversion Tables webpage for raw score to scale score conversion tables for TELPAS.

English Language Proficiency Standards

TELPAS provides a measure of the progress that emergent bilingual (EB) students make in learning the English language. Students who take TELPAS receive proficiency ratings in each language domain assessed—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—as well as a composite rating that combines the language domain ratings into one overall English language proficiency rating. The following paragraphs briefly describe the English language proficiency standards that apply to TELPAS. Refer to the TELPAS Proficiency Standards webpage for more information.

Beginning

Beginning students have little or no ability to understand and use English. They may know a little English but not enough to function meaningfully in social or academic settings.

Intermediate

Intermediate students have some ability to understand and use English. They can function in social and academic settings as long as the tasks require them to understand and use simple language structures and high-frequency vocabulary in routine contexts.

Advanced

Advanced students are able to engage in grade-appropriate academic instruction in English, although ongoing second language acquisition support is needed to help them understand and use grade-appropriate language. These students function beyond the level of simple, routinely used English.

Advanced High

Advanced high students have attained the command of English that enables them, with minimal second language acquisition support, to engage in regular all-English academic instruction at their grade level.

Composite Score and Rating

To fulfill federal requirements, a composite language proficiency score and rating are calculated for each student. To calculate the composite score, the proficiency rating for each of the domains is converted to a domain score from 1 (beginning) to 4 (advanced high). The domain scores are equally weighted and added for one composite score.

For example, the TELPAS composite score for a student who has the following language domain ratings is generated as shown.

The domain scores are multiplied by the weight—0.25—and then added together to obtain the TELPAS composite score.

A student’s TELPAS composite rating is based on the student’s composite score and ratings for each domain as described in the table below. All of the criteria listed for a proficiency level must be met for a student to receive that composite rating.

The student in this example earned a composite score of 2.75 and a composite rating of advanced.

Students are required to be assessed in all four domains. However, a small subset of EB students with disabilities who cannot be assessed in all four domains will receive a composite score if they have results for at least two domains. This is only applicable to students who have a decision from the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee, in conjunction with the language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC), not to be evaluated in one or two domains. In these scenarios, the scores of the domains that are assessed are equally weighted and added for one composite score.

Standard Reports

The following section describes the TELPAS reports that district testing personnel receive. In addition, reporting data files are provided. The sample reports shown are for illustrative purposes only. They show the basic layout of the reports and the information they provide. Refer to the Assessment Reports page for additional information on standard reports.

Student Report Cards

After the administration, an electronic student report card is provided for each student for whom an assessment record was submitted. Student report cards are confidential and must be made available to parents and guardians.

For TELPAS, the student report card indicates the English language proficiency rating for each of the four language domains assessed and the composite rating. If a student was holistically rated in a TELPAS domain, no scale score, raw score, or reporting category information will be displayed.

A. Identification Information

The top of the student report card contains identification information for both the student (name, identification number, etc.) and the school (district, campus, etc.). For confidentiality, the TSDS ID is indicated by six asterisks followed by the last four digits of the ID number.

B. Proficiency Levels

TELPAS proficiency standards are listed with abbreviated descriptions. Refer to the English Language Proficiency Standards topic on this page for complete descriptions.

C. Scale Score Bar

This bar shows how well students could perform on the assessment. The placement of the student’s scale score shows how the student actually performed on the assessment. The score ranges for each proficiency level are also indicated.

D. Points Achieved

This section shows the number of points the student achieved out of the total points possible in each reporting category.

E. Test Results

The student’s test results are shown. A report message might appear in place of the test results, indicating the student’s proficiency status or scoring information. Possible messages are as follows:

• NOT TESTED—ABSENT

This message indicates that the student was absent during the assessment.

• NOT SCORED

This message indicates that the domain was not scored, likely due to the student’s illness or a testing irregularity.

• ARD DECISION

This message indicates that the student was not rated in this domain due to the student’s disability.

• EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

This message indicates that the student could not be rated in the domain due to extenuating circumstances.

• NO RATING AVAILABLE

This message indicates that no rating information is available for the domain.

Open

Open

F. Dates

This section indicates the reporting date and the test administration date.

G. Composite Rating

The composite rating indicates the student’s overall English language proficiency level and is determined from the student’s listening, speaking, reading, and writing proficiency ratings. The student’s composite ratings for this year and last year are shown.

H. Understanding the TELPAS Report Card

This section explains the information contained in the TELPAS Proficiency, Scale Score, Reporting Category, Proficiency Level, and Family Portal sections of the student report card.

I. Parent Resources

This section directs parents and guardians to additional resources that they can use to help their child.

A. Identification Information

Identification information shown at the top of the label includes the student’s name, TSDS ID, birth date, and grade and the district number and name, campus number and name, and date of testing.

B. Language Area

This column lists the four domains assessed: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Information about the assessment is provided whenever the student is assessed with a special version of the assessment. The information is indicated by one character, and the description of the characters used will also be listed on the label. Possible characters are as follows:

C. Proficiency Rating

The label indicates the proficiency level achieved for each domain. A report message might appear in place of the proficiency level, indicating the student’s proficiency status or scoring information. Possible messages are as follows:

• ABSENT

• NOT SCORED

• ARD DECISION

• EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

• NO RATING AVAILABLE

D. Composite Rating

The label indicates the composite rating the student achieved this year and last year.

D. Reporting Categories

In grades 2–12, the reporting category titles, the total number of points possible, and the points each student achieved are shown for each category in each domain.

E. Scale Score

In grades 2–12, the scale score the student earned is shown for each domain.

F. Proficiency Rating

The proficiency level each student achieved this year and last year is shown for each domain. A report message might appear in place of a proficiency rating for a domain, indicating the student’s proficiency status or scoring information. Possible messages are as follows:

• ABSENT

• NOT SCORED

• ARD DECISION

• EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

• NO RATING AVAILABLE

G. Composite Rating

The composite rating each student achieved this year and last year is shown.

H. Process Number

The process number found in the lower-right corner of the report is a unique number assigned to the report by the testing contractor for each administration. Refer to this number if questions arise about the report.

E. Proficiency Levels

The percentages of students who achieved the beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high proficiency levels are displayed for each demographic group and program category listed for each domain.

F. Composite Rating Administration Summary

This section of the report lists the number and percentage of students who received a composite rating, the number and percentage of students who did not receive a composite rating, and the total number of documents.

G. Number of Students Rated

The number of students who received a composite rating is provided for each demographic group and program category listed.

H. Percentage of Students Receiving Each Proficiency Rating

The percentages of students who received a composite proficiency rating of beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high are displayed for each demographic group and program category listed.

I. Average Composite Score

The average composite score is displayed for each demographic group and program category listed. The composite score ranges from 1 (ratings of beginning in all domains) to 4 (ratings of advanced high in all domains).

J. Yearly Progress

The average yearly progress rating is displayed for each demographic group and program category listed.

K. Process Number

The process number found in the lower-right corner of the report is a unique number assigned to the report by the testing contractor for each administration. Refer to this number if questions arise about the report.