Exit Criteria for Pennsylvania's English Language Instructional Programs for English Language Learner
The exit criteria provided below for English Language Learners (ELLs) represent valid and reliable evidence of a student's English language proficiency to exit from an English language instructional program. Every LEA must include the following exit criteria in the LEA Program Plan for ELLs.
In order to meet the required state exit criteria for Pennsylvania's English language instructional programs for ELLs, LEAs must use both of the required exit criteria listed below. In addition, LEAs must ensure that students meet one of the two additional exit criteria provided below to exit from an English language instructional program:
Required Exit Criteria:
1. Score of BASIC on the annual Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA).
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
- For students transferring from other states, out-of-state academic achievement assessment results may be considered when the academic proficiency level is comparable to BASIC on the PSSA.
- For students who are in a grade that is not assessed with the PSSA, LEAs must use each of the remaining criteria listed below to exit students.
2. A composite proficiency score of 5.0 on an ACCESS for ELLS Kindergarten assessment (Accountability Score) or a composite proficiency score of 5.0 on a Tier C ACCESS for ELLs assessment (see Items A and B below for cutoff score flexibility)
A. Following the scoring criteria in the table below, the W-APT™ may be administered between April and June to students who scored below the minimum cutoff for program exit on the January administration of the ACCESS for ELLs® in order to demonstrate sufficient progress to justify exit.
NOTE: The W-APT™ may ONLY be administered to a student once in any school year.
| Grade Level |
ACCESS Score |
Required W-APT Scores* |
| K |
(Cutoff score flexibility not allowable for Kindergarteners) |
| 1-5 |
4.6-4.9 |
5.0 in each domain |
| 6-8 |
4.7-4.9 |
5.0 in each domain |
| 9-12 |
4.8-4.9 |
5.0 in each domain |
* A student must score 5.0 >in each domain(listening, speaking, reading and writing). A composite proficiency score will not be used.
B. A score of PROFICIENT on the reading PSSA can be used along with all other required criteria outlined in this policy to justify exit for students who achieve a composite proficiency score of 4.5 to 4.9 on the January administration of the ACCESS for ELLs®. In this case, W-APT™ scores are not necessary to demonstrate progress from the time of ACCESS for ELLs® administration to the end of the school year.
Additional Exit Criteria:
1. Final grades of C or better in core subject areas (Mathematics, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies).
2. Scores on district-wide assessments that are comparable to the BASIC performance level on the PSSA.