Pre-K Academy Reduces Special Education Referrals and Boosts Learning Outcomes for ELLs

El Paso, TX | serving Pre-K

SUMMARY

A pre-kindergarten school with a large English Language Learner population, Robert F. Kennedy Pre-Kindergarten Academy (RFK) was looking for a better way to differentiate between learning disabilities and language acquisition issues. Teachers and administrators needed a tool to effectively evaluate students in English and Spanish and identify next steps for each child. The Children’s Progress Academic Assessment (CPAA) helped RFK distinguish students who needed help mastering English from those who required more intensive intervention. The school’s adoption of the CPAA resulted in a 60% reduction in Special Education referrals in the first year and a savings of more than $10K in annual assessment costs.

The CPAA is a tremendous tool that not only provided every teacher with an individualized snapshot of each student’s progress, but also revealed strengths and weaknesses in our teaching practices… and supplied us with specific strategies to address them. It allowed for more targeted instruction and afforded parents critical interventions that they could continue to implement throughout the summer.

Angelica B. Nieto
Principal<sup>*

*</sup> – promoted to Dir. of Special Education for the Ysleta ISD, TX

KFOX Special Report: Assessment Reduces Special Education Referrals by 50%

Click to watch Angelica Nieto discuss the CPAA implementation:

CHALLENGE

RFK is a public school serving 3 and 4 year olds. It provides the first formal educational experience for most of these youngsters and helps prepare them for elementary school. Many RFK students qualify for free and reduced lunch and 50% are Spanish-speaking English language learners with varying degrees of English language proficiency.

Until 2005, RFK had used the same assessment for 15 years to evaluate students’ educational needs and progress. It required one-on-one administration, data had to be manually input into computers and the resulting feedback lacked the detail administrators needed to make informed decisions. The amount of time necessary to administer the assessment, record responses and evaluate results delayed intervention, contributing to a high special education referral rate. As many as 90 out of 500 students were referred in 2004-2005.

Administrators needed an assessment that could help them benchmark performance at the beginning of the year and distinguish students with potential learning difficulties from those who simply required some assistance mastering English. RFK’s principal Angelica Nieto made it her goal to find a tool that would help her teachers gain insight into each student’s performance (beyond offering a numerical score for each child). She was seeking a solution that would be cost-effective, user-friendly and beneficial for both English and Spanish-speaking students.

SOLUTION

In 2005, RFK began piloting the CPAA. Starting with a benchmark assessment in the fall, educators assessed students in their dominant language (English or Spanish) throughout the year and used the data to accurately place them in classrooms and activity groups based on performance.

Teachers were finally able to track the academic performance of English language learners and fluent English speakers on fair grounds, regardless of language proficiency. The CPAA’s culturally appropriate, engaging content and game-like computer format eliminated stress for young students and helped educators collect more accurate data.

The adaptive, scaffolded structure of the assessment adjusted to each student’s responses to ensure that material was appropriately challenging. Immediate reporting helped educators take next steps right away. Teachers used detailed narrative reports and recommended activities in devising individual instructional plans and grouping students. Longitudinal reports played a critical role in tracking improvement over time.

The benefits of the program even extended beyond RFK’s school walls. Spanish-language reports helped teachers collaborate with parents.

IMPACT

At the close of 2005-2006, the school witnessed a 60% reduction in special education referrals (35 students were referred, down from 90 the previous year). RFK attributes this dramatic improvement in large part to the immediate feedback and practical next steps provided by the CPAA.

RFK also experienced considerable time and cost savings. In order to administer the one-on-one assessment in previous years, the school had to hire a substitute for every classroom, while teachers administered the test to each student. With the CPAA, the school assessed all students (583 at the time) in under 10 days without hiring a single substitute – translating to a savings of more than $10K.

Teachers recovered a great deal of classroom time and were able to effectively plan interventions. Administrators were able to track improvement and make program changes as needed. Spanish-speaking parents were able to participate more fully in their children’s education. Most importantly, the benefit to the students was immediate. The youngsters enjoyed taking the assessment and showed notable progress. Special education referrals continued to decline even as the student population grew. Fewer than 10 of 653 students were referred in 2008-2009 (a decrease of over 90% since 2004-2005).

RFK’s success serves as a great example of dedicated administrators, teachers and parents working together with the right tools to ensure that formative assessment benefits all students.