TELPAS Target Audience 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: At what age range are students eligible to be assessed by TELPAS?
- Ages 3 through 21 (Correct answer)
- Grades K through 12 only
- Ages 5 through 18
- Grades 1 through 12 only
Correct answer: Ages 3 through 21
TELPAS assesses English Language Learners from ages 3 through 21 who are enrolled in Texas public schools.
Question 2: Which category of students is EXPLICITLY excluded from TELPAS assessment?
- Students who are fluent English proficient (FEP) (Correct answer)
- Students with disabilities who receive accommodations
- Students enrolled in bilingual education programs
- Recent immigrant students in their first year
Correct answer: Students who are fluent English proficient (FEP)
Students who have been reclassified as Fluent English Proficient (FEP) are no longer English Language Learners and are excluded from TELPAS.
Question 3: A student was born in the U.S. and speaks Spanish at home but has never been in an ESL program. When would this student become a TELPAS participant?
- After being identified as an ELL through the Home Language Survey and assessment process (Correct answer)
- Automatically at enrollment since Spanish is spoken at home
- Only if the student requests ESL services
- Never, since the student was born in the U.S.
Correct answer: After being identified as an ELL through the Home Language Survey and assessment process
U.S.-born students qualify for TELPAS only after being formally identified as English Language Learners through the required identification process.
Question 4: How does TELPAS handle students who receive special education services?
- They participate if they are ELLs, with allowable accommodations or alternate assessments as appropriate (Correct answer)
- They are automatically exempt from all TELPAS assessments
- They must complete TELPAS without any accommodations
- They only take the listening and speaking portions
Correct answer: They participate if they are ELLs, with allowable accommodations or alternate assessments as appropriate
ELLs in special education participate in TELPAS with accommodations or alternate assessments as determined by their ARD committee.
Question 5: Which grade band is assessed using a holistic rating approach for reading and writing in TELPAS?
- Kindergarten through Grade 1 (Correct answer)
- Grades 2 through 5
- Grades 6 through 8
- Grades 9 through 12
Correct answer: Kindergarten through Grade 1
Kindergarten and Grade 1 students are assessed through teacher observation and holistic rating rather than standardized online tests for reading and writing.
Question 6: A high school student who immigrated at age 16 with no prior formal schooling (SIFE) takes TELPAS. What is TRUE about this student's participation?
- They are required to participate in TELPAS as an ELL regardless of schooling history (Correct answer)
- They are exempt from TELPAS for two years as a newcomer
- They only take the speaking domain
- They must pass an English proficiency pre-test before participating
Correct answer: They are required to participate in TELPAS as an ELL regardless of schooling history
Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) who are identified as ELLs must still participate in TELPAS, though their instructional needs are addressed separately.
Question 7: What term does Texas use for students who have met English proficiency criteria and exited the ELL program, making them no longer TELPAS participants?
- Monitored Former ELL (MFELL) (Correct answer)
- English Proficient Student (EPS)
- Reclassified English Speaker (RES)
- Advanced English Learner (AEL)
Correct answer: Monitored Former ELL (MFELL)
Students who exit the ELL program are called Monitored Former ELLs (MFELLs) and are monitored for two years but do not take TELPAS.
TELPAS Target Audience 2
At what age range are students eligible to be assessed by TELPAS?