State Guideliness for ELL

South Carolina Guidelines for Inclusion of English Language Learners on NAEP
Grades 4 and 8
The South Carolina Department of Education expects that most English language learners (ELL) will be included on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) as follows:
•
•

All ELLs who participate in the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards, with or without accommodations,
should participate in NAEP.
ELLs enrolled in U.S. schools for less than one year and who score at the lowest levels of English proficiency, based upon
their scores on an English proficiency test (IDEA Proficiency Test, Language Assessment Scales, or Woodcock-Muñoz), may be
exempted form NAEP.

Understanding that some students may need certain accommodations during testing, NAEP allows and provides for most of the
same accommodations provided on South Carolina’s statewide assessments. A student’s English Language Proficiency Plan
should not require revisions for the student to participate in NAEP. The following table should be used to determine allowable
accommodations for English language learners in South Carolina. If an accommodation is not listed, please check with Chris
Webster, NAEP State Coordinator, at cwebster@ed.sc.gov to see if the accommodation can be provided on NAEP.
Some accommodations provided on the South Carolina assessments are not necessary for NAEP because of how it is
administered. For example:
•
•

Writes answers in test booklet: On NAEP, all students write responses in the assessment booklets, not on separate answer
documents.
Takes assessment over multiple days: NAEP is much shorter that the state assessments, so multiple day testing is not
offered. Students take two 25-minute subject matter blocks and answer survey questions about their educational
experiences.

Note: unlike the South Carolina state assessments, NAEP does not produce results for individual students or schools. Results are
summarized only at the state and national level. In other words, the NAEP assessments do not impose consequences for the
student or the school, and are instead intended purely to provide a picture of educational performance and progress.
Note: As indicated in the NAEP Parent/Guardian Notification letter, students may be excused from participation for any reason,
are not required to finish the assessment, and may skip any test question.

NAEP Accommodation

NAEP
Subject

Extended time

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

Allowed in South
Carolina

NAEP Accommodation Description
This accommodation requires that students be given extra time to
complete the assessment.

Yes

NOTE: If state test is untimed, students may or may not require

1 of 4 

NAEP Accommodation

NAEP
Subject

Allowed in South
Carolina

NAEP Accommodation Description
extended time on NAEP. NAEP is a timed, but not a “speeded” test (it
is not designed to evaluate how many questions a student can answer
in a limited amount of time). Generally, most students are able to
complete the NAEP cognitive sections in the time allowed (25 minutes
per section).

Small group

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

Generally, a small group session includes no more than five students.
A student can be assigned to a small group session because he/she
requires one, or because one or more of the accommodations he/she
typically requires must be administered in a separate session to
minimize distractions to other students in the regular session.

Yes

One-on-one

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

This accommodation requires that a student is assessed individually in
an area free of distractions.

Yes

For this accommodation, students may have the general directions (the
same for all students) and/or the subject-specific directions read aloud,
repeated, or reworded in any way in English so that students
understand what to do.
Directions only read
aloud in English

Test items read aloud
in English – occasional
Test items read aloud
in English – most or all

Breaks during test

NOTE: Some students’ IEPs or 504 Plans stipulate that they should
receive this accommodation. For those students, this will be coded as an
accommodation. Students who do not have this as an IEP or 504
requirement, but who need the general directions (the same for all
students) and/or the subject-specific directions read aloud, repeated,
or reworded in any way in English can request this by raising his or her
hand during the session, and it will not be recorded as an
accommodation.

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

Mathematics,
Science
Not Allowed
for Reading
Mathematics,
Science
Not Allowed
for Reading

Yes

For this accommodation, students may request to have words, phrases,
or sentences read aloud to them in English.

Yes

For this accommodation, students may request to have most or all of
the assessment booklet read aloud to them in English.

Yes

This accommodation requires that the student be allowed to take
breaks as requested or at predetermined intervals during the
assessment. This also could mean that the student is allowed to take
the assessment in more than one sitting during a single day.

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

Yes

2 of 4 

NAEP Accommodation

NAEP
Subject

Must have an aide
administer the test

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

Allowed in South
Carolina
Yes
(See Test Administrator
Requirements section
of PASS TAM for
details)

NAEP Accommodation Description
This accommodation requires that a school staff member familiar to
the student administer the session.
Template: This is a cutout or overlay provided by the school that is used
to focus a student’s attention on one part of a page by obscuring other
parts of the page.
Writing Tool: This is a large-diameter pencil, pencil grip, or other special
writing tool provided by the school that a student uses to record his/her
answers in the assessment booklet.

Uses Template/Special
Equipment/
Preferential seating

NOTE: Some students’ IEPs or 504 Plans stipulate that they should
receive this accommodation. For those students, this will be coded as an
accommodation. Students who do not have this as an IEP or 504
requirement, but who typically use large-diameter pencils, pencil grips,
or other special writing tools during assessments, may use these for
NAEP, and it will not be recorded as an accommodation.

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

Yes

Responds Using a Computer or Typewriter: This accommodation requires
that the student record his/her answers using a computer or typewriter
provided by the school.

Cueing to stay on task

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

Bilingual dictionary
without definition in
any language

Mathematics,
Science
(Not Allowed
for Reading)

General directions read
aloud in Spanish

Mathematics,
Reading,
Science

Preferential Seating: This accommodation requires that a student sit in
a designated area for the assessment; such as away from other
students to limit distractions; a location where there is access to
special equipment; or close to the front of the room so that a student
can see or hear more easily. It may also include special light and
furniture used by the student.
This accommodation requires that a school staff member provide
students with a verbal or non-verbal cue to begin a task or to refocus
on a task.
This is a nonelectronic bilingual dictionary provided by the school in
any language that contains English translations of words but does not
contain definitions. It is sometimes referred to as a “word-for-word”
dictionary, “word-to-word translation dictionary,” or a “bilingual word
list.”
This accommodation requires that the general session script
instructions be read aloud in Spanish. Session script directions are the
same for all students.

Yes

Yes

Yes

3 of 4 

NAEP Accommodation
Test items read aloud
in Spanish

Spanish/English
version of the test

NAEP
Subject
Mathematics,
Science
(Not Allowed
for Reading)
Mathematics,
Science
(Not Allowed
for Reading)

Allowed in South
Carolina

NAEP Accommodation Description
For this accommodation, students may request to have words,
phrases, or sentences read aloud to them in Spanish. This requires the
student to use a bilingual Spanish/English assessment booklet (see
“Spanish/English version of the test” accommodation).
NAEP has bilingual mathematics and science Spanish/English
assessment booklets available for students who require them. When a
bilingual booklet is open, one page has the directions and questions in
Spanish, and the facing page will have the same directions and
questions in English. Because of the size, the booklets are printed in a
set of two. Students may mark their answers on either page and in
either language.

No

No

4 of 4