Oklahoma requires that students who speak other languages take ACCESS tests, also
known as Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State. The
test has four parts: listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English.
“At the elementary level, it is all done on the computer and submits straight to a testing
company for grading,” said teacher Stacy Scarbrough, Upper Elementary ESL teacher.
“The speaking portion requires a great deal of academic vocabulary and argumentative
statements to defend your answers in order to get a good score.”
The writing portion of the test for fourth and fifth grade students consists of multiple
essays and/or other writing components in one sitting – more than what the state
requires for native English speaking students.
“It is NOT an easy test to pass,” explained Scarbrough. “We spend a lot of time helping
prepare student with specific test objectives and test strategies.”
Regular classroom teachers also know what language goals the students are working
on and they help with those in the classroom, too. Scarbrough also develops an English
Language Academic Plan, or ELAP, for every one of the students. Public school law
requires that the students have the ELAP in place and that it be implemented in the
school system.
The test is taken in January and February of the school year, but scores don’t come
back until the summer months, which means that students don’t find out how they did
until the school year starts back.
Scarbrough was privileged to be able to tell a big group of third through fifth grade
students at Marietta Elementary that they passed the test and are now considered to
have completed the English Language Learners program, and fluent in English.
“We are so proud of these kids,” said Superintendent Brandi Naylor. “Passing the
ACCESS test takes a lot of hard work and dedication on their part, as well as on Mrs.
Scarbrough’s and their other teachers.”
To offer some perspective, as a district, Marietta Public Schools is 49 percent Hispanic,
with 31 percent of students across the district qualifying for Limited English status. On
the district’s 2023-24 report card, the score for English Language Proficiency Progress
in the elementary school was a B, at 60 percent, almost twice the state average of 33
percent when it comes to measuring how well English learners are meeting their goals.
The district average was 58 percent.
“Our ESL program is a very good one, from primary and elementary through high
school,” Naylor stated. “We often have other schools call and ask, ‘What are you guys
doing to get good scores?’ And I point them to our teachers because we have some
rock stars on our staff.”
In the past four years 91 students have exited the program – 73 of those while they
were students in elementary school.