2. Guidelines for Accessing the Bilingual Assessment Service

Identifying a need and confirming eligibility

• When identifying the need for a bilingual assessment it is important to note that most students take some time to adjust to the new cultural, social and language situation they find themselves in. It is preferable to wait two terms before a bilingual assessment is considered, to give the student time to adjust.
• Some suggested alerts that a student may need a bilingual assessment are when the student:
• is not making expected gains in English language acquisition for their age and stage
• has an unclear educational history or there is clear evidence of disrupted or no prior schooling prior to coming to New Zealand
• has identified physical and/or cognitive disabilities or limitations prior to coming to New Zealand, and is likely to have additional learning needs
• is behaving in ways that indicate difficulties in adjustment and/or learning- e.g:
• is withdrawn or appears depressed
• participates to little or no extent in class
• is disruptive or aggressive or behaves erratically
• fails to complete any or much work
• Remember, not all bilingual or new arrival students need a bilingual assessment. While it may be desirable that all such students are assessed bilingually, there are insufficient resources to allow this. Therefore, priorities need to be identified using the indicators above and in consultation with with HODs, SENCO and other support staff.
• The prime aim of bilingual assessments is to remove barriers to communication and learning and to be able to map necessary and realistic pathways of provisions and programmes for the English language learner. Its aim should also be to allow students to work towards reaching their potential.

Making a referral

• The initial referral is made through the usual referral process to the RTLB for the school the student attends.
• The RTLB will confirm that all the appropriate pre-checks have been made and, on confirming that a bilingual assessment is thought to be necessary will refer the student to the appropriate RTLB: Lead Assessor.
• The RTLB: Lead Assessor will identify an appropriate bilingual support person and the bilingual assessment is then administered.
• The RTLB: Lead Assessor will then forward a report to the RTLB of the student's school.

Payments for the Bilingual Assessment Service

• There is no cost for the school of the student.
• The RTLB service will be funded to employ the bilingual assessment assistant for approximately 4 hours for each student referral. Payment will also be made for travel costs for the bilingual assistant.
• The RTLB service will be covered for any extraordinary travel costs at the contract rate (ie to areas outside their normal cluster boundary).

Reporting requirements

On completion of the bilingual assessment the RTLB: Lead Assessor will:

• provide the school with a comprehensive report detailing the student's background circumstances, current learning levels in both English and their first language and recommendations for addressing gaps and the learning needs of the student
• notify the Ministry of Education that the bilingual assessment has been completed.