Impact on Student Learning Directions for TESOL
Directions:
During your teacher education coursework and field based experiences at American University, you have explored and
utilized many instructional and assessment techniques that are appropriate for use with English language learners. In
your courses and classroom, you have diagnosed student prior knowledge, created lessons based on that knowledge, and
evaluated student learning. On a designated page in your electronic portfolio, you are required to include one artifact
that provides evidence of your ability to use assessment and data based instruction to measure and impact the learning of
English language learners. This artifact and accompanying narrative should be uploaded to the Impact on Student
Learning page of your electronic portfolio.
It is recommended that for this assignment you measure student learning over the course of a unit, preferably the
content based unit plan you designed in TESL 501: Theory and Practice of English Language Teaching I. You must
describe your results as outlined below and enter them into the portfolio system. This artifact and the accompanying
narrative should provide evidence of your ability to:
(1) Identify appropriate English language proficiency and content area standards and objectives.
(2) Complete a pre-assessment (diagnostic) appropriate to English language learners;
(3) Design instruction for English language learners that is based on assessment data and is differentiated
based on needs and knowledge of skill levels;
(4) Complete a post-assessment appropriate to English language learners that is performance based and
documents student learning; and
(5) Reflect on the effects of your actions on student language acquisition and content knowledge, referring to
language learning theory and best practices, and including things you would change next time to enhance learning
and assessment.
(6) Throughout the narrative, explicitly state how your actions demonstrate mastery of TESOL and
INTASC Standards for teachers.
The Impact on Student Learning artifact and narrative may focus on one student, a group of students, or an entire class
of students. You may have more than one artifact as evidence, but one of the artifacts should be one of the following:
a pre-assessment
a post-assessment
a graph, gradebook page, or table showing growth from pre- to postIf you desire to provide additional evidence of your ability to impact student learning, you may include secondary
artifacts; however, you do not receive extra credit for doing so. In addition to the artifact types listed above, good
examples of supporting evidence include:
a sample of student work
a lesson plan or unit plan
an illustration of learning centers
a reflection on the impact of an instructional activity on student learning
It is essential to make it clear to the evaluator what progress was made by the students, and how each component (i.e.,
standards and objectives, pre-assessment, instruction, post-assessment, reflection) is addressed. If it is not clear,
describe where in the selected artifact(s) key elements are in evidence. Components that are not represented by the
artifact must still be elaborated on in the narrative. Include the headings Standards and Objectives, Pre-Assessment,
Instruction, Post-Assessment, and Reflection to make it clear where each element is addressed.
Evaluation: Evaluators will review your entry based on the “Impact on Student Learning Scoring Rubric.” Scores of 2
or 3 are acceptable. If you receive a score of 1 on any component of the three part rubric, you will be asked to resubmit
your work.
Impact on Student Learning Scoring Rubric
Directions: Use the following rating scale to assess the Impact on Student Learning artifact. Include comments that support your rating and provide
constructive feedback to the candidate.
Criteria
Components
English Language Proficiency and Content
Standards and Objectives
Description of Pre-Assessment
Description of Instruction
Description of Post-Assessment
Reflection
One artifact representing the assessment or the
assessment results
Needs Improvement (1)
* must be resubmitted*
Meets Standard (2)
Exceeds Standard (3)
Narrative does not include all elements
(i.e., standards and objectives, preassessment, instruction, postassessment, reflection).
Assessments and instruction are not
described adequately enough to
provide understanding of the practices.
No artifacts are present or the one
required artifact is not of the following
o a graph, gradebook page, or table
showing growth from pre- to
post-assessment
o a pre-assessment
o a post-assessment
English language proficiency and content standards
and objectives are appropriate
Descriptions of the pre and post assessments of
student learning:
o provides adequate detail
o includes a discussion of assessment results
Description of instruction
o Provides an overview of how assessment results
impacted instructional design
o Describes at least one instructional activity in
detail
There is at least one artifact. That artifact is one of
the following:
o a graph, gradebook page, or table showing
growth from pre- to post-assessment
o a pre-assessment
o a post-assessment
(additional artifacts may be included)
Thoughtful reflection on the impact of actions on
student learning as it relates to selected language and
content objectives.
English language proficiency and content standards and
objectives are appropriate and complementary
Descriptions of the pre and post assessments of
student learning:
o provide informative detail
o include a thorough discussion of assessment
results
Description of instruction
o Provides a clear and detailed explanation of how
assessment results impacted instructional design
o Describes at least two instructional activities in
detail
There is at least one artifact. That artifact is one of the
following:
o a graph, gradebook page, or table showing growth
from pre- to post-assessment
o a pre-assessment
o a post-assessment
(additional artifacts may be included)
Insightful reflection on the impact of actions on student
learning and how changes in instruction and assessment
could have influenced the results related to selected
language and content objectives.
Assessment
TESOL Standard 4.b. Language
Proficiency Assessment. Candidates know
and use a variety of standards-based language
proficiency instruments to inform their
instruction and understand their uses for
identification, placement, and demonstration of
language growth of ESOL students.
Assessments do not measure language
and content objectives
Assessments and their discussion do
not demonstrate capable understanding
of standards based or performance
assessment of English language
learners.
Candidate used standards based and performance
assessments that appear to be appropriate for use with
English language learners and valid measures of
language proficiency and content knowledge objectives
Candidate created and used standards based and
performance assessments that appear to be exemplary for
use with English language learners and valid measures of
language proficiency and content knowledge objectives
Candidate discussion of assessments and assessment
results demonstrates understanding of their usefulness
in informing instruction and demonstrating growth in
language proficiency and content knowledge.
Candidate discussion of assessments and assessment
results demonstrates exceptional insight into their
usefulness in informing instruction and demonstrating
growth in language proficiency and content knowledge.
Standard 4c. Classroom – based
Assessment for ESL. Candidates know and
use a variety of performance-based assessment
tools and techniques to inform instruction.
Page 2 of 3
Criteria
Instruction
Standard 3.a. Planning for Standards-Based
ESL and Content Instruction
Candidates know, understand, and apply
concepts, research, and best practices to plan
classroom instruction in a supportive learning
environment for ESOL students. Candidates
serve as effective English language models, as
they plan for multilevel classrooms with learners
from diverse backgrounds using standards-based
ESL and content curriculum.
Standard 3.b. Managing and Implementing
Standards-Based ESL and Content
Instruction
Candidates know, manage, and implement a
variety of standards-based teaching strategies
and techniques for developing and integrating
English listening, speaking, reading, and writing,
and for accessing the core curriculum.
Candidates support ESOL students in accessing
the core curriculum as they learn language and
academic content together.
Reflection
1a Describing Language: Candidates
demonstrate understanding of language as a
system and demonstrate a high level of
competence in helping ESOL students acquire
and use English in listening, speaking, reading,
and writing for social and academic purposes.
Needs Improvement (1)
* must be resubmitted*
Meets Standard (2)
Exceeds Standard (3)
Instructional strategies do not appear
effective in helping students meet
language proficiency and content
knowledge objectives.
Instructional activities and their
discussion do not demonstrate
understanding of how to plan, manage,
and implement instruction that will
enable English language learners to
meet language proficiency and content
knowledge objectives
Instructional activities are not
effectively differentiated to meet the
needs of diverse learners
Candidate used assessment results to plan, manage,
and implement instruction that applies concepts,
research and best practices in teaching English
language learners to enable students to learn academic
content and language.
Candidate differentiated and scaffolded instruction in
standards-based ESL and content curriculum to meet
the needs of students of different language proficiency
levels and prior knowledge.
Candidate incorporated and adapted standards-based
materials, resources and technologies to facilitate
effective ESL and content teaching.
Instructional activities are connected to pre-assessment
data
Candidate discussion of instruction illustrates
- the connection to pre-assessment data
- understanding of standards and ESL content based
instruction theory, concepts, and best practices
Candidate used assessment results to plan, manage, and
implement exemplary instruction that applies concepts,
research and best practices in teaching English language
learners to enable students to learn academic content and
language.
Candidate differentiated and scaffolded instruction in
standards-based ESL and content curriculum to meet the
needs of students of different language proficiency levels,
backgrounds, prior knowledge, and learning styles.
Candidate resourcefully and/or creatively incorporated
and adapted standards-based materials, resources and
technologies to facilitate effective ESL and content
teaching.
Instructional activities are clearly connected to preassessment data
Candidate discussion of instruction illustrates
- a clear connection to pre-assessment data
- exemplary understanding of standards and ESL content
based instruction theory, concepts, and best practices
Assessments, instruction and
discussion demonstrate little
understanding of language as a system,
research and current practice in ESL
teaching, or competence in applying
this knowledge to help English
language learners acquire and use
English for social and academic
purposes.
Assessments, instruction and discussion demonstrate
an understanding of language as a system, research and
current practice in ESL teaching, and competence in
applying this knowledge to help English language
learners acquire and use English for social and
academic purposes.
Assessments, instruction and discussion demonstrate
exceptional understanding of language as a system,
research and current practice in ESL teaching, and
competence in applying this knowledge to help English
language learners acquire and use English for social and
academic purposes.
Page 3 of 3