Assessment of English Language Learners (ELLs)
Through these activities you will:
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ii.
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Become aware of the Florida Assessment of English skills
Expand your knowledge of ESOL assessment strategies
Experience the process of modifying test items for ELLs
Assessment is a “hot-button topic” in education these days and this session
will focus on different issues related to assessment and English Language
Learners.
Assessment is an important part of education; however, there are a number
of issues that have to be discussed regarding assessment and ESL students.
Nationally, we have the No Child Left Behind Act which was signed into law
in December of 2001. Some people believe this law will help ensure that all
students are meeting national standards because they have to be tested
every year from grades 3 – 8.
Others believe that this act is not going to make a difference because it does
not promise to offer additional instruction or materials to those who need
help in order to meet the standards. Some think that this act is going to
leave everyone behind unless certain changes are made. This is obviously a
controversial issue which will probably be debated for some time. It did,
however, include ELLs which is hoped to lead to much needed attention.
States and local areas have other standards and students have to take
standardized tests to determine if they are meeting those standards. Almost
all states require some form of testing at state level. Here in Florida we, of
course, have the FCAT.
Those in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages believe
that “a single measure on one type of test cannot accurately reflect student
learning” (Ovando 2006). Standardized tests measure, to a great extent,
students knowledge of the English language and if the student’s level of
proficiency is low, he or she will not perform well on the test even if the
student is at grade level in his or her native language.
Sometimes, students know the subject matter but they do not know enough
English so the outcome of the test could indicate that they haven’t mastered
the subject matter when in fact it is a language issue.
Many language learners spend years before they are ready to take a
standardized test. This is due to the length of time it takes a language
learner to acquire academic language. ELLs take 5 – 7 years to learn
academic language which is often characterized as complex, abstract, and
content specific.
It is recommended that educators make decisions based on multiple
measures and not rely on a single test score. Of course, we all understand
that multiple measures provide a more accurate picture of what students
know and what they need to work on (strengths and weaknesses).
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT?
We use assessment in order to make educational decisions. There are five
different purposes for conducting assessment with ESOL students. They are:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Screening and Identification for Placement into the purposes
Determining their readiness to exit a program (reclassification)
Monitoring their progress in ESOL or regular classroom
Accountability for meeting state and other standards
Program evaluation to determine the effectiveness of a specific program
Teachers need to collect various types of information through the use of
different tools before they make decisions regarding students’ leaning or any
recommendation for a specific kind of instruction or techniques.
It is important to address the issue of bias in assessment and how difficult it
is to achieve reliability when assessing English Language Learners.
It is important for teachers to become familiar with Cultural bias, Attitudinal
bias, Assessment bias, and Test or norming bias. Sometimes it is impossible
to avoid some of these issues, but we need to be aware of them and try to
reduce their affect on English Language Learners as much as possible.
The three most common types of assessments available are:
1. Norm-referenced assessments,
2. Criterion-reference assessments, and
3. Performance-based assessments.
The third type (performance-based assessments) is the most desirable with
ELLs.
Performance-based assessment includes the use of alternative methods such
as portfolios, writing samples, oral reports, presentations, projects, etc. This
form, I believe, is more reliable because the tools vary and the assessment
takes place over a period of time. It is great when assessment is not through
the use of multiple-choice questions only when there is often one correct
possible answer.
Here are some guidelines for testing English Language Learners:
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Avoid trick questions
Use direct speech – indirect speech misleads non-advanced learners
Test what you have taught
Vary the difficulty level, it is best to go from easy to difficult
Provide students with clear directions
Explain to the students, in simple language, what is required of them
Beware of cultural bias in developing the test and in grading
Provide examples and use visuals to clarify directions
Give credit for what the student knows
Permit more time than is typically allowed for native speakers of
English
It is always helpful when working with language learners to make a testchecklist to which one can refer before administering a test.
ELLs and FCAT:
Do students who are English Language Learners (ELLs) take the
FCAT?
Per the Office of Academic Achievement through Language Acquisition, all
English Language Learners (ELLs) are expected to participate in statewide
assessments. However, if an ELL has been receiving services in an English
for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program operated in accordance
with an approved district Limited English Proficient (LEP) plan for one year or
less AND a majority of the student’s LEP committee determines that it is
appropriate, the ELL may be exempt from the FCAT Writing or Reading
administrations. Exempt ELL students must participate in the English
proficiency assessment or they will be counted as “not assessed”
and will impact the participation rate calculation for Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP).
All ELLs are expected to participate in the FCAT Mathematics and Science
tests no matter how long these students have been receiving services. Not
participating in the FCAT Mathematics assessment will impact the
participation rate calculation for AYP.
ELLs may take the FCAT using accommodations appropriate for the
particular need of the student. It is the responsibility of local school
educators to work with students and parents to identify the allowable testing
accommodations.
Source: http://www.fldoe.org/faq/default.asp?Dept=179&ID=998#Q998
The Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment
Here in the state of Florida, schools use CELLA (The Comprehensive English
Language Learning Assessment) as an Assessment tool. It assesses English
language skills in the four domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and
Writing). It is actually meant to measure the students’ mastery of the
language skills needed to succeed in school.
Research CELLA (one of the assessment tools used in Florida). CELLA is used
in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Write a 1 – 2 page paper on your
findings (could be longer). This paper should serve as an educational
document for new teachers in Florida who need to know about this form of
assessment used with ELLs.
CELLA information can be found at http://www.fldoe.org/aala/cella.asp
Questions can be modified for ELLs depending on their level of proficiency,
how long they have been in this country, the teacher’s familiarity with the
students’ prior performances, etc.
Examples of questions and possible modification/accommodations:
(The modifications are written in dark red)
Why is a dog classified as a vertebrate instead of an invertebrate? (Hint:
EXAMPLES of an invertebrate are insects and mollusks.)
a. A dog has a backbone
b. A dog has no backbone
c. A dog gives birth to live young
d. A dog has fur
Source of original question:
http://www.charliefrench.com/images/LEAP4/sci11.jpg
Which of the following organs is not used during digestion?
a. Pancreas b. Stomach c. Lungs
d. Liver
A teacher can certainly accompany this question with a labeled
picture of the human body. This could be helpful because, although it
seems short and easy, this question has a couple of words with
which a beginner or intermediate language learner could struggle.
Source of original question:
http://www.softschools.com/manage/themes/knowledgetest
The school cafeteria is selling green Kool Aid on St. Patrick’s Day. A large
cup of Kool Aid is $1.16 and a small cup of Kool Aid is $0.88 On March 17th,
students purchased 213 large cups of Kool Aid and 231 small cups of Kool
Aid. How much money did the cafeteria collect for – small cups? Large cups?
And total?
Many forget that math questions often include language or cultural
references that are new to ELLs. The above question can be
reworded without the inclusion of a particular type of drink or day
that maybe unfamiliar to the students.
Source of original question:
http://www.kidzone.ws/math/wp/t_math.asp?stpatwp5.asp
Additional on-line readings:
ASSESSMENT WEBSITES:
Assessment and Accountability of English for Speakers of Other
Languages (June 2000)
http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?CID=32&DID=369
Assessing Language-Minority Students
http://www.ericdigests.org/1993/students.htm
Assessing LEP Migrant Students for Special Education Services
http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-3/lep.htm
Assessment for the diverse classroom: A handbook for teachers.
http://myfloridaeducation.com/commhome/pdf/assess_diverse.pdf
Assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students for
special education eligibility. http://hoagiesgifted.org/eric/e604.html
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcat/fcatsmpl.htm
Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic
Students http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-2/gifted.htm
Portfolio Assessment ESL
http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/ts/viewTrack.do?number=209
619
Practical Ideas on Alternative Assessment for ESL Students
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/tannen01.html
Standards-Based Assessment for ESOL Students
http://www.cal.org/resources/archive/news/199903/main.html
This website
http://www.myfloridaeducation.com/omsle/eg6.htm is a helpful resource by
the Office of Multicultural Student Language Education.
Good book: Scenarios for ESL Standards-Based Assessment – Published by
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (2001).
Assignment:
Step 1: Review the FLDOE website for CELLA. Write a general
response relating your personal perspective of the appropriateness
of this assessment.
Step 2: Read the material that addresses strategies for assessment
Step 3: Select a quiz or test from one of your classes. Using
information from this module, modify the quiz or test for a second
language learner that might be in your actual class. (This may very
well be a useful activity to share with your class the next time you
teach it.) This would not only model the technical aspects of the
modification but also the appropriate disposition.)