1 / 16

English Language Learners: Assessment Issues

English Language Learners: Assessment Issues. Summer Institute 2008 May 12-13, 2008 Elke Schneider, Ph.D. OUTLINE. Assessment challenges Legal requirements Assessment procedures. Assessment challenges. Lack of trained assessors/teachers knowledge about ELL student needs

amaya-hunter
Download Presentation

English Language Learners: Assessment Issues

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. English Language Learners: Assessment Issues Summer Institute 2008 May 12-13, 2008 Elke Schneider, Ph.D.

  2. OUTLINE • Assessment challenges • Legal requirements • Assessment procedures

  3. Assessment challenges • Lack of • trained assessors/teachers • knowledge about ELL student needs • appropriately ELL-normed formal assessments • appropriately trained translators

  4. Assessment challenges • False interpretation of language learning difficulties as a disability ( monolingual perspective) • False interpretation of ELL behavior • Culture shock and socio-cultural influences not considered • Watered down instruction for ELLs

  5. Legal requirements • IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) 2004 or Public Law 94-142 presents a legal mandate for the assessment of learning needs of ELLs or students with limited English proficiency (1) Teach students in least restrictive environment: This means for ELLs that they can be closest to their peers, the least restrictions of learning environment for their learning success (2) The child needs to be assessed in the child’s home language or the language in which the child is most proficient

  6. Legal requirements (3) Tests cannot be culturally or racially biased/discriminatory; this could occur through culture specific pictures, words, expressions; (4) Tests need to measure skills rather than limited English proficiency (5) Test should only be used for those purposes designed  do not use a test normed for native speakers with ELLs because the test is not normed for ELLs

  7. Legal requirements (6) The child’s language needs have to be considered. (7) Entire assessment teams are asked to consider the individual student’s language needs. (8) Decisions on qualification for services can only be made based on comprehensive multi-dimensional assessment; ONE or two assessment tools are not sufficient; formal and informal assessment resources should be used.

  8. Legal requirements (9) No one instrument can be used as the sole criterion to make a decision for or against services for an ELL; you must use a variety of tests. (10) Tests must be administered by professional personnel (highly qualified).

  9. Fair Assessment Procedures • Prior to formal assessment RTI= Response to Intervention applies to ELLs requires instructional or testing adaptations for struggling ELLs (IDEA, 2004) Tier 1: in whole class, classroom teacher Tier 2: in small group, classroom teacher Tier 3: individualized, TESOL or SPED teacher

  10. Fair Assessment Procedures Other informal data: - Parent interview with translator - Student interview with translator - Teacher-prepared observations

  11. Fair Assessment Procedures B. Formal assessment • only ELL-normed tests can be used • Translator must be present • Parental permission must be obtained

  12. General Considerations • In order to make well-informed decisions about ELLs’ needs, keep the following in mind a) Primary concern: Are socio-cultural factors major contributors to a student’s learning or behavior problems? b) Secondary concern: Do socio-cultural factors along with other special needs-related cognitive, physical, psychological or language processing conditions contribute to the student’s learning or behavior problems?

  13. General considerations • A search for disabilities should always be preceded by a thorough analysis of a) cultural differences b) linguistic differences c) social differences

  14. Selected References • Artiles, A. & Ortiz, A. (2002). English language learners with special education needs: Identification, assessment and instruction. Washington, DC: CAL. • La Celle-Peterson, M. & Rivera, C. (1994). Is it Real for All Kids? A Framework for Equitable Assessment Policies for English Language Learners. Harvard Educational Review, 64(1) (Spring 1994), pp. 55-75.

  15. Selected References • O’Malley, J. & Pierce, L (2000). Authentic assessment for English language learners: Practical approaches for teachers. Addison Wesley. • Rivera, C., & Stansfield, C. (1998). Leveling the playing field for English language learners: Increasing participation in state and local assessments through accommodations. In R. Brandt (Ed.), Assessing student learning: New rules, new realities. Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service.

  16. Selected References • Rivera, C., & Stansfield, C. (2000). An analysis of state policies for the inclusion and accommodation of English language learners in state assessment programs during 1998- 1999. (Executive Summary. Washington, DC: The George Washington University,Center for Equity and Excellence in Education. • Solano-Flores, G. (2003). Examining language in context: The need of new research and practice paradigms in the testing of English language learners. Educational Researcher, 32 (2), 3-13.

More Related