Assessing ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: Separating Language from Content

1. Assessing ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: Separating Language from Content

2. Key Points • Review and assess throughout every lesson • Teacher support ELLs by: • Validating student responses with specific information, rather than just by comments like “very good.” • Repeating correct answers in order to model appropriate English pronunciation and inflection • Extending student responses by providing additional information

3. Key Points (cont’d) • Conveying acceptance and patience through facial expressions and body language • Providing opportunities for students to give feedback to each other through a variety of interactive activities • Use multiple indicators to assess learning, students are more likely to respond in diverse ways that honor their English proficiency levels • Echevarria, Vogt, Short, 2008

4. Modified Testing Techniques • True/False Questions-replace the stem and options of multiple choice questions with a linguistically simplified format. For every question marked False, students must cross out the part that makes it incorrect and write in its place the word or phrase that corrects it. Multiple Choice Question: A network of all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem is called a • Ecological pyramid. • Energy chain. • Food web • Energy web Substitute True/False Question: A network of all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem is called an energy web. A food web

5. Modified Testing Techniques • Identification Questions-a series of simple statements labeled with the concept they describe. Write the letter of the forest biome to which each statement below applies. C=Coniferous forests D=Deciduous forests R=Rain forests ____Location: temperate zone ____Trees have buttressed trunks ____Soil: rich, fertile ____Examples: hemlock, fir, spruce, cedar ____Biome with the greatest biodiversity

6. Modified Testing Techniques • Completion Questions-using multiple choice stem but replacing the options with a space or blank line • Technique 1: “Copperheads” were people who_________. • Technique 2: Cloze Circulation is the pumping of blood around the body. The _____ is the main organ of the circulatory system. It never rests. It____ and ____in a regular, even motion, about ____times a minute.

7. Modified Testing Techniques • Graphic Organizers-visual and graphic representation for written responses • T-Chart • sequenced pictures • labeled diagrams • maps

8. Modified Testing Techniques • Performance-Based-allow students to demonstrate their content knowledge through concrete examples • To increase students’ ability to produce high-quality results provide scoring rubric, checklist, point distribution chart or anything that will be used for grading • Writing samples • Projects • Visuals and graphics • Oral reports • PowerPoint

9. Modified Test Techniques • Portfolios • Used in conjunction with other forms of evaluation • Demonstrate developing understanding • Involves share responsibility and participation for students and teachers • Procedure: • Class discussion to establish standards for selection of portfolio items and criteria for evaluation • Grading happens when students and teachers confer, discuss and assess the pieces of work to be used as evidence of their achievement

10. Modified Test Techniques • Journals (content journals or learning logs) • ELLs write in them on a regular basis shows progress over time • Students record content information • Sentence starters help students get started • I discovered that…. • I learned that …. • I saw that…

11. Activity • In pairs, choose an authentic assessment that one or both of you have used in your classroom and analyze it through the eyes of an ELL. What would have been especially difficult or confusing? Identify specific questions that are high language demand, and determine ways to decrease the linguistic load so that ELLs could more easily demonstrate their understanding of the content.

12. Scoring Rubrics

13. Scoring Rubrics • A rubric is an evaluation tool that describes the criteria for performance at various levels using demonstrative verbs. It is a performance-based assessment process that accurately reflects content skills, process skills, work habits, and learning results.

14. Types of Rubrics • Holistic • Describes a student’s work as a single score • Best for task that can be performed or evaluated as a whole • Task does not require extensive feedback • Analytic • Specify criteria to be assessed at each performance level • Provide a separate score for each criteria • May include a composite score for overall performance

15. Purpose for Rubrics in Assessment • Creating a common framework and language for evaluation. • Providing students with clear expectations about what will be assessed, as well as standards that should be met. Send messages about what is most meaningful. • Increasing the consistency and objectivity of evaluating (especially scoring or rating) performances, products, and understanding. • Providing students with information about where they are in relation to where they need to be for success. • Identifying what’s most important to focus on in instruction. • Giving students guidance in evaluating and improving their work. Students can learn how to think about evaluation.

16. Rubric Development • Step 1: Determine what the assessment will encompass • Step 2: Review previous student work and/or other rubrics to identify any additional assessment criteria • Step 3: Define each dimension • Step 4: Adopt a scale for describing the range of products/performances and write a description for each dimension for each point on the scale

17. Rubric Development (cont’d) • Step 5: Develop a draft rubric • Step 6: Evaluate the rubric • Step 7: Pilot test, revise, and try the rubric again • Step 8: Share the rubric with students and their parents • www.bused.org/rsabe/rsabe11.pdf