English Language Proficiency Benchmarks Assessment Guide

1. Session 2 English Language Proficiency Benchmarks Assessment

2. The child’s culture and first language should be respected at home and in school. Assessment is most useful when it informs teaching and learning. Listening, speaking, reading and writing should be taught in an integrated manner. Key messages

3. English Language Proficiency Benchmarks based entirely on the language needs of the Primary School Curriculum devised by IILT 2000-revised 2003 derived from the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR).

4. English Language Proficiency Benchmarks a series of ‘can do’ statements of what a child can do at each level

5. Global benchmarks of communicative proficiency what a child can do at each level Global scales of underlying linguistic competence how well a child can do it at each level Thirteen themes

6. Thirteen Themes Caring for my locality People who help us Weather Myself Our school Animals and plants Transport and travel Seasons, holidays and festivals People and places in other areas Food and clothes Shapes, colours, opposites Time Local wider community

7. When to use English Language Proficiency Benchmarks assess a pupil before language support begins devise a language programme to monitor children’s progress to assess the child’s level at the end of language support to make a case for children who need support for more than two years.

8. Speaking and Listening Global benchmarks of communicative proficiency(Up and Away, p. 38 and 39) - listening - spoken interaction - spoken production Global scales of underlying linguistic competence(Up and Away, p. 40) - vocabulary control - grammatical accuracy - phonological control

11. Assessment “… gathering, recording, interpreting, using and reporting information about a child’s progress and achievement in developing knowledge, skills and attitudes” Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum: Guidelines for Schools, NCCA, 2007

12. Assessment for Learning Assessment of Learning When? happens afterthe learning takes place an integralpart of the learning process information is gathered by theteacher Who? information issharedwith thelearner information is usually transformed intomarksorgrades information is available on thequality of learning What? comparisonwithaims and objectivesis important comparisonwith the performance ofothers Why? looksforwardto the next stage of learning Purpose looks back onpast learning Both inform teaching and learning

13. Assessment Strategies Profile of child’s prior learning

14. Source: English as an Additional Language in Irish Primary Schools, NCCA

15. Assessment Strategies Profile of child’s prior learning Monitoring language and social development during the silent phase

16. Source: IILT,

17. Assessment Strategies Profile of child’s prior learning Monitoring language and social development during the silent phase Teacher observation and checklists

18. Source: Up and Away p.21

19. First Feedback From Class teacher Source: Up and Away, IILT, 2007

20. Feedback on Progress of Language Support Pupil p. 23 Source: Up and Away, IILT, 2007

21. Assessment strategies Profile of child’s prior learning Monitoring language and social development during the silent phase Teacher observation and checklists Portfolios Teacher-designed tasks and tests Criterion-referenced benchmarks (English as an Additional Language in Irish Primary Schools, NCCA, p. 51-59)

22. Standardised tests Education Act Circular 0138/2006 “Pupils may be excluded from the test if in the view of the school principal they have a learning or physical disability which would prevent them from attempting the test, or in the case of newcomer pupils, where their level of English is such that attempting such a test would be inappropriate.”

23. Reporting the child’s progress to parents essential part of link between school, home and the community explore strategies work collaboratively with all relevant staff engage the services of a translator pictorial representation of progress invite parents to view samples of child’s work

24. A tool to assess language proficiency 3 sets of tests: - Set 1 (Placement) - Set 2 - Set 3

25. Primary School Assessment Kit four skills need to be assessed (depending on age of child) reading and writing are not provided for infants skills can be assessed at different times.

26. Primary School Assessment Kit (June 2008, cover letter) ‘… with tests of English language proficiency, to be used with their pupils for whom English is a second language. The results of these tests will, in the future, be required by Primary Teachers’ Payments Section, in connection with applications from schools for language support’

27. Primary School Assessment Kit one of many tools for assessment can be used for AoL and AfL assesses a pupil’s level of proficiency on entry to the school can assist in smooth transition between schools determines progress across broad curricular themes provides ongoing assessment contributes to pupil profile

28. Primary School Assessment Kit reading and writing tests are differentiated for junior and senior primary receptive skills of listening and reading are easy to assess productive skills of speaking and writing are more difficult to assess

29. Video Clip • Listening test • Speaking test

30. Primary School Assessment Kit, IILT/DES, 2007

31. Assessment “… gathering, recording, interpreting, using and reporting information about a child’s progress and achievement in developing knowledge, skills and attitudes” Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum: Guidelines for Schools, NCCA, 2007