Professional Development Course on Catering for Diversity in English Language Teaching ENG5316 Assessing Diversity in E

1. Professional Development Course on Catering for Diversity in English Language TeachingENG5316 Assessing Diversity in English Language Learning Session 6 Assessing progress, learning plans and statements Prepared by YANG, Chi Cheung Ruby, Department of English, HKIEd

2. Assessment • “Assessment is more than merely testing students. Rather, it involves collecting data to form a holistic picture of a student so that the teacher can plan instruction and promote student progress” (Meese, 2001, p. 130). • In combination, the various forms of assessment give teachers the needed documentation by which to make informed educational decisions to promote student achievement.

3. Steps in the Assessment Process Identification and Referral Program Planning Program Implementation and Evaluation 3

4. Identification and Referral Identification of students with possible disabilities Involve the largest number of students Not necessarily result in referral When a disability is suspected, the assessment process involves a multidimentional evaluation.

5. Screening and Teacher Identification Complete checklists or rating forms to identify students with potential problems Conferences with students and parents Review of school records Changes in instruction

6. Checklists and Rating Scales Checklists are sequential lists of skills that the teacher completes for a particular student. Rating scales are instruments by which the teacher judges a student’s performance or behavior. The rating is often completed using a Likert scale measure. 6

7. Program Planning Design of the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

8. Design of the IEP Developed before the student begins to receive special services A meeting must be held to examine the appropriateness of the IEP and revise it, if necessary

9. Program Implementation and Evaluation To determine whether the educational program is effective or not Modify the program, if necessary

10. What should be included in the IEP? Student’s present levels of educational performance A statement of measurable annual goals & short-term objectives Needed special education, supplementary aids, & program modifications and supports The projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications A statement of how the student’s progress toward the annual goals will be measured

11. Ongoing Monitoring of Progress Analysis of work samples Criterion-referenced test Observation

12. Informal Assessment in the Classroom Informal assessment procedures make use of any data the teacher collects to monitor the progress of students and make instructional decisions. Informal assessment methods often employ the specific curricular materials used when teaching students. 12

13. Curriculum-Based Assessment When assessment involves the actual curricular materials that students are using, the procedure is called curriculum-based assessment. Frequent and direct assessment, when used to evaluate student objectives, helps teachers determine the effectiveness of instruction. 13

14. Curriculum-Based Assessment APPLY as a framework A = ____________the curriculum Determine the foundational skills, important competencies and ultimate outcomes for students. P = __________ items to meet curriculum objectives P = __________ frequently Give the CBA several times across the days in order to make decisions about student learning. L = __________ data on a graph Use a graph to plot daily performance data. Y = __________ to results Make decisions regarding student progress and revise instruction accordingly. 14

15. Authentic Assessment & Performance-Based Assessment Authentic assessment and performance assessment are two terms often used interchangeably to refer to testing a student’s ability to produce an answer or product that demonstrates his or her knowledge or skills. Results on students’ class assignments, anecdotal records, writing samples, and observational data on behavior are all examples of authentic assessments (Bryant, et al., 2008). 15

16. Portfolios Portfolios are a form of performance assessment. With teacher guidance, students select various items to place in their portfolio to document their learning and progress across curricular areas. A portfolio can serve as a vehicle for measuring a child’s current level of functioning and his or her progress toward annual goals and objectives on the IEP. It is an excellent tool to facilitate communication between parents and teachers about student progress. 16

17. Criterion-Referenced Assessment How will the teacher determine that a student has mastered an objective? A criterion-referenced test compares a student’s performance to a preset criterion. The criterion is often an objective that states that a student can perform a particular task to a specified level. 17

18. Observation Another common method used for informal assessment of both academic and behavioral performance is direct observation. Procedures: anecdotal recording, event recording, duration recording, or time-sampling 18

19. Review of the IEP Evaluate the student’s progress toward the IEP goals Evaluate the effectiveness of services or supports

20. Task 1 Form in groups of 3-4. Identify a student who is suspected to have learning difficulties. Try to design an individualized education program (IEP) for that student.

21. Assessment of SEN in Hong Kong 21

22. Principles and Strategies for Assessment • Flexible assessment arrangements can be made according to students’ special learning needs (Education and Manpower Bureau, 2004). • special design for the format of examination papers and answer sheets, • arrangement for appropriate examination venues, • adaptation of examination time, etc.

23. Principles and Strategies for Assessment • Taking into account students’ learning difficulties, they should be assessed according to their situations (Education and Manpower Bureau, 2004). For instance, • Students with serious and profound hearing impairment can be exempted from listening examinations • Dictation marks of the students with dyslexia are not counted in the calculation of the total scores in language subject examinations

24. Some Special Arrangements for SEN Students • Large print examination papers • Extra 5-15 minutes can be given to mildly visually impaired students for each hour of examination time • A 5-10 minutes break can be arranged halfway during the examination when necessary • Assessment instructions must be simple, direct and clear with concrete examples • Leave enough space for answers • Avoid the use of separate answer sheets

25. Some Special Arrangements for SEN Students • Flexibly reduce the use of copying for answering questions, e.g., circle or underline the correct answers in the passage for reading comprehension • An additional time allowance of up to 25% for finishing test or examination papers • Allow using computers as a tool for writing for students who demonstrate extreme writing difficulties • Reduce the amount required for dictation • Teachers may consider using “fill in the blanks” instead of dictating the whole paragraph • Schools may adopt the system of giving marks for the right answers instead of deducting marks for errors

26. Case Study: Support for SEN Students in XXX Secondary School • Whole-school Approach to Catering for Student Diversity • Write up an Individual Education Profile (IEPro) for each student with special educational needs (SEN). • Conduct diagnostic tests of Chinese, English and Mathematics. • Conduct Chinese and English handwriting tests to assess students’ writing speed. • Set up Chinese, English and Mathematics resource classes for SEN students and have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) written for each student in the classes by the subject teachers. • Implement Differentiated Instruction. • Implement the One Student One Mentor Scheme. 26

27. Differentiated Instruction • Graded teaching materials and exam papers • Low level / SEN students Copying sentences Answering factual questions Main points are highlighted Keywords are bolded / represented with pictures Greater line spacing Simpler and clearer layout • Middle level Copying and constructing sentences Answering factual and inferential questions • High level Constructing sentences Answering inferential and reflective questions 27

28. Task 2 • Based on the short story provided, see if you can set some factual, inferential, and reflective questions for students of low, middle, and high levels. Prepared by YANG, Chi Cheung Ruby, Department of English, HKIEd

29. Support for SEN Students Is there any special support for SEN students at your teaching school? If yes, share with other participants. 29

30. Evaluation To conduct self-evaluation on SEN support. To develop an annual plan for the following school year. 30

31. Self-Evaluation Process Planning SWOT analysis Implementation Evaluation Year-end Evaluation Form for Individual Student Year-end Evaluation Form at School Level 31

32. Whole School Approach Think about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats at your teaching school that may affect its implementation of the Whole School Approach to Integrated Education. 32

33. References Bryant, D. P., Smith, D. D., & Bryant, B. R. (2009). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. Boston, Mass.: Allyn & Bacon. Education and Manpower Bureau. (2004). Whole school approach: Principles and strategies for assessment. Retrieved May 14, 2009, from Education Bureau Website: http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_3296/assessment_e1.pdf Meese, R. L. (2001). Teaching learners with mild disabilities: Integrating research and practice (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Spinelli, C. G. (2006). Classroom assessment for students in special and general education (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall. 33