3.+Issues+in+Assessment

Please make each source in annotation form....Complete the APA format--this means author, year, and publisher on each source. View the format of the other wiki pages to make sure everything is consistent....PLEASE.

**By** ** Jen ** **ifer, Evelyne and Wilfredo ** media type="youtube" key="z4A6e8Rk8Oo" width="425" height="350" align="center" = Brave New Voices 2010 - "Love Letter To Albuquerque Public Schools" = This video shows in a unique way the feelings and perspectives of a group of high school students view on standarized tests.


 * Evelyne Blaise**
 *  ASSESSMENT PROJECT **


 * GENERAL ISSUES ON ASSESSMENTS!**
 * What is Assessment?**

- Measuring students’ performance/ progress - Ascertaining the effectiveness of educational programs in supporting students achievement - Accountability
 * Why Assessing English Language Learners (ELLs)**


 * Types of assessments**

- Informal / alternative- role plays - Formal/ standardized NYSESLAT, multiple choice

- Reliability - Validity - Content Bias - Construct Bias - Procedure - Norming
 * General Issues**


 * Supporting ELLs**

Allow students to access the test content by targeting the linguistic feature for instance the test can be delivered in English or native language.
 * //Direct linguistic support//**

Help the test-taker remove some of the linguistic load by targeting external or nonlinguistic resources such as the environment or schedule of the test.
 * //Indirect linguistic support//**

- By 2030 almost half the population will speak a language other than English; the number of ELLs will increase. - A public school in Lawrence Massachusetts has 90 percent of the students are immigrants as a result the district has been label it “in need of improvement”. - The law unfairly penalizes districts like Lawrence with large numbers of ELLs - ELL Test unfair? - The assessments are not valid assessments of what the students know.
 * Article: ELL Testing: A State of Flux **by [|Jeanne Jackson DeVoe]

- CRESST (National Center for Research on Evaluation Standards and Student Testing) - 1. Validity factors -  2. Validity evidence: - Evidence based on the content of the test - <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Evidence based on the interrelations among the test scores - <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Evidence based on the internal test structure - <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Evidence based on observations of response processes
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Article: CRESST Report 731- Issues in validating of ELL assessments **

- 1. Differentiating instructions - 2. Testing does not mean you mastered it - 3. Takes time to learn a language - 4. More Instructional Time - 5. Assessments need to be differentiated! - 6. There is no true differentiation until tests are differentiated as well!!!
 * //Article: Schools Learn Differently. So Why Test Them All the Same?//** by **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">[|Arthur Goldstein] **



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Motallebzadeh, K., P. Models of language proficiency: a reflection on the construct of language Ability. Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In this article we are able to find the different models of theorist who explain on how teachers should teach their students a second language. Models such as Lado’s Model of Skill or Component Mode explain the complex system of communication with various levels of complexity involving intricate selection and ordering of meanings, sounds, and larger units and arrangements. Lagos also explains that Language is made up of components called phonemes (units of sounds), morphemes (units of meaning), phrases (groups of words), clauses (groups of phases), and sentences (groups of clauses). Lado’s believes that testing was development of new tests of language proficiency measuring each of language components separately. The major contribution of such a model was that language teachers and testers could match theoretical conceptualization of language ability with the realization of language tests in practice. In Oller’s Integrative Model (1979 and later 1983) explains a psycholinguistic model in which language is an integrative phenomenon in practice and unitary in nature. This model is also referred to as Unitary Competence Hypothesis (UCH). Holistic nature of connecting or integrating language skills and components. Test of language proficiency as pragmatic tests which added real-life situation. Other theorist such as Canale and Swain’s Communicative Competence Model (1980), Farhady’s Model of Functional Competence (1983), Bachman’s Model of Language Competence (1996, 2010), Celce-Murcia’s Model of Interaction among Components of Communicative Competence (1995), and Kramsch’s Model of Interactional Competence (1986). It was also important to notice that teaching a second language appears to be a controversy where so many changes hurt students progression. Therefore, it makes me believe that this issue has an explicit political agenda. (Wilfredo)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Baker, C. (2006). Bics/calp: basic interpersonal communicative skills vs. cognitive academic language proficiency. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (4th Edition). Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In this article Baker explains the theory of Jim Cummings. The theory of Jim Cummings explain that context-embedded language is supported by contextual clues in the environment. The contextual clues are objects, manipulative, pictures, and Graphs. Context Reduced language is a decontextualized language there are few if any clues present to support the spoken or written words to help make the language comprehensible. These clues are abstract and the context is usually known only to the author. Examples of these clues are textbooks, novels, lectures, and CTBS Test. BICS Jim Cummings says occurs when there are contextual supports and props for language delivery. These can be displayed when face-to-face `context embedded´ situations provide, for example, non-verbal support to secure understanding and actions with eyes and hands, instant feedback, cues and clues support verbal language occur. CALP occurs in 'context reduced' academic situations. Where higher order thinking skills are required in the curriculum, language is `disembedded´ from a meaningful, supportive context. Where language is `disembedded´ the situation is often referred to as `context reduced´. (Wilfredo)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Blatchley, L., & Lau, M. (2010). Culturally competent assessment of english language learners for special education services. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In this article the authors explain how one can achieve the ELL’s needs by using appropriate, nonbiased approaches to screen ELL students to determine their need for support within the general education program implements culturally competent instructional strategies prior to considering referral to special education. It also states the use of standardized testing Requires considerable caution with ELL students. Tasks from standardized tests may be administered to find out what skills the learner does and does not have. However, if the learner’s background experience is significantly different from that of the group on which the test was normed, it is inappropriate to use the normative scores to draw conclusions regarding student needs and special education eligibility. Working with interpreters by using and training professional interpreters can achieve using them as cultural liaisons. The communication assessment can rule in or out a potential language disorder in the native language, provide evidence of the strength of native language skills, an important foundation for the development of English, explore the potential relevance of bilingual instruction, especially for newcomers and very limited English speakers and Aid interpretation of data from other areas of assessment. Academic testing can impact a second language acquisition by using norm referenced achievement tests and Curriculum-based measurement (CBM). The social-emotional behavioral assessment can clinically help child psychopathology evaluation by specialists in cultural differences. Behavioral–environmental interaction analysis at home and school should ,functional behavioral analysis (FBA) and response to Intervention (RTI) should also be conducted. (Wilfredo)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">

//[|www.asha.org][|/uploadedFiles/advocacy/federal][|/].// //__http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/bilinged/faq.html#test__//
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">JENIFER **
 * __<span style="color: #403838; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif'; font-size: 21.3333px;">Standardized achievement __**
 * 1. No Child Left Behind Act-Fact Sheet from the American //Speech-Language Hearing Association//**
 * 2.NYSESLAT – //NYS Dept.of Ed//**
 * //www.p12.nysed.gov/apda/nyseslat///**
 * 3. REGENTS and Immigrants– //Article Gotham Gazette//**
 * //[|www.][|gothamgazette][|.com][|/article/immigrants][|/]//**
 * 4. CREST RESEARCH on NCLBA**
 * //[|www.cse.ucla.edu][|/products/][|policy][|/][|cresst][|_][|policy][|7.][|pdf]//**
 * //5. Test Exemptions//**


 * //__ The No Child Left Behind act __//**


 * NCLBA started in 2001 was designed to improve student achievement. One major component was English Language Learners**
 * All children are required to reach academic achievement; that includes ELL’s.**
 * Ell’s are assessed annually for progress in language acquisition K-12 after 3 consecutive years of attending school in the US.**

Regent exams
 * “Immigrants: Regent Exams and English Language Learners” 2006**
 * 1. A students low level of English robs them from doing well**
 * 2. Fewer ELLS take the exam, do poorly or fail**
 * 3. The English Language Regents become the hardest to pass for ELLS**
 * 4. Group with the highest drop out rate**


 * __ Accommodations __**** : **


 * content areas/Regents **


 * Audio tapes for instruction**
 * Assessing in native language**
 * Respond in native language**
 * Clarify information using the end of the test booklet or throughout the test**
 * More time and use of dictionaries or glossaries**
 * Using their native language**


 * __ NYSESLAT __**


 * What is NYSESLAT?**
 * Test English Language Proficiency**


 * __ CHALLENGES IN THE NCLBA for ELL’s Based on CRESST ‘Policy Brief’ article __**


 * __3 Grade Bands__: (K-1) (2-4) (5-6)**
 * __Four Modalities:__**
 * Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing**
 * __Performance Levels__**
 * Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced or Proficient**


 * Writing-everything counts!**
 * Speaking-no short replies must include actions words**
 * Teachers will be tracked based on ELL performance/Tenure and Non-Tenure**


 * //__Factors that affect student Achievement__//.**
 * 1.Relationship between ELLS’s low scores and parents lack of education, low SES**
 * 2. Lack of proper ELL Identification: Schools are showing inconsistent results between classification codes and language proficiency tests**
 * 3. ELL’s face a dual task**


 * __ RECOMMENDATIONS for Ells Success! __**


 * Focus on reading/writing**
 * Track ELL performance**
 * Share good teacher practice**


 * __ Test EXEMPTIONS __**


 * __REGENTS:__**
 * Newcomers entering 11th grade exempt from Global History**
 * Transfers placed in in 11th or 12th grade**
 * HOWEVER!!**
 * All Ell’s must pass the ELA Regents in English**
 * __NYS ELA Elementary Assessment (Grades 3-8):__**
 * Less than one year in school, NYSESLAT will be accepted in lieu of ELAL**


 * Group contribution**
 * Each group member focused in an area on assessment. Evelyne focused on general issues of assessment.** **She looked at validity and reliability. Wilfredo focused on research and academic language proficiency and** **Jennifer focused on the tests ELLs are required to take-structure and process. Evelyne and Wilfredo each submitted their work to Jennifer and in collaboration we put our work onto a powerpoint presentation. It was challenging to work together because we each had different perspectives on organization, however we were able to pull through and meet our goal.**