Best+Practices

Best Practices in Assessment of ELLs

=**Introduction:**= With the diversity of student base so heavily present in the United States classroom these days, it is more pertinent than ever for assessments to move beyond the standard traditional "bubble test. We have a responsibility to properly assess all students, but especially those with exceptionalities, such as English Language Learners and Special Education students. In order to develop appropriate data driven instruction, we must have relevant, realistic and accurate assessment data to work with. Educators realize that in order to thoroughly assess a student, especially exceptional students, we must use multiple measures in order to get a thorough, holistic picture. We must not base our overall assessment upon only one type of measure or one context. Authentic Assessment is a way to present students with real-world challenges that require them to apply their relevant skills and knowledge. Instead of using only one context of measurement, authentic assessment allows for a collective representation of the students knowledge and skills.

=** Goals of Authentic Assessments **= o Emphasizes what students know, rather than what they do not know o Requires students to develop responses instead of selecting them from predetermined options o Directly evaluates holistic projects o Uses samples of student work collected over an extended period of time o Stems from clear criteria made known to students and parents o Elicits higher-order thinking o Allows for the possibility of multiple human judgments o Relates more closely to classroom learning o Teaches students to evaluate their own work o Considers differences in learning styles, language proficiencies, cultural and educational backgrounds, and grade levels = = =** Assessment Rubrics: **=
 * Assessment rubrics identify the various performance characteristics that are being evaluated such as format, content, or presentation.
 * The rubric will clearly state the criteria or expectations for each level of performance. (i.e. for each grade)
 * Commonly, rubrics are presented as tables with the grade level down the left side and the characteristics of the assignment to be evaluated across the top.
 * The student or the evaluator can then use the rubric to identify the expectations for any grade level such as the requirements for getting a "A" for content.
 * Assignments are usually assigned a grade for each characteristic being evaluated.

=Examples of Authentic Assessment:=

=
Portfolio assessment can be inclusive of all students, including English language learners. Students learning English are often excluded from norm-referenced testing programs because of their lack of proficiency in English. As a result, these students may be denied access to important educational opportunities that are based upon test results. Since portfolio assessment involves collecting samples of student work and scoring them according to predetermined criteria, all students, including English language learners, can be included in the testing process.======

=
A major purpose of classroom portfolios is to provide a profile of where a student began and how he or she has developed. This is particularly useful for showing students, parents, and other teachers how an ELL's acquisition of English is progressing. (Kuhlman, N. 2005).======

//Performance Assessment://
Performance assessments are tasks which require children to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in response to authentic activities. This form of assessment requires the classroom teacher to observe the behavior of the children or to examine the product that is reflective of that behavior, and to apply clearly articulated performance criteria in order to make a judgement regarding the level of proficiency demonstrated. Performance assessments can occur in natural or structured settings. The various tools for performance assessment can include posters, reports, and projects. Performance assessments are well suited for the assessment of children's application of content knowledge, their ability to integrate content knowledge across subject areas, and their abilities to make decisions, to communicate, and to cooperate However, intuitions, impressions, and feelings about children's performances are not part of sound performance assessment (Pierce & O'Malley, 1992).

//Oral Interviews//
In this assessment, the evaluator asks the student questions about personal background, activities, readings, and interests. The advantages of this type of assessment are that it is conducted in an informal and relaxed context and can be conducted over successive days with each student. Observations can be recorded on an interview guide.

//Story or Test Retelling//
Students retell main ideas or selected details of text experienced through listening or reading. Students then produce an oral report based upon the reading. The report can be scored on content or language components. A rubric is used for scoring. Story teling can determine reading comprehension, reading strategies, and language development.

//Writing Samples//
Students can be given a writing prompt and asked to produce a narrative, expository, or persuasive paper. Student are scored on either content or language components, or both. A rubric is used for scoring.

//Projects/Exhibitions//
Students complete projects in a specific content area. They can be asked to work individually, in pairs, or in a group.Students are then asked to make a formal presentation accompanied by a written summary. Students can be assessed both orally and in writing and in thinking skills. A rubric is used.

//Experiments/Demonstrations//
Students complete experiments or demonstrate use of materials. Students can be asked to either make an oral presentation or demonstrate or submit a written report based on their experiment or both. Allows for observatino and assessment of both written and oral skills and complex problem solving and analytical thinking skills. Again, a rubric is used.

Students respond in writing to open-ended questions. Students are then asked to produce a written report. Scoring rubric is based on substantive information and thinking skills.

The teacher observes the student's ability to pay attention, their response to instructional materials, and their interaction with other students. Can be done within context of normal classroom activity, so doesn't take away from instruction time. Observations can be recorded with anecdotal notes or rating scales.

=**References**= Kuhlman, N. (2005, September/October).Using performance-based assessment in the ELD classroom. //ELL Outlook//, 4(4). O'Malley, J. M., & Valdez Pierce, L. (1996).//Authentic assessment for English language learners//. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Robertta H. Barbara, "Authentic Assessment Power Point Presentation" [] [December 8, 1999]