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Art Un ticle I.1 ited Sta In the ates News - Woodring College of ...

Art Un ticle I.1 ited Sta In the ates News - Woodring College of ...

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vocabulary does <strong>the</strong> student lack?Is <strong>the</strong> student progressing in oral or writtenEnglish?structures or vocabulary.Tasks should cover a range <strong>of</strong> difficulty,spanning at least <strong>the</strong> student’s initial abilitylevel and <strong>the</strong> level he or she is expected toreach after instruction.t RequirementsIf <strong>the</strong> school wants to know whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> student can participate in <strong>the</strong> oral language <strong>of</strong> amainstream classroom, <strong>the</strong> tasks must simulate <strong>the</strong> oral language <strong>of</strong> a mainstream classroom.1. To find out whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> student can read and write English at levels similar to his or hermainstream grade m<strong>ates</strong>, ask <strong>the</strong> student to read or write something at that level.2. To find out whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> student needs an ESL or bilingual program, and what his or herplacement should be, give tasks that represent a range <strong>of</strong> difficulty, from grade-levelperformance to little or no English pr<strong>of</strong>iciency.3. If <strong>the</strong> school wants to find out whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> student reads and writes <strong>the</strong> native language atgrade level, staff need to know what that language’s grade-level expectations are; tasksshould require <strong>the</strong> student to read and write something at that level.4. To find out whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> student’s academic skills are near grade level in <strong>the</strong> nativelanguage, give tasks that represent that language’s grade-level standards in <strong>the</strong> academicareas <strong>of</strong> interest5. To find out what specific aspects <strong>of</strong> English grammar or vocabulary <strong>the</strong> student lacks,tasks should pinpoint specific grammatical structures or vocabularyIf <strong>the</strong> school wants to know whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> student is progressing in oral or written English, tasksshould cover a range <strong>of</strong> difficulty, spanning at least <strong>the</strong> student’s initial ability level and <strong>the</strong> levelhe or she is expected to reach after instruction.Assessments that tell whe<strong>the</strong>r a student is lim<strong>ited</strong> English pr<strong>of</strong>icient, or performing similarly toage or grade m<strong>ates</strong> in English or ano<strong>the</strong>r language, are explicitly or implicitly standardreferenced.<strong>In</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r words, <strong>the</strong>y set criteria for success according to <strong>the</strong> assessment’s purpose(for example, <strong>the</strong> child is pr<strong>of</strong>icient in English, <strong>the</strong> child reads and writes his or her nativelanguage at grade level, etc.). Assessments that pinpoint specific weaknesses are not standardreferencedbut <strong>of</strong>fer diagnostic capabilities. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> previous questions imply standards, andsome imply <strong>the</strong> need for diagnostic information. Test selectors must know which kind <strong>of</strong>information <strong>the</strong>y want and select <strong>the</strong> right instrument accordingly. Examples <strong>of</strong> both kinds <strong>of</strong>instruments are given later in this paper.Appropriate Courses <strong>of</strong> ActionAssessment information is not valuable if it does not lead to a course <strong>of</strong> action for <strong>the</strong> student’s(and teacher’s) benefit. For ESL and bilingual education, courses <strong>of</strong> action include:1. Placing <strong>the</strong> student in a program that develops his or her English while providingacademic instruction2. Placing <strong>the</strong> student at <strong>the</strong> correct level <strong>of</strong> an ESL curriculum3. Providing <strong>the</strong> student with instructional services that match his or her academicpreparation in <strong>the</strong> native language4. Reassigning <strong>the</strong> student into a different component or level <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> alternative programaccording to new assessment results5. Improving <strong>the</strong> ESL or o<strong>the</strong>r instructional services if students do not show progresstoward English pr<strong>of</strong>iciency or academic achievement© 2008 Dr. Ca<strong>the</strong>rine CollierAll Rights Reserved145

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