Ell_Assessments

ELL Assessments Tammy Williamson Grand Canyon University September 12, 2013 Williamson 2 Assessments are a very valuable tool in measuring a student’s learning abilities and achievements. They are a crucial in that they are used for teachers to look back on how and what they are teaching. Assessing a student means to prove that they are in fact learning. Teachers use this evidence to determine whether they need to change their lesson plans or the manner in which they are instructing, and the students use this feedback to find out their weak areas so that they can concentrate more on them, which is much the same use for the parents. The parents take the information provided by these assessments so that they can pursue their child’s strengths and help them with the weaknesses. The data that these assessments provide is also used by the school administrators. It shows them the improvement of not only the students but also the teachers that is needed for state and federal levels, which determine if more funding is needed to aide students with their learning and achievements. The majority of students born and raised in the United States can easily understand the English language. However, there are the select few that do not speak English because it is not their dominate language that they use at home, so these students require assessments that will enable them to pick up the English language. Getting these students to pick up the language can be an extremely hard task for teachers. In 2001 the No Child Left Behind Act states that students should be tested in many different subject areas no matter what their level of ability to speak or understand English. The state and school districts are held responsible for the information the students are learning and ensuring that they being taught the correct standards. There have since been assessments set to evaluate student achievements Williamson 3 and how they are doing when it comes to comprehending English. So what assessments are out there to be given to our ELL students' The first assessment would be the W-APT, which stands for WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test. This test is an “English language proficiency, screener, test” (1) given to new students who are categorized as English language learners. This assessment aids teachers in decisions regarding placement of the ELLs. The W-APT serves several purposes: determines if the child requires language support services, indicates the student’s language proficiency level on the WIDA scale, aids in determining the right amounts and level of instruction needed, and it is a guide for placement during the ACCESS for ELLs on their annual assessment. Second assessment is the ACCESS or Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners. It determines the measurement of English language proficiency of a child. And finally is the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs, which is an assessment of ELP students occupying grades first through twelfth, are classified as ELLs, and also possess disabilities that hinder them from taking the ACCESS assessment for ELLs. This exam is required to be given annually to test language proficiency. Which of the prior assessments are implemented depends on state to state. Here in good old West Virginia there is a small county that goes by the name of Wayne. On the boarder of Wayne County is a tiny town called Crum, and in that town is my place of employment, Crum Elementary School. In this teeny school the assessment of our ELLs is accomplished by a Home Language Survey alone. What is a home language survey' This survey is a part of any registry packet for beginning students. It “determines if any other language in addition to English is spoken at home” (2). If it is determined that any persons who is in consistent contact with the student that is speaking another language the student is then assessed for English proficiency by using the Ballard and Tighe Idea English Proficiency (IPT) test. Williamson 4 The home survey tells us who to test for English proficiency, however many of the students tested will not qualify for an ELL program. There are two different types of assessments: formal and informal. Formal assessments pertain to information that supports the findings made from a test, commonly referred to as standardized measures. The data from these assessments are mathematically calculated and summarized, and scores are given in either percentages, stanines, or standard scores. As for informal assessments, they are not data driven but are actually performance driven. Scores such as five out of ten, percent of words read correctly, or rubric scores are given for these assessment types. Since the school where I work solely employ the Home Language Survey there are no examples of formal or informal assessments that we use to assess our ELL students. (3) Once a student has been placed in an ELL program and their proficiency is recorded, how are teachers informed about their students’ progress in the efficiency of the language' This is easily done because every year the student must undergo the W-APT test again to determine if they have improved, stayed the same, or went backwards during the school year in the comprehension of the English language. To help their ELL students’ progress and develop in the English language and also their education as a whole teachers must alter their lesson plans to encompass the ELL students as much as possible. Whether that be altering the certain ELL student’s work to include key words in their own language, or encorporating a certain day to make the whole lesson about this particular students culture. By doing so it will make their fellow students more familiar about them and it will also make them feel more at ease in the classroom. Williamson 5 References 1. Evers, Tony. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Assessments of English Language Learners (ELLs). Available at: http://oea.dpi.wi.gov/oea_ells. Accessed September 12, 2013. 2. Bedford Public Schools. Bedford Public Schools, Bedford, Massachusetts. ELL Home Language Survey. Available at: http://www.bedford.k12.ma.us/support-services/english-language-learners-prek/320-ell-home-language-survey.html. Accessed September 12, 2013. 3. Bedford Public Schools. Bedford Public Schools, Bedford, Massachusetts. ELL Home Language Survey. Available at: http://www.bedford.k12.ma.us/support-services/english-language-learners-prek/320-ell-home-language-survey.html . Accessed September 12, 2013.