Assessing ELL Students in the Mainstream Classroom
Assessment is an important aspect of teaching and involves planning, gathering data, and analyzing information from multiple sources. It gives teachers the information they need to understand what students know and determine the next steps in their students’ learning. Accurate assessment is especially important for English Language Learners (ELLs) because, according to Gottlieb (2006), “assessment can be the bridge to educational equity”.
In a mainstream classroom, assessing ELL students can be challenging. Many ELL students find it difficult to demonstrate what they know because of their limited English proficiency (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). On top of this, “ELLs are a heterogenous mix of students with different proficiencies, literacies, knowledge bases, and school experiences” (Gottlieb, 2006). This means that teachers must take into account many factors while assessing their ELL students (Alberta Education, 2012). Being mindful of the type of assessment they use in the classroom will help “to prevent language limitations from unnecessarily sacrificing ELL’s test performance” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). This way teachers can differentiate language proficiency and academic achievement in the evaluation of a student’s needs (Gottlieb, 2006).
In their book The ESL / ELL Teacher's Survival Guide, Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski (2012) divide ELL assessment into three categories: initial, formative, and summative. For the purposes of this article, the same categories will be used to outline ELL assessment practices in the mainstream classroom.
In a mainstream classroom, assessing ELL students can be challenging. Many ELL students find it difficult to demonstrate what they know because of their limited English proficiency (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). On top of this, “ELLs are a heterogenous mix of students with different proficiencies, literacies, knowledge bases, and school experiences” (Gottlieb, 2006). This means that teachers must take into account many factors while assessing their ELL students (Alberta Education, 2012). Being mindful of the type of assessment they use in the classroom will help “to prevent language limitations from unnecessarily sacrificing ELL’s test performance” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). This way teachers can differentiate language proficiency and academic achievement in the evaluation of a student’s needs (Gottlieb, 2006).
In their book The ESL / ELL Teacher's Survival Guide, Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski (2012) divide ELL assessment into three categories: initial, formative, and summative. For the purposes of this article, the same categories will be used to outline ELL assessment practices in the mainstream classroom.
Initial Assessment
Initial assessments are important because they “provide an overall picture of our [newcomer] students” and give insight on a student’s ability to learn (Gottlieb, 2006). This information is valuable to teachers, and can be used to “determine instructional starting points, identify language proficiency levels… [and] determine programming and instructional support” (Alberta Education, 2012). The data gathered in an initial assessment includes factors such as “proficiency and student achievement in first language, prior schooling experience, trauma due to war or other factors, health, physical and other characteristics that may impact learning, involvement of parents and guardians, [and] family and cultural values” (Alberta Education, 2012). Performing an initial assessment is the first step in creating a teaching plan for an ELL student.
The following is a list of tests that can be used in an initial assessment. It should be noted that diagnostic testing is an important aspect of an initial assessment, and further information on employing diagnostic testing can be found on the Learn Alberta website.
The following is a list of tests that can be used in an initial assessment. It should be noted that diagnostic testing is an important aspect of an initial assessment, and further information on employing diagnostic testing can be found on the Learn Alberta website.
- Diagnostic Testing: In Alberta, the language proficiency of an English language learner can be identified using the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks.
- Home Language Survey: It is not always possible to administer a Home Language Survey, but if it is, this assessment can provide important information about the opportunities a student has to use English outside of school, and what kind of resources might be needed to assist the ELL student (Gunderson, Murphy Odo, & D'Silva, 2013). It is conducted with the parents (using a translator, if possible), and involves asking questions such as “Which language did your child learn first? Which language is used most frequently at home? Do you most frequently speak to your child? Does your child know any other languages?” (Gunderson, Murphy Odo, & D'Silva, 2013)
- Writing in Response to a Prompt: Have students provide a writing sample about a topic or in response to a prompt. If using a prompt, make sure that it is accessible to the student. This can be useful because the ‘read and response’ format tests both the comprehension and writing skills of the student (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012).
- Cloze Assessments: Give students a passage with missing sections, and have them fill-in-the-blanks. This assessment requires students to “employ comprehension strategies using context clues” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). These can also be used regularly with ELL students, because according to research, clozes can lead to “significant gains in ESL students’ receptive and productive vocabulary, and an increased ability to use vocabulary in other contexts” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012).
- Speaking and Listening Assessments: Can be done informally through brief one-on-one conversations with the ELL student. These conversations can be about a variety of topics (personal or not), and the teacher can record their observations after they have finished talking with the student (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012).
Formative Assessment
Formative assessments are an important tool for meeting the needs of ELL students in a mainstream classroom. According to research, they are more suitable for ELLs than standardized assessments, and are “associated with considerable improvements in the rate of learning” (Gunderson, Murphy Odo, & D'Silva, 2013). One study in particular showed that ELL test scores were improved with the use of formative assessments and data driven instruction (Stinnett, 2009). These assessments can identify weak areas, which should be addressed through re-teaching and remediation by the teacher (Hamilton, 2013).
This process can “strengthen students’ abilities to assess their own progress, to set and evaluate their own learning goals, and to make adjustments accordingly” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). The most important factor in using formative assessments is that the teacher uses this evidence to evaluate the needs of ELL students and make decisions about the next steps in their learning (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). There are many ways to use formative assessment for ELL students, and a few examples from Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski (2012) are listed below:
This process can “strengthen students’ abilities to assess their own progress, to set and evaluate their own learning goals, and to make adjustments accordingly” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). The most important factor in using formative assessments is that the teacher uses this evidence to evaluate the needs of ELL students and make decisions about the next steps in their learning (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). There are many ways to use formative assessment for ELL students, and a few examples from Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski (2012) are listed below:
- Weekly “Tests”: Brief, low-stakes quizzes that are used as a “check-up” for the understanding of material that has been taught that week. This type of formative assessment shouldn’t be underestimated, as research has shown it can “easily double the speed of student learning” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012).
- Writing Prompts: Have students write in response to a prompt in order to assess writing skills.
- Student Self-Assessments: Ask students to reflect on their own learning by answering a series of questions, filling out a rubric, drawing to represent their learning process, or writing about their learning process.
- Cloze Assessments: As discussed above, clozes indicate the level of comprehension.
- Online Audio Recording: A recording that is taken by the student and then sent to the teacher can be used to monitor progress and assess fluency (if reading a passage) and reading (if responding to a question) skills.
- Observation: Teachers can learn a lot about their students through observation of areas of strength and weakness, and can use this information to design their lesson plans.
Summative Assessment
It can be challenging to use summative assessments with ELL students. A link has been found between English proficiency and content assessment scores, which “means that the lower the English proficiency, the lower the content assessment score” (Kitson, 2015). Therefore, “large-scale standardized assessments tend to provide invalid data, because they rely on students’ understanding of English at a certain level” (Gunderson, Murphy Odo, & D'Silva, 2013).
To support ELLs in the mainstream classroom, and accurately test their knowledge, special accommodations should be made when administering traditional assessments (Kitson, 2015). This practice has been recommended by researchers in order “to prevent language limitations from unnecessarily sacrificing ELL’s test performance” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). The following accommodations can be used, as appropriate, for summative assessments in the mainstream classroom:
This is just the beginning of the list, as there are many more accommodations that can be made for ELL students when taking summative assessments. Alternatively, it may be useful to offer choice for students in how they would like to demonstrate their knowledge (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007). There are many ways to do this, such as blogs, KWL (Know, Want to know and Learned) charts, maps, unit summaries with illustrations, video documentaries, recordings, or illustrated timelines (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007). In the end, however, it is up to the teacher to determine what evidence is acceptable in determining achievement, keeping in mind the individual needs of the ELL students in their classroom (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007).
To support ELLs in the mainstream classroom, and accurately test their knowledge, special accommodations should be made when administering traditional assessments (Kitson, 2015). This practice has been recommended by researchers in order “to prevent language limitations from unnecessarily sacrificing ELL’s test performance” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). The following accommodations can be used, as appropriate, for summative assessments in the mainstream classroom:
- Simplifying test questions (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012)
- Allowing the use of bilingual dictionaries (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012)
- Providing translations (Gunderson, Murphy Odo, & D'Silva, 2013)
- Giving extra time (Gunderson, Murphy Odo, & D'Silva, 2013)
- Providing vocabulary boxes (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007)
- Adding illustrations (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007)
- Make a recording for students to follow along with as they read multiple choice or true/false questions (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007)
- One-on-one Interviews (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007)
This is just the beginning of the list, as there are many more accommodations that can be made for ELL students when taking summative assessments. Alternatively, it may be useful to offer choice for students in how they would like to demonstrate their knowledge (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007). There are many ways to do this, such as blogs, KWL (Know, Want to know and Learned) charts, maps, unit summaries with illustrations, video documentaries, recordings, or illustrated timelines (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007). In the end, however, it is up to the teacher to determine what evidence is acceptable in determining achievement, keeping in mind the individual needs of the ELL students in their classroom (Kottler, Kottler, & Street, 2007).
Conclusion
Overall, the way that teachers choose to assess their ELL students can have a profound impact on their academic achievements. An initial assessment can be used to determine the ‘starting point’ for ELL students and to inform which teaching and assessment strategies that will be used. Formative assessments allow teachers and students alike to determine weaker areas in language and content. Summative assessments are less effective than formative assessments, but can be modified to allow for a more accurate reflection of ELL understanding. Assessment should be an ongoing process, as it is important to keep up to date on the language proficiency and content awareness of ELL students (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2012). Using appropriate assessment strategies in this process is an important step towards supporting ELL students in the mainstream classroom.
References
Alberta Education. (2012). Language Proficiency Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/documents/language_proficiency_assessment.pdf
Assessment Bubbles. (2016). [Online image]. Retrieved October 6, 2016 from http://asiasociety.org/china-learning-initiatives/assessment-0
Assessment Cartoon. (2012). [Online image]. Retrieved October 6, 2016 from https://gjismyp.wordpress.com/teaching-resources/teaching-cartoons/
Ferlazzo, L., & Sypnieski, K. H. (2012). J-B Ed: Survival Guides : The ESL / ELL Teacher's Survival Guide : Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools, and Activities for Teaching English Language Learners of All Levels (1). Somerset, US: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/lib/ucalgary/reader.action?docID=10593139
Gottlieb, M. (2006). Assessing English Language Learners : Bridges from language proficiency to academic achievement. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Gunderson, L., Murphy Odo, D., & D'Silva, R. (2013). ESL (ELL) Literacy Instruction : A guidebook to theory and practice [ProQuest ebrary]. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/lib/ucalgary/reader.action?docID=10740589
Hamilton, M. D. (2013). Using Formative Reading Assessments and Data Utilization to Improve ELL Spanish Speaking Students' Achievement Test Scores. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/docview/1318023528?pq-origsite=summon
Kitson, C. L. (2015). An Investigation of English Language Learners' Performance on Regular Content Assessments: A study of Kansas ELLs. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/docview/1762721975?pq-origsite=summon
Kottler, E., Kottler, J. A., & Street, C. (2007). English language learners in your classroom: Strategies that work. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Stinnett, M. (2009). Research in reading. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 37(4), 72-78.
Assessment Bubbles. (2016). [Online image]. Retrieved October 6, 2016 from http://asiasociety.org/china-learning-initiatives/assessment-0
Assessment Cartoon. (2012). [Online image]. Retrieved October 6, 2016 from https://gjismyp.wordpress.com/teaching-resources/teaching-cartoons/
Ferlazzo, L., & Sypnieski, K. H. (2012). J-B Ed: Survival Guides : The ESL / ELL Teacher's Survival Guide : Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools, and Activities for Teaching English Language Learners of All Levels (1). Somerset, US: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/lib/ucalgary/reader.action?docID=10593139
Gottlieb, M. (2006). Assessing English Language Learners : Bridges from language proficiency to academic achievement. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Gunderson, L., Murphy Odo, D., & D'Silva, R. (2013). ESL (ELL) Literacy Instruction : A guidebook to theory and practice [ProQuest ebrary]. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/lib/ucalgary/reader.action?docID=10740589
Hamilton, M. D. (2013). Using Formative Reading Assessments and Data Utilization to Improve ELL Spanish Speaking Students' Achievement Test Scores. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/docview/1318023528?pq-origsite=summon
Kitson, C. L. (2015). An Investigation of English Language Learners' Performance on Regular Content Assessments: A study of Kansas ELLs. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/docview/1762721975?pq-origsite=summon
Kottler, E., Kottler, J. A., & Street, C. (2007). English language learners in your classroom: Strategies that work. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Stinnett, M. (2009). Research in reading. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 37(4), 72-78.