Assessments of ELs

Assessments of ELs

1. Authentic Assessment

   • Reasons for Authentic Assessments
     • Helps students learn to apply knowledge.
     • Allow students to construct meaning using various demonstration possibilities.
     • Integrates teaching, learning, and assessment.
   • Steps to Creating an Authentic Assessment
     • Identify what students need to know and can do by using standards.
     • Develop a task for students to show they understand and can apply the standards.
     • Determine what good performance looks like with the task.
     • Create a rubric to assess levels of performance.
   • A task performed by a student to show understanding of content/skills.
     • My pictures include examples of authentic assessment. Students are being assessed on solids and liquids. When a picture is shown, students hold a blue card for liquids and a red card for solids.
     • Students also were assessed on plant parts by creating a flip book. Students labeled each plant part and wrote one fuction of each part.
     • After developing a lesson using standards, students were assessed by sorting animals based on classification.

2. Performance-based Assessments

   • Assessments created to assess language proficiency and academic performance.
     • Examples: oral reports, presentations, demonstrations, written assignments.
       • Read with a partner, retell a story, role play, give instructions using visuals, tell a story using sequence, debate, brainstorm, etc.

3. Portfolio Assessments

   • Collection of student work over time that reflects growth of objectives and standards.
     • Examples: samples of written work, drawings that show knowledge of content, tapes or videos of role play or presentations, teacher descriptions of performances, formal test data.
       • Checklists and weekly meetings with students help set goals. Students can help create rubrics.

4. High-Stakes Testing

   • Assessments designed to measure mastery of standards. Tests results allow students to promote grade levels, graduate, and/or be accepted into other programs.
   • NCLB requires that 95% of the school population must participate in high-stakes testing.
   • Examples: ACT Aspire, ACCESS, Alabama High School Graduation Exam

5. Ongoing Assessments

   • Assessments continuing over long periods of time, providing continuous feedback for students showing strengths and growth.
   • Examples: portfolios, planned assessments such as chapter tests, unit tests, quizzes, writings, and informal observations.
     • Ongoing assessments with my students include STAR weekly and biweekly testing, weekly tests, unit tests, etc. My pictures include a STAR reading progress monitoring report, and a weekly reading assessment.

6. Initial Assessments

   • EB/EL students are assessed when they enter school. Students should be assessed in their primary language. Assessments should be given by someone familiar with second language acqustion.
     • Our students are initially assessed using the W-APT assessment. I also use informal initial assessments such as my vocabulary chart, and word reading lists. These assessments allow me to plan my instruction based on what they already know.
   • Assesses language, content knowledge, and literacy.

Images and files in the map