Improving Large-scale Assessment in Education


Book Description

This book focuses on central issues that are key components of successful planning, development and implementation of LSAs. The book's main distinction is its focus on practice- based, cutting-edge research. This is achieved by having chapters co-authored by world-class researchers in collaboration with measurement practitioners.




Including English Language Learners with Disabilities in Large-Scale Assessments


Book Description

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has for the past four years conducted research on large-scale assessment and instructional issues for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities, but neither NCEO's research nor any other research study has yet described large-scale assessment experiences at the local school level for English language learners with disabilities. This study was designed, in part, to clarify some of the issues that surround including English language learners in states' large-scale assessment programs. Specifically, the authors gathered practical information at the local school level to understand these students' large-scale assessment experiences from a variety of perspectives, to describe the characteristics of ELLs with disabilities as well as the characteristics of their schools, and to make known the level of awareness that students and their families have about large-scale assessments. Four research questions guided this study: (1) What perceptions do educators, parents, and students have about the experiences of English language learners with disabilities who participate in large-scale assessments? (2) How are English language learners with disabilities performing in large-scale assessments? (3) How are participation decisions made to test English language learners with disabilities in large-scale assessments? and (4) What are the characteristics of schools that test English language learners with disabilities in large-scale assessments? A number of striking trends emerged highlighting important aspects of these students' inclusion in large-scale assessments. Each trend, along with supporting evidence, is presented. The survey instruments are appended. (Contains 8 tables and 7 figures.).




Large-Scale Assessments and English Language Learners with Disabilities: A Case Study of Participation, Performance, and Perceptions


Book Description

This study was designed, in part, to clarify some of the issues that surround including English language learners in states' large-scale assessment programs. More specifically, the authors gathered practical information at the local school level to understand these students' large-scale assessment experiences from a variety of perspectives, to describe the characteristics of English language learners with disabilities as well as the characteristics of their schools, and to make known the level of awareness that students and their families have about large-scale assessments. Two broad research questions were addressed in this study: (1) What perceptions do educators, parents, and students have about the experiences of English language learners with disabilities who participate in large-scale assessments? and (2) What are the characteristics of schools that test English language learners with disabilities in large-scale assessments? The case study research design, in which one school is defined as a case, used a mixed method approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data from four sources of data. Data were collected on site in three schools and one alternative school program in a large urban school district located in a large western state. The findings from the document review, written survey, and face-to-face interviews are each presented in different formats, allowing the researchers to highlight the most interesting and useful findings from each data collection activity. To discern the useful information that emerged from the findings, the authors compared school level and sample subgroup results for a discussion that concludes this report. While the findings cannot be directly generalized to other school sites due to the nature of the case study research design for this project, they do indicate noticeable school characteristics, policies, and procedures that are important considerations for policymakers, administrators, and practitioners who strive to better include English language learners with disabilities in states' large-scale assessment and accountability programs. Seven such important considerations are identified and explored herein. The following are appended: (1) research instruments; and (2) Tabled Results by Written Survey Item. (Contains 10 tables and 37 figures.).




Assessing English Language Learners


Book Description

Assessing English Language Learners explains and illustrates the main ideas underlying assessment as an activity intimately linked to instruction and the basic principles for developing, using, selecting, and adapting assessment instruments and strategies to assess content knowledge in English language learners (ELLs). Sensitive to the professional development needs of both in-service and pre-service mainstream teachers with ELLs in their classrooms and those receiving formal training to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students, the text is designed to engage readers in viewing assessment as a critical part of teaching appreciating that assessments provide teachers with valuable information about their students’ learning and thinking becoming aware of the relationship among language, culture, and testing understanding the reasoning that guides test construction recognizing the limitations of testing practices being confident that assessment is an activity classroom teachers (not only accountability specialists) can perform Highlighting alternative, multidisciplinary approaches that address linguistic and cultural diversity in testing, this text, enhanced by multiple field-tested exercises and examples of different forms of assessment, is ideal for any course covering the theory and practice of ELL assessment.










Assessing English Language Learners in the Content Areas


Book Description

Assessing English Language Learners in the Content Areas: A Research-into-Practice Guide for Educators seeks to provide guidance to classroom teachers, staff developers, and test-item designers who want to improve ELL assessment outcomes, particularly in the areas of math, science and social studies. The first two chapters of the book establish the background for the discussion of content-area assessment for ELLs, examining several important characteristics of this rapidly growing student population (as well as critical legislation affecting ELLs) and providing a description of various forms of assessment, including how ELL assessment is different from the assessment of English-proficient students. Important assessment principles that educators should use in their evaluation of tests or other forms of measurement are provided. Other chapters review ELL test accommodations nationwide (because, surprisingly, most teachers do not know what they can and cannot allow) and the research on the effectiveness of these types of accommodations. The book analyzes the characteristics of alternative assessment; it discusses three popular alternative assessment instruments (performance assessment, curriculum-based measurement, and portfolios) and makes recommendations as to how to increase the validity, reliability, and practicality of alternative assessments. The book proposes fundamental assessment practices to help content area teachers in their evaluation of their ELL progress.




Testing English-Language Learners in U.S. Schools


Book Description

The Committee on Educational Excellence and Testing Equity was created under the auspices of the National Research Council (NRC), and specifically under the oversight of the Board on Testing and Assessment (BOTA). The committee's charge is to explore the challenges that face U.S. schools as they work to achieve the related goals of academic excellence and equity for all students. This report provides not only the summary of a workshop held by the forum on the testing of English-language learners (students learning English as an additional language) in U.S. schools, but also a report on the committee's conclusions derived from that workshop and from subsequent deliberations.




Assessing English Language Learners


Book Description

`With all the offerings that Margo Gottlieb provides in this book, she makes us yearn to not only cross the bridge of assessment, but also to feel confident when we get to the other side.′ -From the Foreword by Else Hamayan Illinois Resource Center `This book is long overdue! Appropriate assessment and placement of ELLs is the most basic of all instructional processes. Without this, we cannot be sure we can measure student progress or address individual instructional needs.′ -Margarita Calderón, Research Scientist Center for Data-Driven Reform, Johns Hopkins University `Here, finally, we have a text that empowers teachers by giving them practical strategies for harnessing assessments of language and content in ways that benefit their teaching and their students′ learning.′ -Timothy Boals, WIDA Consortium Director, Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction `Assessing English Language Learners includes a multitude of evaluation instruments that readers can use as they assess their students. Margo Gottlieb helps teachers adjust assessment to different language proficiency levels and then evaluate language proficiency and content learning appropriately.′ -David E. Freeman, Yvonne S. Freeman, Professors, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Texas, Brownsville Discover how to bridge the gap between equitably assessing linguistic and academic performance! Student assessment is the cornerstone of standards-based education. For the growing population of English Language Learners, however, measuring their acquisition and learning is a multifaceted process. This well-documented text examines the unique needs of English Language Learners and describes strategies for implementing instructional assessment of language and content. With both depth and breadth, this practical resource covers how to equitably and comprehensively assess the language proficiency and academic achievement of English Language Learners. Both practicing and aspiring educators will benefit from Rubrics, charts, checklists, surveys, and other ready-to-use tools Professional development activities An integrated approach to teaching standards, language, and content Guidance on how best to address standardized testing and grading Use this timely text to advance the academic language proficiency of English Language Learners through enhanced teaching and assessment techniques.




Assessing English Language Proficiency in U.S. K–12 Schools


Book Description

Assessing English Language Proficiency in U.S. K–12 Schools offers comprehensive background information about the generation of standards-based, English language proficiency (ELP) assessments used in U.S. K–12 school settings. The chapters in this book address a variety of key issues involved in the development and use of those assessments: defining an ELP construct driven by new academic content and ELP standards, using technology for K–12 ELP assessments, addressing the needs of various English learner (EL) students taking the assessments, connecting assessment with teaching and learning, and substantiating validity claims. Each chapter also contains suggestions for future research that will contribute to the next generation of K–12 ELP assessments and improve policies and practices in the use of the assessments. This book is intended to be a useful resource for researchers, graduate students, test developers, practitioners, and policymakers who are interested in learning more about large-scale, standards-based ELP assessments for K–12 EL students.