Chapter1AssessmentEquityTheWhyandHow

Assessingstudentswithtests,projects,essays,etc.,isnotsimplytheendgoalofaparticular
unit,somethingtobeadministeredandneverlookedatagain,butinstead,amomentofreflectionfor
teachersandstudents.Itallowsstudentstocheckinontheirownprogressandgivesteachersand
opportunitytogatherandsynthetizeinformationinordertomakedecisionsaboutupcominglessons.
Thisisonlytrueiftheassessmentsareauthenticandfairtoallstudents,somethingthatthebooksays
willleadtoEducationalEquity.
Soinordertoachieveeducationalequity,youmustfirstachieveassessmentequity.Thefirst
steptodoingthisisdefiningandacknowledgingdifferentgroupsofstudentsandtheirneeds.TheELL
populationinUSschoolshasbeenconsistentlyontherise.ELLsareasubgroupofthebroader
linguisticallyandculturallydiversestudentgroup,thesearestudentswhohaveahomeenvironment
centeredaroundsomethingotherthanEnglishlanguage/culture.ELLsarestudentswho,through
assessments,wouldnotthriveinanunmodifiedacademicenvironment.
Therearemanyfactorsthatneedtobetakenintoconsiderationwhendeterminingtheinstructionand
assessmentofELLs:proficiency,academicachievement,exposuretoEnglishoutsideofschool,
educationalexperiences,etc.Thesefactors,amongothers,cangiveteachersajumpingoffpointfor
assessments.Asaresult,fairELLsassessmentsaremorecomplexthanregularassessments,especially
becausetheyshouldmeasurebothlanguageproficiencyandcontentknowledge.Usingassessment
frameworksandassessmentplanswillhelpESLandcontentteacherscollaborateandbemoremindful
ofthetypesofassessmentstheyareusingtogatherdata,keepinginmindthatELLsmayneedmodified
largescalesassessments(likestandardizedtests)andthattheyshoulduseavarietyofclassroom
measures.
Aboveall,inordertoachieveequityinassessment,assessmentsmustbeinclusive,fair,
relevant,comprehensive,valid,andyieldmeaningfulinformation.Onlythen,whenassessmentsare
accuratelyandfairlymeasuringtheprogressofallstudents,willwebeonourwaytoassessment(and
educational)equity.
Chapter2BridgingtheGap
Inordertobridgethegapsinlearningbetweenstudentslanguageproficiencyandacademic
achievement,wemustfirstunderstandthedefinitionofandrelationshipbetweentheseterms.Language
proficiencymeasuresanindividualsabilitytousethelanguagecorrectlyacrossalldomainsand
functions.ItisimportantforELLstudentstobeproficientinbothsocialandacademiclanguage.
SociallanguageenablesstudentstoengagewithpeersandthelargerEnglishspeaking
community.AcademiclanguageiscontentbasedandrequiresELLstobeabletomanipulateand
communicatethatinformationisdifferentways:defendopinions,compare/contrastideas,sequence,
summarize,anddebate.
Academiclanguageproficiencyisnotthesameasacademicachievement,althoughtheyare
connected.Academiclanguageproficiencymeansthatstudentsunderstandcontentvocabularyand
patterns,possesstheabilitytoprocesscomplexlanguage,andcanproperlyusephonology,syntax,and
semantics.Academicachievementisameasureoftheskillswhichunderliethelanguage.
InordertohelpELLstudentsintheearlylevelsoflanguageproficiencyconnectwiththe
academiccontent,itisimportanttoprovidelinguistic,graphic,andvisualsupports.Linguisticsupports
includeuseofthenativelanguage,definitions,andmodifications.Graphicsupportsincludecharts,
organizers,andtimelines.Visualsupportsincluderealobjects,photographs,andmodels.
EnglishLanguageProficiencyLevelsareusedtomeasureastudentsabilitytousethelanguage.
Theacademicstandardsareusedtomeasureastudentsacademicachievement.WithintheELPs,are
aseriesofbenchmarksorperformanceindicators,whichdescribetheprogressstudentsshouldbe
making.Theseindicatorsincludealanguagefunction,contentstem,andvisualsupport.These
indicatorsconnectELPstoacademicstandardsbyoutliningwaysforstudentstodemonstratetheir
academicknowledgebasedontheirproficiencylevel.

Chapter3AssessingOralcyandLiteracyofELLs
AssessmentsofELLshappeninthefourdomainsoflanguage:listening,speaking,readingandwriting
throughtwopaths:classroomandlargescale.Althoughinstructionshouldalwaysbejustabovethe
currentproficiencylevel,theassessmentsshouldbegearedtowardswhatstudentscando.
Assessmentscanhappeninavarietyofways.Studentscandemonstratelisteningcomprehensionin
nonverbalwaysbypointingorsorting.Speakingassessmentscanrangefrombookdiscussionstothink
aloudstoroleplays.Teacherscanusechecklistsandratingscalesbasedonperformanceindicatorsto
tracktheirassessments.Readingassessmentsoftencorrespondswithotherdomains,soteachers
shouldbesuretoprovideactivitiesandassessmentsthatfocusspecificallyonreadingcomprehension,
accuracyandfluency.Thereareavarietyofwaysforstudentstodemonstratethesethings:drawing,
matchingwordsandpictures,andsequencingpictures.Appropriatewritingassessmentswillalwaysbe
createdwithELPsinmind.Typesofassignmentswillbecomemorecomplexasthestudentbecomes
moreproficient.
Grades68Level3
ListeningDesignchartsbasedonoralinformationorcomparetwoconceptsbasedonoral
information.Studentwouldbeassessedbasedontheperformanceindicatorsappropriateforthe
subjectandELPwhichwouldbedocumentedbyteacherobservationandtheuseofachecklistbased
onthoseindicators.
SpeakingOralreportorstorytellingbasedonillustrations.Theteachercanuseachecklistbased
onELPperformanceindicatorstodocumentthestudentslevel.Alevel3studentshouldbefairly
fluentandhasahandleonsociallanguagemorethanacademic.
ReadingCompletingclozeexercisesorhighlightsmainideasinatext.ELPbasedchecklistsand
rubricscanbeusedtodocumentreadingassessments,butteachersmayalsodocumentanecdotal
evidence.Iwouldexpectalevel3studenttobegintousestrategiestomakemeaning,hasasolidbase
ofsightwords,andcancomprehendpredictabletextsprettyeasily.
WritingJournalingornarrativewriting.Assessmentofwritingshouldbebasedonarubricwhich
clearlytakesthestudentsELPintoconsideration.ForaLevel3students,Iwouldexpectthestudent
tobeusingsentenceswhichoftencontainrepeatingelements.Themessageistherebuttheconventions
areoftenmuddy.

Section1StudentProfile
1.FirstandlastnameoftheELLinitialsornamechangeforprivacyA
2.His/herCulturalBackgroundAisfromItalyandL1isItalian.ShehasbeenintheUSfor2.5
years,althoughthisisherfirstyearofformalschooling.
3.His/herEnglishProficiencyDeveloping,althoughshewillberedesignatedsoonwithan
IPTEnglishproficiencytesttogetamoreconcisedesignation.
4.SchoolDistrictPittsburghPublic
5.SchoolNameECS
6.GradelevelofyourELL1
st
Grade

Section2Teacherand/orParentInterview
1.WhoyouinterviewedESLTeacher
2.5ormoreQuestionsandsubsequentresponsesforeach
1.HowlonghasAPbeeninthecountry/beeninschool?
SHEHASLIVEDINTHEUNITEDSTATESFOR2.5YEARS,ALTHOUGHTHISISHERFIRST
YEAROFFORMALSCHOOLING.

2.Inthinkingaboutthefourareas:speaking,listening,reading,andwriting,generallyinwhichareaisshe
mostproficientandinwhichdoessheneedthemostsupport?
READING,WRITING,ANDSPEAKINGAREAREASSHECONTINUESTONEEDSUPPORT.
RECEPTIVELY,SHEISADVANCED.ALTHOUGHSHENEEDSSTRATEGICSUPPORTIN
ALLDOMAINS.

3.Whataresomestrategiesthatseemtohelpherthemost?
NONVERBALCONTEXTCLUES(PICTURES,MAPS,DEMONSTRATIONS,GRAPHIC
ORGANIZERS)BREAKINGTASKSINTOSMALLER'CHUNKS"WITHFREQUENT
COMPREHENSIONCHECKS,"TOUCHSPELL"ANDTHE"BED"STRATEGYFORREVERSALS,
PRETEACHINGVOCABULARY

4.Atthistime,whatskillsshouldshebeworkingonthemost?
WORDRECOGNITION,SOCIALVOCABULARY

5.Whatelsecanyoutellmeaboutherasfarasassessingherneeds?
AWILLBETESTEDONCEAYEARFORAREDESIGNATIONANDABETTER
UNDERSTANDINGOFHERPROFICIENCYINALLFOURDOMAINS,INADDITIONTOA
QUALITATIVEINFORMALASSESSMENTINTHEMIDDLEOFTHEYEARTHATSUGGESTS
HERPRODUCTIVEORALSKILLS.

3.Howyoucanusetheinformationforinstructionaldecisionmaking.
Basedonthisfeedback,Iplantofocusonwordrecognitionandsocialvocabulary.Theteacheralso
sharedAsmidyearreportwithmewhichischecklistofperformanceindicators.Thiswasanextremely
usefuldocument,andIplanonusingsomeofthisadditionalinformationtoshapemyinstructionand
assessment.Acouldusesomeadditionalhelpwithidentifyingcharactersandsequenceinastory,aswell
assummarizing.
2.1Forum
Logistics:3rdGradeExpandingMath

LessonTopic:Measurement:RelationshipbetweenPerimeterandArea

Contentobjective:
Studentswillcompareperimetersoftworectangleswiththesameareasandcompareareasoftwo
rectangleswiththesameperimeter.

Studentswillbeabletodrawrectangleswiththesameareaanddifferentperimeterandsameperimeter
withdifferentarea.

LanguageObjectives:
Studentswillusemathterms,specificallythisunitsvocabulary,tomakecomparisons.
Studentswillwritethestrategiesusedtosolveproblemsintheirmathnotebook.

Thecontentandlanguageobjectsworkintandemtolaythegroundworkuponwhichthelesson
adaptationsforESLshouldbeconstructed,offeringinstructionalbenchmarksforcontentandlanguageas
wellasappropriateassessmentexpectations.

Thislessonwouldoccurafterstudentsareintroducedtotheconceptsofareaandperimeterandhavehad
sometimetoworkthroughtheconcepts.Studentswillbegivenapieceofpaperwithadrawingofa
rectangleandalistofcontentareavocabularywords(thisisnotthefirsttimetheyhaveseenthese
words):Area,SquareUnites,Ruler,Inch,Perimeter,DistributiveProperty,Decompose.

Studentswillbeaskedtolabeltheirdrawingsappropriately,takingnoteswhereneededtoremind
themselvesofthedefinitions.ELLscanusethisgraphiciftheygetstuckontheacademiclanguage(since
thislessonisforExpandingproficiencylevels,althoughtheirsociallanguageissolid,theymaystillneed
somehelpwithacademiclanguage.

Studentswillbegiven121sqinchpiecesofpaper.Theywillbeaskedtoarrangethepaperstoforma
rectangle.(Everyoneswillbedifferent).Thentheywillbeaskedtoworkwiththeirgroupandusetheir
rulerstodeterminetheperimeterandarea.Comparealloftheareasandperimeterstofindthatsomeare
thesameyetdifferent.Studentswillthenbegivenawordproblem:

Usegraphpapertosolvetheproblembelow.
Ms.Kisdesigninganewgardenforthe
school.Ms.Cooktoldherthatitneedsto
bearectangleandithastohaveanareaof
16squarefeet.Drawallthedesignsthat
Ms.Kcouldcreate.

Ms.Kfoundoutthatsheonlyhas18feetof
fencingleft.Whichdesigndoessheneedto
choose?Drawandlabeladiagramtoshow
youranswer.

ELLswillhavetoshowtheirunderstandingoftheacademiclanguageinordertosolveforthisproblem.
Theywillbeallowedtousetheirgraphicorganizerifneeded.Theywillalsobegivenachanceto
compareanswerswiththeirgroupanddiscussstrategies.

Thisproblemwillbeplacedintheirmathnotebookandonthefollowingpage,studentswillneedto
describetheirstrategiesinsolvingtheproblemusingawellwrittenparagraph.

DifferentiatedInstruction:
Beginning:Iwouldgiveagraphicorganizerwiththewordsalreadyfilledinandwewouldmakedirect
connectionsbetweenwhattheyseeonthepaperwithwhatwedoinrealityi.e.Findtheruler(while
holdinguptheruler)onyourpaper.Studentswouldbegivenaconcreteexampleofthepaperactivity
beforetryingitontheirown,whileIconstantlyreinforcevocabularywords.Forthenotebookwriting,I
wouldaskforshortphrasesandsentencestodescribestrategiesandaskthemtounderlinethevocabulary
wordsthattheyuse.
Developing:Iwouldgivethemagraphicorganizerwithblanksforwheresomethingshouldbelabeled.
Forthenotebookwriting,insteadofaparagraph,Iwouldaskforaclearstepbystepprocessusingrelated
sentences.

Forum2.2
4.1Asacontentteacher,Iwouldusetheclearandconcisechecklistwhendevelopingmylargerunit
plansandsmallerlessonplans.ThisuseofthischecklistwillhelpensurethatIamincludingeverything.
AsanESLteacher,Iwouldprovidethischecklisttoallofthecontentareateachers.Alongwithit,I
wouldcreateacheatsheetforeachlevelofstudentthattheyhaveoutliningwhatkindoflanguage
complexitytoexpectfromaLevel3student,etc.Thissheetwouldalsohavesomeinformationaboutthe
relationshipbetweenlanguageproficiencyobjectivesandcontentobjectives.
4.2Thisisaniceexampleofalisteningassessmentactivitywhichcouldbeadaptedtoothercontent
areasaswell.Thetablecouldbeprovidedatthebeginningoftheunitorlessonandtheteachercould
constantlybereferringtoitallowingstudentstotakenotesastheywish.Attheendoftheunit/lesson,
theteachercouldusethissamechartinalisteningassessment.Theexposuretothepicturespriortothe
assessmentwilltaketheguessworkawayfromtryingtofigureoutwhatthepicturerepresents.
4.3Studentscouldcreateachartlikethisinthebackofalloftheircontentareanotebooks.Itcanbea
placeforthemtowritedownexamplesofwordsinidiomaticphrasesthattheydonotunderstandaswell
asaddingteachergivenexamples.Theteacherwillhavetobealittlemoreawareofthelanguagethey
usesothattheycangivestudentswords/phrasestoaddtotheirongoingtable.

Chapter6Paper
Assessmentiscontinuousinaclassroom.Teacherareconstantlyevaluatingstudentsperformance,
whetheritisinananswertoaquestionortheirperformanceonatest.Thiskindofassessmentis
groundedinthedaytodaytasks,questions,activities,andprojectsthatarehappeninginsidetheclassroom.
But,answeringamultiplechoiceaboutnounsiscompletelydifferentfromastudentsabilitytousenouns
correctly.
Performanceassessmentrequiresasetofwellarticulatedcriteria,groundedinstandardsthatareshared
withstudentswherestudentsexpresstheirlearningindirectwaysthatreflectreallifesituation.
Objectivelyscoresassessmentslikemultiplechoice,fillintheblank,etc,maybeeasiertodistributeand
scoreandtheyareusefulintheirownwaybutinordertogetanauthenticunderstandingofwherea
studentsabilitiesandunderstandingare,teachersmustuseamoreintegratedapproach.Althoughadding
subjectivityintothemixcanmakethingsmoredifficult,theuseofcarefullyconstructedrubricswithwell
definedattributesandclearlyconnectedtostandardscantakesomeoftheguessworkout.
Authenticityseemstobethenameofthegamewhenitcomestoperformanceassessment.Thelevelof
languageproficiencydoesnotmatteraslongastheassessmentsallowsELLstousemultiplemodalitiesof
expression,incorporatesinstructionalmaterialsusedthroughoutthelesson/unit,givesstudentsan
opportunitytoworkwithpeers,andbuildsuponpreviouslyconstructededucationandpersonalscaffolding.
Althoughforthemostpart,theperformanceassessmentwillbedonebytheteacher,Ithinkitisimportant
toacknowledgethatselfandpeerassessmentscanbeextremelyuseful.Theyallowstudentstomonitor
theirownprogressandreceivefeedbackfromsomeoneotherthantheteacher.Thiswouldbeusefulfor
allstudents,butis,Ithink,particularlyusefulforELLssinceapeerinteractionwouldrequireboth
academicandsociallanguage.Theseassessmentscanbeeasilyincorporatedintotheclassroomroutineor
canbepartofthelargerperformanceassessment.
WhendesigningperformanceassessmentsforELLs,inorderforittobeanauthenticandvalid
theassessmentmustincludethefollowing:useoflanguagegearedtowardslanguageproficiencylevel,
tasksrepresentativeofreadworldexperienceswhicharecomplex,contextualized,visuallysupportedand
connecttostudentslives.Authenticperformanceassessmentsfactorinthewholestudent.Thingslike
age,grade,ELP,educationalhistory,familiaritywithgroupworkorinquirybasedlearningwillinform
teachersdecisionsaboutallottedtime,medium,resources,grouping,etc.
Therubricisthecornerstoneofperformanceassessment.Arubricisusedtodocumentand
interpretstudentsworkthroughoutinstruction,makingitthecontinuousbridgebetweeninstructionand
assessment.Rubricscanbeusedtoassessbothlanguageproficiencyandacademicachievementandcan
beeasilyadaptedtomeettheexpectationsofvaryinglevelswithinoneclassroom.Rubrics,asawhole,
servealargerpurposenotjustevaluation.Theyconnectstandardstopractice,establishexpectations
foreveryone,focusinstruction,provideorganization,andidentifybenchmarks.Thereareseveraltypesof
rubricthataremoreorlessappropriateindifferentsituations.

Checklists:Checklistsusuallyhavetwooptions(usuallyyesorno)andareusedtodocumentwhetheror
notastudentdemonstratesacertainskill.Theyareeasilytocreateanduse,butoftendonotshowthe
wholepictures.WheretheycouldbeusefulisforaselfassessmentforELLs,particularlythosewith
lowerproficiencylevels.Thisgivethemachancetotakeinventoryoftheirneedsandabilitiesandthe
languageonthechecklistcanbeadaptedappropriately.
RatingScales:Ratingscalesaresimilartochecklistsbutallowforarangeofresponselikeneverto
alwaysorstronglydisagreetostronglyagree.Studentscanusearatingscaleatthebeginningofaunitas
awaytodelveintonewmaterial.Theycanalsobeusedbyateachertorateastudentscompetencyin
aparticularlanguagedomain.
Analytic:Thisisthemostdetailedandtimeconsumingrubric.Itisamatrixfilledwithcertaincriteria
whichmatchwithaspecificdimensionsorlevel.Thesecanbeusedinconjunctionwithprojectsand
shouldbedistributedwiththeassignmentsothatstudentsknowexactlywhattheywillbegradedon.
Thesecanalsobeusedinlanguageassessmentwithdifferentboxescorrespondingwithdifferentlevelsof
proficiency.
Holistic:Theserubricsprovideanoverallpictureofstudentprogress,withseveraldescriptorsundereach
levelofachievement.Thesecouldbeasimpleandclearprogressreporttosendhometoparentsto
updatethemonstudentprogress.
TaskSpecificScales:Canbeusedtohelpstudentsorganize,informparents,andplaninstructionand
assessmentandfocusonthenittygrittydetails.Thesearehelpfulwithbiggerprojectsandlongterm
assignmentsandcanbeveryhelptoELLswhocouldbenefitfromdetailed,writteninstructions.Although
theycanbetimeconsumingtocreate,byincorporatingtheinstructionsintotherubric,youaregettingtwo
birdswithonestone.
Section3NeedsAssessment
1. Typeofneedsassessmentutilized
SkillschecklistinEnglish/LanguageArtsclass
2. Dateadministered
4/22/14
3. Whyyouselectedthisassessment:
IknewIwantedtoworkwithherinherEnglish/LanguageArtsclass(whichisherLiteracy
class).ThelanguageskillsneededtobesuccessfulinanEnglishclasscanbealittlemore
complexthanotherclasses(Iknowthatisacompletelysubjectivestatement,butasanEnglish
teacher,Imalittlebias).Iobservedherduringasmallgroupcenterinwhichtheyreadand
discussedastory.IknewthiswasgoingtobewhatshewasdoingbeforeIobservedher,soI
constructedmyassessmentaccordingly,usingsomecriteriafromtheIPTandsomeofmyown.I
liketheideaofchecklist/ratingscaleobservations.AlthoughIonlyhavelimitedinteractionwith
thisstudent,Iimagineifthiswasmystudent,thesequickandeasychecklistswillhelpmeassess
progressandinforminstructionaldecisions.Ialsomaderoomforcontentteachercommentsfor
themtorespondtomyobservationssincetheyhavemoreinteractionwithherthanIdo.

Task Y N Comments:
Followsverbaldirections x Wasveryengagedintheactivityand
fullyparticipating
Respondstosimplequestions x
Listensformainideasandspecificpurpose x
CorrectpronunciationofEnglishwords x Shesoundedoutafewunknownwords
well.Seeteachercomment.
Respondstocomplexquestions x
Recognizessomesightwords x
Summarizesanddiscussestext x Duringtheirbooktalk,shestayedmostly
quiet.Thisseemsconsistentwith
feedbackfromteachersthatshecan
readwell,butcannotquitecomprehend
atgradelevel.
Comments:
Teachersreportthatshecanusephonicsto
soundoutwords,butareoftenpronounced
slightlyoff.HerLiteracyteacherswouldlike
toseeherfocusoncomprehensionandfluency.

F&PReadingLevel ETeacherswouldliketoseeheratan
H,butshedidrecentlymakeabigjump
fromBtoE,sotheybelievesheisdoing
reallywell.

GoalSetting

NeedsAssessmentResult
(withELPrestated)
InstructionalGoal Explain,Connect&defend
Goal
Thisintermediatelevelstudent
isdoingverywellconsidering
thisisherfirstyearof
schoolingand2
nd
yearinthe
US.Basedontheneeds
assessmentadministeredinthe
English/LanguageArtscontent
area,teacherfeedback,andthe
assessmentprovidedtomeby
mymentorteacher,myprimary
focuswiththisstudentwillbe
tohelpherwith
comprehension.

1.Fluencyinspeaking Althoughshecanuseher
knowledgeofphonicswell,
shestillhassometroublewith
pronunciation.Iwouldliketo
designlessonswhichfocuson
fluencyinreadingand
speaking.
2.Summarizing Byfocusingonsummarizing
stories,wewillalsobe
workingoncomprehension.
Althoughshecanread
fairlywell,hercomprehension
needssomework.
3.Sequencing Iwouldlikeforherto
arrangepicturesinthecorrect
sequenceafterlisteningtoa
story.Thiswillsupporther
listeningandcomprehension
skills.
4.Labelingapicturetocreate
astoryforthepicture
Iwouldliketofacilitatean
opportunityforhertonotonly
workonthecomprehension
ofastory,butonthecreation
ofastory.Althoughshemay
notbeabletousecomplete
complexandcomplete
sentenceswithherstory,she
couldlabelapictureanduse
thoselabelstocreateanoral
story.

3.1Forum
Feature ClassroomAssessment Largescale
Assessment
1.Thelinguisticcomplexityof
oralorwrittendiscourseis
adjusted
Teacherscanmake
accomidationsby
simplifyingorsupporting
thelanguageeither
spokenorwritten.
Thereisusuallyascript
forteacherstofollow
whenadministering
largescale
assessmentsand
theydirectionsmustbe
readexactly.
2.Languageissupportedwith
graphicrepresentation
Thisisessentialtoan
ESLclassroom.
Graphs,charts,and
timelinesallsupport
language.
Theremaybeafew
graphicsonlargescale
assessments,butnot
many.
3.Languageissupportedwith
visualrepresentation

Graphicorganizers,
mindmapping,realia,
manipulative,pictures,
videosandthelistgoes
on.
Theremaybeafew
visualsonlargescale
assessments,butnot
many.
4.Languageproficiency
measuressocialand
academiclanguage
Thiscanbedoneusing
ratingscales,check
lists,andteacher
observations.
Largescale
assessmentsfocuson
theacademiclanguage.
5.Academicachievement
measurestheknowledgeand
skillsofthesubjectmatter
Thiscouldbemeasured
usingawidevarietyof
methods:tests,
projects,essays,etc.
Largescale
assessmentsmeasure
knowledgeinonlya
handfulofways:
multiplechoice,short
answer,essay.
6.Studentshavetimeto
interactwitheachother
Think,pair,share,
centers,sharedinquiry
discussions,andother
kindsofgroupwork.
Largescale
assessmentsare
independent.
7.Languageissupportedwith
authenticmaterialsand
manipulative
Therearesomany
waystoincorporate
authenticmaterials
whetheritischecking
outdifferentkindsof
rocksasstudentslearn
aboutthemorlookingat
primaryresources
connectedtoatimein
history.
Largescale
assessmentsare
generallyjustpaperand
pencil.
8.Theactivityortaskis
gearedtostudentslevelof
Englishlanguageproficiency
Lessonscanbetiered
ordifferentiatedinaway
toreachstudentson
varyinglevelsof
proficiency.
Therecanbeoutside
accommodationsfor
largescale
assessments,butthey
arenotinherenttothe
test.
9.Theactivityortaskis
anchoredinELPandor
academiccontentstandards
BoththeELPand
commoncore
standardsareessential
tocreatingappropriate
activities.
Largescalequestions
arebaseddirectlyon
thestandardstheyare
meanttotest.
10.Studentsengagein
higherlevelthinkingto
accomplishatask
Studentsshouldalways
beinvolvedincreative
andcriticalthinkingand
generatingtheirown
inquiryquestion.You
canalsodifferentiateto
thelevelofquestioning
Therearesomeshort
answerandessay
questionsthatallow
studentstoengageina
higherlevelofthinking.
basedonthestudents
learninglevel(Blooms)
11.Thestudentsuseof
learningstrategiesistakeninto
account
Ateachercanmake
adaptingfordifferent
learningstrategiespart
oftheirnormal
classroomroutine.
Largescale
assessmentstendtobe
focusedontheresults,
notneccesarilythe
means.
12.Studentshave
opportunitiestoselfassess
andreflectontheirlearning
Itisimportanttoallow
studentstothinkabout
theirownunderstanding
thiscouldbedoneby
askingforrose,buds,
andthornordoa
windshieldcheckonthe
wayoutthedoor.As
longasELLsare
familiarwiththeformat
itcanprovideawealth
ofinformation.
Althoughthereisno
formalselfreflectionon
standardizedtests,it
wouldnthurttodoyour
owninclassreflection
aftertheyarecomplete.

Forum3.2

1. TellwhatthepurposeoftheWIDAtestandAlternateACCESStestis
WIDA(WorldClassInstructionalDesignandAssessment)createdtheTheACCESS
(AssessingComprehensionandCommunicationinEnglishStatetoState)andtheAlternate
ACCESStesttoassessthelanguageproficiencylevelsofELLstudentsfromKindergarden
to12thgrade.Thetest,whichisbasedonELPstandards,isgiventoELLsannuallyinorder
tomonitortheirprogress.TheresultsofthesetestswillhelpESL(andcontent)teachers
makeinformedlessonplanningdecisions.TheAlternateACCESStestisthesametest
adaptedforstudentswithsignificantcognitivedisabilities.
2. Whenweretheydeveloped
NoChildLeftBehindbroughtELLintothespotlightin2001.Aftersomegrantswereawarded,
thefirstACCESStestwasadministeredin2004tosmallgroupsofstudents.In2007,WIPA
receivedagranttocreatetheAlternateACCESStestforstudentswithsignificantmental
disabilities.During20112012schoolyear,975,441studentshavetakenACCESSin27
states.
3. Onhowmanystudentsweretheynormed?
In2004thefirstdraftoftheRLWACCESStestwasgivento6,662studentsandthespeaking
testgivento523students.During20112012schoolyear,975,441studentshavetaken
ACCESSin27states.

4. HowdotheymeasureEnglishproficiency?
TestitemsalignwiththeperformanceindicatorsofWIDAsELPstandards.Studentsrecieve
scoresinnotonlythefourdomains:Listening,Speaking,Reading,andWriting,butrecieve
severalcompositescores:OralLanguage(Listening50%,Speaking50%),Literacy(Reading
50%,Writing50%),Comprehension(Listening30%,Reading70%),andOverall(Listening15%,
Speaking15%,Reading35%,Writing35%).

5. Isitahighstakesassessment?Whyorwhynot?
ConsideringthatresultsfromtheACCESStestareusedtomakeinstructionaldecisions,
monitorstudentprogress,andassessstudentslanguagelevelsbasedontheEnglish
LanguageProficiencyStandards,IwouldsaythattheACCESSisahighstakesassessment.
6.YourthoughtsontheuseofthistestortheAlternateACCESStest.
Imnotusuallyonetohaveanypositivethingtosayaboutstandardizedtesting,whichis
essentiallywhattheACCESSandAlternateACCESSare,butthereasoningbehindthese
testsmakethemmorebeneficialinmymind.Theresomanystudentscomingfromsomany
backgroundswithsomuchvariationoftheirunderstandingofthelanguage.Withsomany
variables,IthinkhavingatestlikethistoestablishELPlevel,monitoryearlyprogress,and
helpinforminstructionaldecisionsisveryuseful.
Section5

Date Time Focus/Lessonplantitle Goalformeeting

4/22 9:00AM
10:30
AM
Administeredneeds
assessmenttostudent,
conferencewithESL
teacher
Administerneeds
assessmentandreviewwith
ESLteacher(overthephone)
andliteracyteacherstohelp
informgoalsetting.
4/23 9:30AM
10:30
AM
MetwithLiteracyteacher,
classroomobservation
Gathermoreinformationfor
goalsettingandlesson
planning.
4/30 9:00AM
9:45
AM
Toteach/assessfirst
lesson.Listening.
Sequencingfromoralstory.
5/1 9:00AM

10:30AM
Toteach/assesssecond
lesson.Reading.
ConferencewithESL
teacher.
Summarizing
5/7 9:00AM
9:45AM
Toteach/assessthird
lesson.Speaking.
Fluencyinspeaking
5/8 9:00AM
10:30AM
Toteach/assessfourth
lesson.Writing.
ConferencewithESL
teacher.
Labelingapicturetobeginthe
creationofastory.

Section6
READINGSkills:Comprehension/Summarizing

1. Grade1
2. SubjectLiteracy
3. EnglishlanguageproficiencyleveloftheELLDeveloping
4. Identificationof510vocabularywordsrelatedtoacontentarea:Teachersarefocusingon
sightwords:What,Great,He,She,The,For,Live,Want,Very,Much,Friend,Fruit,
5. ContentObjectives:Afterreadingthestory,thestudentwilldemonstratetheircomprehension
byprovidingplotpoints.
LanguageObjectives:Studentwillreadthestoryaloudwithaccuracy.
Studentwillreadsightwordswithoutpause.Studentwillcompleteagraphicorganizertofill
inplotpointsandthenusetheorganizertosummarizethestory.
6. ELPStandards:ELPStandard2,Grade12,Reading,Level3
CommonCore:CC.1.3.1.ACC.1.1.1.E
PAAcademicstandards/anchors:1.1.1.B1.3.1.A
7. MaterialsHoorayfortheFarmersMarketLevelEReader
FarmersMarketstorygraphicorganizer
Sightwordcards
coloredpencils
8. Introduction
Laysightwordcardsfacedownonthetable.Askstudenttofliponeoverandsaytheword.
Ifshegetsitcorrect,placeitinonepile.Ifnot,placeitinadifferentpile.Alsoplacetheones
thattakealittlemoretimeinthepracticepile.
Takethepracticepileandspreadthemoutagainfaceup.Workthroughthepracticecards
together.
9. Procedures/Development
Explainwearegoingtoseesomeofthosewordsinourbooktoday:HoorayfortheFarmers
Market.Beginasharedinquirydiscussionaboutthepictureonthefrontofthecover.Asking
WhatdoyouseeandWhatishappening?Discussthebooktitleandallowstudenttimeto
shareherknowledgeofthefarmersmarket,farming,gardening,etc.
Havestudentreadthebookoutloud.Takenotesonsightwordchecklistassessmentasshe
reads.
ShowstudenttheFarmersMarketworksheet.Gooverthedirectionstogether.Havestudent
fillinthechartallowhertousethebook.
Whilereviewingthegraphicorganizer,askstudenttosummarizethestory.Discussthemain
ideaofthestory.
10. AssessmentSightwordchecklist,FarmersMarketworksheet
11. AdaptationsExposuretosightwordspriortothestory.Graphicorganizer.
12. ConnectionThestudentcanusephonicstoreadfairlywell,butstillhavesomeissueswith
comprehension.Thereadingtaskwasdesignedmoretohelpherwith
comprehension/summarizingandlesstohelpherreadthewords.

LISTENINGSequencing
1. Grade1
2. SubjectLiteracy
3. EnglishlanguageproficiencyleveloftheELLDeveloping
4. Identificationof510vocabularywordsrelatedtoacontentarea:Teachersarefocusingon
sightwords:What,Great,He,She,The,For,Live,Want,Very,Much,Friend,Fruit,
5. ContentObjectives:Studentwillbegintoincorporatenewsightwordsintoherreading
vocabulary.
LanguageObjectives:Studentwillbeabletosequenceagroupofpicturesafterlisteningtoa
story.
6. ELPStandards:ELPStandard2,Grade12,Listening,Level3
CommonCore:CC.1.3.1.ACC.1.1.1.
PAAcademicstandards/anchors:1.3.1.A1.3.1.C
7. MaterialsSightwordcards,titleandstoryreference,graphicorganizer
8. Introduction
Placeanewsetofsightwordsfaceuponthetable.Teacherwillsayawordandthestudent
willtrytopickitout.Resetthecardsfacedown.Thistimeaskthestudenttoflipthecardsand
saytheword.Placestrugglingwordsinthepracticepileandreviewthose.
Explainwewillbedoingalisteningactivitytoday.
9. Procedures/Development
Placesixpicturesonthetable.
Tellstudentthatthesepicturesareallbookcoversandthatyouwillbereadingsomebook
titles.Thestudentwillpointtothecorrectphotographaftereachbooktitle.Modeltheactivity
first,talkthroughstrategieswiththestudent.
Repeatwithanewsetofcardsonlyallowstudenttomatchtheseonherown.
Explainthatoneofthepicturesisactuallythecoverforastorytheteacherwillread.Thereare
otherillustrationswhichgoalongwiththestory,buttheyarealljumbledup.Itwillbethe
studentsjobtoplacetheillustrationsinthecorrectorder.Allowthestudentachancetoreview
thepictures.Remindstudentofstrategiesfrompreviousactivity.
Readthestorythroughonce,askingthestudenttojustlisten.
Readthestoryagain,slower,allowingthestudenttomovethecards.
Givestudentsometimetofinishorderingafterthestoryisover.
Checktheorder.
ExtensionAskstudenttoverballyretellthestoryusingtheillustrations.Givestudentagraphic
organizerstoidentifybeginning,middle,last,mainidea,etc.
10. AssessmentListeningrubric.
11. AdaptationsWorkingwithtieredpictures,Graphicorganizersforextension
12. ConnectionThisisanexamplelinkedtoaperformanceindicatorforadevelopingstudentsin
12gradelanguagearts.Studentwilllistentoshortphrases(titles)firstandmovetolisteningto
astory.Thesecondtimethestoryisread,theteacherwillpausethroughoutthestorytogive
thestudenttimetoordertheirpictures.

SPEAKINGFluency

1. Grade1
2. SubjectLiteracy
3. EnglishlanguageproficiencyleveloftheELLDeveloping
4. Identificationof510vocabularywordsrelatedtoacontentarea:Teachersarefocusingon
sightwords:What,Great,He,She,The,For,Like,Love,Friend,Fruit
5. ContentObjectives:Student
LanguageObjectives:
6. ELPStandards:ELPStandard2,Grade12,Speaking,Level3
CommonCore:CC.1.3.1.GCC.1.5.1.D
PAAcademicstandards/anchors:1.6.1.A1.3.1.A
7. MaterialsThePondandHiddenthetheForestEReaders
8. Introduction
Reviewsightwordsbyhelpingteacherputtheminalphabeticalorder.
SharedinquirydiscussionaboutthemythunitthestudentrecentlycompletedinEL.
Askhertodefineanoralstory
9. Procedures/Development
Explainthattodaywewillbelookingattwostoriesandtellingsomeofourown.
ReadThePond(makingsurethewordsonthelastpagearecoveredup).Usethesightword
checklistasstudentreads.
Discussthedetailshappeningintheillustrationsthroughoutthestory.Whenstudentgetstothe
lastpage,askhertocontinuethestorybasedonthepicture.
LookatHiddenintheForest(makingsurethewordsonthelasttwopagesarecoveredup).
Discussthedetailshappeningintheillustrations.Askstudenttocontinuethestorybasedonthe
illustrationsofthenexttwopicture.
Extension(ifability/timepermits):Askstudenttochooseoneofthebookstocreateonelast
pagefor.Thestudentwillthencreateanillustrationandverbalizehowthestorywouldcontinue.
10. AssessmentSightwordchecklist.Speakingrubric.
11. AdaptationsExposuretosightwordsbeforethestory.Offeralphabetline.Scaffoldthe
amountofstudentgeneratedstory.Offergraphicorganizerforextensionactivity.
12. ConnectionDevelopingstudentsshouldbeablestatetheactions/eventshappeninginpictures.
Studentwillusewhatshelearnsinthefirstfewpagesofthestorytocontinuethestoryforthe
pictures.Shewillbeprovidedsupportthroughgraphicorganizerswhenneeded.

WRITINGLabelpicturetobrainstormastory.

1. Grade1
2. SubjectLiteracy
3. EnglishlanguageproficiencyleveloftheELLDeveloping
4. Identificationof510vocabularywordsrelatedtoacontentarea:Teachersarefocusingon
sightwords:What,Great,He,She,The,For,Live,Want,Very,Much,Friend,Fruit,
5. ContentObjectives:Afterreadingthestory,thestudentwilldemonstratetheircomprehension
byprovidingplotpoints.
LanguageObjectives:Studentwillreadthestoryaloudwithaccuracy.
Studentwillreadsightwordswithoutpause.Studentwillcompleteagraphicorganizertofill
inplotpointsandthenusetheorganizertosummarizethestory.
6. ELPStandards:ELPStandard2,Grade12,Writing,Level3
CommonCore:CC.1.3.1.ACC.1.1.1.E
PAAcademicstandards/anchors:1.3.1.A1.5.1.F
7. Materials:HoorayfortheFarmersMarket,pictureforlabeling,pencils,linedpaper
8. Introduction
BeginthediscussionbytalkingabouttheFarmersMarketbookreadduringaprevioussession.
Askifstudentrememberswhatthefarmersbroughttothemarket.Providebookforreference.
9. Procedures/Development
Showstudentthepictureofthefarm.Explainthatthestudentwillbelabelingallofthedifferent
objectsthatshesees.Giveherachoiceofusingthepictureswithlinesorwithoutlines.
Aftersheisfinishedlabeling.Tellherthatshewillbecreatingastory.
Modelexamplesforthestudent.Takethelabeledthingandwriteaboutwhatthethingisdoing.
ex:Themomisplantingflowersinthegarden.
Havethestudentwritesentencesbasedonwhatthethingsshelabeledaredoinginthepicture.
Extension:Cutthesesentencesoutinstripsandhavestudentblankstripsofpaper.Havethe
studentarrangesentencesandwritenewsentencestoconnectoriginalsentencestocreatea
story.
10. AssessmentWritingrubric.
11. AdaptationsOfferleveledworksheetswithandwithoutlinesforlabeling.Couldprovide
clozeexercisesifwritingsentenceswastoomuch.
12. ConnectionAtthedevelopinglevel,studentsshouldbeabletovocalizetheactionsandevents
ofastory.Thisspeakingdomainobjectiveisbuiltuponbyaskingstudentstowritethoseideas
down.

ListeningAssessment:
Afterstrategydiscussionandexamples,studentwasaskedtomatchapicturewiththespoken
title.Thestudentthenappliedthosesamelisteningstrategiestocorrectlysequencethe
illustrationsforastory.
Followedverbaldirections
withease
Y N
Matchedtitlestopictures 5 6
Storysequence 6 6

ReadingAssessment:SightWordChecklist
Studentwasgivenabatchofsightwordstoworkwithduringthelessons.Thesewords
appearedinvariousbooksreadthroughoutthelesson.Thestudentalsoworkedwithflash
cards.
Sight
Words
Hiddenin
theForest
Farmers
Market
Final
Check
The The The The
He He He He
She She She She
The The The
What What What What
Live Live Live
Want Want Want
Very Very Very
Much Much Much
Great Great Great
Fruit Fruit Fruit
Friend Friend Friend

WritingRubric:
Studentwasgivenapictureofabusyfarmtolabel.Shewasthendirectedtoconstructedaction
centeredsentencesforthoselabeledthings.

ActivityFarmPictureStory
1Needs
Improvement
2Developing 3Competent 4Exceptional
Labeling
Unabletolabel
thepicture
Labelspictureswith
support
Accuratelylabels
thepicturewith
somemistakes
Accurately
labelspicture
withlittletono
mistakes

WritingSentences
Unabletouse
labelstoform
sentences
Useslabelsto
writesimple
sentences.
Useslabelsto
writesome
simple
sentencesand
someaction
sentences.
Useslabelsto
writemore
complex
action/event
sentences.
Conventions:
spelling,
capitalization,and
punctuation
Pooruseof
conventions
interfereswith
meaningmaking
Attemptsproper
useofconventions
withalotof
mistakes
Fairlygooduse
ofconventions
withsome
mistakes.
Properuseof
writing
conventionswith
littletono
mistakes

SpeakingRubric
Studentreadthroughbookswiththewordsonthelastpage/pagesremoved.Shewasaskedto
describewhatwasgoingonintheillustrationsthroughoutthebookandthenaskedtocreateher
ownendingforthelastillustrations.

Pronunciation:4
Syntax:3
Fluency:4
Vocabulary:4
Section9:Recommendations

ThelessonplansIcreatedfocusedprimarilyaroundcomprehension,whichiswhatmypreliminary
assessmentindicatedsheneededtoworkon.InReading,Ishowedmystudenthowtocompleteagraphic
organizersbasedonthestorysheread.Inspeaking,sheusedwhatshelearnedfromreadingastoryto
continueanoralstory.Forlistening,shelistenedtoanorastoryandsequencedpicturestomatch.For
writing,shelabeledthingsinapicturestouseasafirststeptowardscreatingherownstory.
Aftermovingthroughtheselessonplans,Iwouldsaythatthepreassessmentwasaccurateinits
recommendation.Sheisabrightgirlandeagertolearn.Somelessons,likethereadinglesson,was
maybealittletooeasyforher.Theitemthatshestruggledwiththemostwasthedirectionsforthe
worksheet.
Recommendationsforteachers:
1.Giveherachancetoreadandfigureoutthedirectionsbeforeexplainingeverything.Thisisaformof
readingcomprehensionthatisvaluablepracticeforher.
2.Moreindepthwritingopportunities.Shedidwellwithlabelingthepictureandtalkaboutthingsshe
sawgoingoninthepicture,butwhenitcametowritingthemdown,shewasreluctant.Givehersupport
throughclozeswhichbecomeincreasinglyvaguetohelpjumpstartthewritingprocess.
3.Askhertowritedownthemainideaanddetailsofthethingsshereads.Comeupwithastandard
graphicorganizerforhertofillouteachtimeshereadssomething.Thiswillhelpherwithslightlymore
complexcomprehensionquestions,asopposedtoaskingsimplequestionswhichshecanalreadydo.
Recommendationsforparents:
1.Whenreadingatbooksathome,askyourchildtonotonlyread,butdescribewhatsheseeinthe
pictures.Ifyouneedrecommendationsforbooks,Icanprovidesome.
2.Startafamilyjournal.Attheendoftheday,askyourchildtowritewhatshedid.Thenhaveherlisten
towhatothermembersinyourfamilydidandwritethatdowntoo.Thiswillhelphertranslatethoughts
andwordsintowrittenword.
3.Practicesightwords.Usethegamesthatweuseinschooltohelpherpracticesightwords.Iwould
liketoinviteyoutoschoolduringherclasssothatwecanshowyousomeofthefunthingsthatwedo
withsightwords.

Section10Reflection

1. Language
Thefocusonlanguageduringthisclasshasbeenonunderstandingthatlanguageproficiencyisseparate
yetconnectedtoacademicachievement.Teachingandmeasuringlanguageproficiencyoccursinfour
domains:reading,speaking,listening,andwriting.Thesefourareasacloselyrelated,butneedtobe
focusedonandassessedseparatelytogetthemostaccuratedataforstudentsprogress.
2. Culture
IlearnsomuchfromthestudentsIobserve.ForthisclassIobservedanItalianfirstgraderwhois
closetocompletingherfirstyearofschool.Shehasmadeleapsandboundswithherlanguage,partly
becauseshehasatutorthatworkswithherontheweekendsaswell.Shetoldmethatshelikes
speakingItalianmorewhenwestartedtalkingaboutherlanguage.
3. Observing,Planning,ImplementingandManagingInstruction
Onewaytobemindfulofthegapbetweenlanguageproficiencyandacademicachievementistohavea
solidunderstandingofwhatyourlanguageobjectsareandwhatyourcontentobjectivesareeven
beforeyoubeginplanningthelesson.Thiswillbegintobridgethegapbetweenlanguageproficiency
andacademicachievement.
4. Assessment
Assessmentcontinuestobeastickingpoint.ThisisabsolutelynotjustanESLthing,butaneducation
thing.Notonlydoteachersstrivetocreateauthenticassessments,buthowtoreportthosefindingswith
parents.WhencreatingassessmentsforELLs,teachersnotonlyhavetobecognizantofhowtoassess
thecontent,butthelanguageaswell,andinsuchawaythatoneisntskewingtheresultsoftheother.
Therearemanyassessmentsthatcanbeusedinthefourdomainareasthatwillreflectthestudents
abilityinthatdomain.
5. Professionalism.
Thiswasagoodrefresherinlessonplanning.Lessonplansthatoccurinclassesveryrarelytranslatesto
whatoccursinsidetheclassroomonthedaytoday,butitisagoodexercisetokeepyourskillssharp.
Regardlessofhowmanyandwhichsectionsyouregularlyincludeinyourlessonplanning,itisyour
responsibilityasateachertobethoughtfulaboutyourobjectivesandmakesurethatyouassessments
arecenteredaroundthemtoo.

Date Time Focus/Lessonplantitle Goalformeeting

4/22 9:00AM
10:30
AM
Administeredneeds
assessmenttostudent,
conferencewithESL
teacher
Administerneeds
assessmentandreviewwith
ESLteacher(overthephone)
andliteracyteacherstohelp
informgoalsetting.
4/23 9:30AM
10:30
AM
MetwithLiteracyteacher,
classroomobservation
Gathermoreinformationfor
goalsettingandlesson
planning.
4/30 9:00AM
10AM
Toteach/assessfirst
lesson.Listening.
Sequencingfromoralstory.
5/1 9:00AM
11AM
Toteach/assesssecond
lesson.Reading.
ConferencewithESL
teacher.
Summarizing
5/7 9:00AM
11AM
Toteach/assessthird
lesson.Speaking.
Fluencyinspeaking
5/8 9:00AM
10:30AM
Toteach/assessfourth
lesson.Writing.
ConferencewithESL
teacher.
Labelingapicturetobeginthe
creationofastory.

JennKulickSpecialEducationCoordinatorjenn.kulick@environmentalcharterschool.org