Kim Kerr

708 Reflections 4A 4C
1

STANDARD 4A

Standard 4.a. Issues of Assessment for ELLs. Candidates demonstrate understanding of

assessment issues as they affect ELLs, such as accountability, bias, special education testing,
language proficiency, and accommodations in formal testing situations. Candidates understand the
different purposes of assessment and that assessment must be fair, valid, reliable, and easy to administer.
They should understand how and why to implement authentic or performance-based assessment and the
difference between formative and summative assessment. They understand the particular issues and biases
regarding ELLs that stem from high-stakes testing. Candidates work with other school professionals who
assess ELLs in English and their native language to distinguish among normal language development,
language differences, and learning problems, using multiple sources of information to make adjustments
before concluding that the problem resides within the learner and making a special education referral.
An artifact that represents my understanding of assessment issues for English Language Learner is an
assignment I completed for the Lehman graduate course- ESC 761. In this assignment, I analyzed the NYSESLAT (NYS
ESL assessment test) as a standardized test instead of authentic assessment and then compared it to other standardized
ELA and Content test, to consider the NYSESLATS function and effectiveness. I had to research theoretical articles on
how standardized assessments are potentially bias to culturally and linguistically diverse ELLs. Upon reading on that and
the various forms of authentic classroom assessment, I was able to judge the effectiveness of the NYSESLAT in testing
students levels and achievement as well as in offering meaningful feedback for educators. My findings were that, while
ELLs inclusion in standardized test is favorable due to accountability and assurance of high standards and quality
instruction, the standardized exams are not built for ELLs but rather end up testing bilinguals as native speakers and are
inherently ethnocentric. Furthermore, while the NYSESLAT specifically focuses on aspects of language ability, it is not
quite reliable and tells us little on individual student needs or how to improve instruction.
In completing this assignment, I grew aware of the invalid and unreliable use of standardized test on ESL
students for accountability. My written reflections and critique in this assignment also demonstrates my understanding of
assessment issues for ELLs including biases and accommodations. Therefore, my NYSESLAT analysis assignment
displays my mastery of Standard 4.a. on Issues of Assessments for ELLs.
This artifact also contributed to my professional development, in that I gained experience in learning how to
research and evaluate various assessment forms for effectiveness. After completing this artifact, I have a comprehensive
understanding of criterion-referenced and other assessment forms and an in-depth understanding of the administration,
creation and use of various standard base language measures. Creating this artifact can inform me on identifying ELLs,
having appropriate placement and providing my future ELLs with better instruction.
Forexample,IcanimplementmyunderstandingofassessingELLsbyusinghomelanguagesurveysand
evaluationsliketheNYSITELLtoproperlyidentifyELLsandplacetheminappropriateclassrooms,gradelevelsand
providethemandatedservices.Furthermore,Icancomprehendthedifferencesofthelanguagetestandstudentneeds
withthatofthecontentversions,tohelpbridgethegapsthrougheffectiveinstruction.Finally,Iamabletogatherdata
fromteachercreatedauthenticclassroomassessmentstoguidefurtherinstructionmoresignificantly.Thesepractices

alsorelatetothethird8thINTASCPrinciple,inwhichteachersunderstandanduseformalandinformalassessment
strategiestoevaluateandensurethecontinuousintellectual,socialandphysicaldevelopmentofthelearner.

STANDARD 4B

Standard 4.b. Language Proficiency Assessment. Candidates know and use a variety of
standards-based language proficiency instruments to show language growth and to inform their
instruction. They demonstrate understanding of their uses for identification, placement, and
reclassification of ELLs. Candidates are familiar with national and state requirements, procedures, and
instruments for ELL identification, reclassification, and exit from language support programs. They use
criterion- and norm-referenced language proficiency instruments effectively and appropriately. They design
assessments that measure students discrete and integrated language skills and their ability to use social and
academic language in a range of contexts. They use formal and informal test results to inform their
instruction. They teach effective test-taking strategies.
My artifacts, which directly relate to standard 4b as an assessment designed to measure students discrete and
integrated language skills as well as students ability to use social and academic language in a range of context, are
objective language test I helped create and a series of mini-lessons on test-taking strategies for my students.
The objective language test were created and used as a placement test for international college students with the
International Program department of Lehman College. I was working both as a College Assistant and ESL Instructor for
Lehman College International Program, as detailed on my resume. Working closely with the program director, I often
coordinated programs while creating, proctoring, grading and placing adult ESL students.
My help in creating the exam and the use of various instruments demonstrate my mastery of this standard. The
exam was meant to be comprehensive, including an open-ended writing based on a picture, prompt directed writing, fillin-the-blank and multiple-choice grammar questions. The picture prompt allows testers to write a story about the image,
which gives students freedom in writing to assess their English ability. The prompt writing offers choice as well but it
centered on a topic such as describe your ideal place for vacation. This is also test background knowledge and
vocabulary, as the second tier in assessment. The last part on grammar, instructs students to attempt each option and
select the best sounding one. This is the higher level but uses multiple-choice and

The second artifact that I chose to present my knowledge of proficiency instruments are NYS Regents study
guides that I helped create for GEAR-UP students, while I was working at the Bronx Institute. Our organization created,
illustrated guides for the NYS Regents exams required for graduation. The students we were working on had not
graduated in time and are consider holdovers or super-seniors. Many of them are missing credits or a passing score on
a required criterion-referenced exam to graduate. The students I serviced from different Bronx high schools particularly,
failed certain Regents several times and are very inhibited about them. Therefore, these guides do breakdown the
material, are sympathetic towards students feeling about Regents and discusses studying strategies.

STANDARD 4C

Standard 4.c. Classroom-Based Assessment for ESL. Candidates know and use a variety of
performance-based assessment tools and techniques to inform classroom instruction. They can
assess learners content-area achievement independently from their language ability and should be able to
adapt classroom tests and tasks for ELLs at varying stages of English language and literacy development.
Candidates understand that portfolios are important tools in the assessment of ELL learning and are familiar
with and can use a variety of rubrics to assess portfolios and their individual contents. They also use peerand self-assessment to encourage students to monitor their own learning.
An artifact I chose for Standard 4c of performance based assessment tools is a rubric for an authentic
assessment created for a lesson in my curriculum unit group project for the Lehman College graduate course ESC 766
[Teaching English as a Second Language through the Content Areas].
As mentioned in an earlier reflection, my groups curriculum project was to design a unit and experience
common planning cooperatively with fellow teachers. Our Grade 5 ELA Unit focus was on Human Rights, in which
students used realia in terms of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, as the thematic focus. While, the
lessons and unit are aligned to ELA standards and even some Social Studies ones, each of our twenty lessons integrated
formal and informal assessments. Nevertheless, every activity and assessment contributed to an accumulative unit
project. That project was considered using UBD Understanding by Design, which entails a reversed thought process to
include real-world-application.
The assessment project we designed using the concept of Readers Theater, is that in smaller groups, students
will use a scripts written in the previous lessons, to act the roles of historical human rights activist in a break out group
for a conference panel on the future of human rights. Therefore the final rubric and activity for authentic assessment in
my 766 Unit Curriculum, demonstrates my understanding of various instruments to assess for standard-based language

proficiency. Moreover, the assessments in each lesson further demonstrate my knowledge, use and creativity of various
measurements of content and language mastery.

In detail, some diverse classroom based - assessments created in this Unit that relate to INTASC principle 8 are as
follows:

After brainstorming about human rights students are introduced to the Declaration and assigned different tiered
articles to represent in a drawing with accompany writing. Then these are posted with the respective articles in a
gallery walk for peer learning.

The second assessment is that after reading a general book about historical activist, student groups relate and
align their give

n activist with the declaration articles he or she fought for.

The following lessons each focus on one activist for the final assessment. The assessments for these individual
lessons vary from student poems, commercials, advertisements, and experience creating student unions and
mission statements.

The last three of the unit consisting of groups assigned an activist studied to create a facebook page for their
activist and a script to use in the break off groups and the previous lessons all contribute skills, knowledge and
language to achieve the final project.

In the final project new groups are formed with one member from each activist group to create a diverse panel.
Students will be able to use their scripts to participate in a conference discussion on current and future human
right topics while acting as their activist.

This project assesses students use of skills, language and content knowledge for realistic application, in which
students should be able to support and defend human rights.

As a teacher, I will be able to use various, reliable and meaningful assessments because of completing this artifact.
The assessment types discussed all support my experience in meeting this standard on Language Proficiency
Assessment. The language which students will use and gain in these lessons are ESL standards-based and properly
assessed. Frankly, I am proud of my groups achievement in creating this Unit and will be able to reapply those
assessment types used to other lessons. Finally, completing this artifact motivates me to investigate other forms of
assessment and to always use and create authentic assessments.