Running head: IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

Impact of Assessments on English Language Learners Education and Academic Placement:

Best Pedagogical Practices and Policy Implications

Melissa Pemberton
BLE 597: Capstone
Arizona State University

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

Abstract
This paper explores the way in which assessments, in particular standardized tests, affect English
Language Learners (ELLs). Legislation has played a role in how these assessments are
administered and how the scores determine the future placements and tracking of students. In
particular, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has demanded a certain amount of
accountability from schools, but as a result there have been negative repercussions for ELLs.
This paper will also explore the issue of alternative assessments for ELLs, and which forms of
these alternative assessments (for example, performance assessments) have been proven to be the
most effective. Considerations for assessment reforms will also be addressed in this paper, in
terms of how assessments ought to be administered and scored when it comes to ELLs.
Key words: English Language Learners, assessment, policies, reforms

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

Introduction
In this secondary research project, I will explore the idea of using assessments in the
English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom, and the impact that these assessments have on
the placement of ESL students in programs and/or classes. A close, intensive look will also be
had at the policies that have been set in place in terms of assessing ESL students in the United
States. Much research has been conducted on these topics, but the intent of this paper is to delve
further into what types of assessments have been proven to be most effective in enhancing the
learning of ESL students. The idea of alternative assessments for English Language Learners
(ELLs) will be explored in this paper, as well as the pros and cons of using these forms of
assessments. The overarching question that will be driving the research will be as follows:
From a policy perspective, how does the use of standardized assessments in the public education
system affect ELLs?
The specific research questions that will be addressed in the course of my investigation,
stemming from this overarching question are:
1. In what ways do existing educational policies affect assessment practices for
ELLs?
2. Which types of assessments have proven to be most effective in enhancing
student learning?
3. How do these assessments affect the future placement of ELLs (tracking, etc.)?
This topic was chosen and determined to be of great importance for several reasons. First
of all, traditional standardized achievement test outcomes play a large role in putting students on
a specific path toward their future in the United States (Abedi, 2010). These types of
assessments that are created with the regular education student in mind may not always be
appropriate for ESL students, as the language barrier can hinder the demonstration of the

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

students abilities and knowledge. Research has shown that there are several concerns in terms
of validity, reliability, and fairness when it comes to assessing English Language Learners
(ELLs) because of this interaction between the students academic content knowledge and his or
her English language proficiency (Alvarez et. al, 2014). Second of all, assessments are valuable
tools that ought to be utilized in the ESL classroom for several purposes. Assessments can help
teachers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their students, which will then guide the
teacher in adjusting their instruction to better fit the needs of their students. It also helps the
teachers to monitor the effectiveness of their teaching strategies, giving them data that can then
be used to pass on information to students and parents about proficiency progress, as well as help
support decisions to advance students to the next level in a program (DeMilliano, 2002).
Literature Review

In looking at the research regarding how the use of assessments in the public education
system affects ELLs, there are three main areas that the literature discusses. First of all, in terms
of legislation and policies, the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) on ELLs
is discussed in several studies. The NCLB Act has a negative impact on schools with a high
number of ELLs, because the schools feel pressured to meet their Annual Yearly Progress also
set in place by the NCLB Act (Abedi, 2004; No Child Left Behind Fact Sheet on Assessment of
English Language Learners; La Chapelle, 2007). The NCLB Act also does not take into account
the amount of progress that ELLs are making in their language skills. High-stakes testing, in
general, has a negative impact on ELLs because it assumes that there is a one-size-fits-all
approach to assessments and does not consider that the students taking the test all have different
needs due to their language skills (Abedi et al., 2004). These assessments also bring up several
issues in terms of validity. Alvarez et. al (2014) point out that there is a major issue of construct
validity in standardized tests when assessing ELLs, because often these tests end up being more

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

of an assessment of a students language proficiency rather than of their content knowledge, due
to the interaction between content and language skills. La Celle-Peterson (1994) and Wright
2006 implore educational reformers to take ELLs into consideration when looking at the impact
of assessments on students, in order to avoid the negative repercussions that are associated with
high-stake testing. Koelsch et. al (2006) examines the data behind graduation rates among ELLs
as a result of pressure and demands from high-stake testing, in that it is particularly detrimental
to Latino ELLs.
As far as alternatives to assessments go, there are several key ideas that are brought up in
the literature. Lenski et. al (2006) bring up the fact that since ELLs account for more than 4.5
million students in the public school system, it is imperative that teachers have a different, more
practical way to assess ELLs so they can evaluate their progress and meet their needs more
effectively. One of the most common ideas for a more practical assessment that has been
prevalent throughout the research is the idea of using performance assessments. Performancebased assessments, as described in Colorado (2007), are based on what is learned in the
classroom and every day, authentic tasks. Colorado also goes on to detail the forms of
assessments that can be used as performance-based assessments, and how they ought to be
utilized. Abedi (2010) discusses how traditional standardized tests are not reliable or valid
measures of what ELLs know, and suggests using performance assessments as an alternative.
Abedi also suggests that these forms of assessments give ELLs a chance to demonstrate their
content knowledge, but it also gives the teacher more in-depth information about the students
academic needs. Norris et. al (1998) back up Abedis view by claiming that performance
assessments are the most direct and authentic method in which to test ELLs. One idea is the use
of portfolios to gather together the work of ELLs to demonstrate their progress throughout a

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

given year. However, it is important to be very selective about what goes into the portfolio and
to make sure this process is implemented properly in order to ensure the authenticity of this type
of assessment (Moya & OMalley, 1994; Solis, 1993). Using assessments as learning (versus
assessments for or of learning) is also discussed in Earl (2013). In this approach to assessment,
students are given control of their learning and self-regulate their progress. In this way, students
are more engaged in their learning.
One of the key themes that resonates throughout the literature is that assessments need to
be student-focused -- in other words, developed with the individual student in mind (Wolf et. al,
2008; Herrera et. al, 2013). There are several approaches that can be taken in order to keep the
students in mind when it comes to assessments, but the student is the common denominator.
DeMilliano (2002) describes the purposes of assessments as being to identify the strengths and
weaknesses of individual students, a tool that can be used to adjust instruction to meet the needs
of the students, and a way to help inform students and parents as to where a student needs
improvement. Assessments can also be used as data to advance students to the next level in a
program. The education system could be vastly improved if assessments were truly seen this
way, to see what the student knows and help the student learn (which ought to be the purpose of
schooling), rather than a way to see if schools are getting high marks. Pompa (n.d.) suggests
several reformations that could be made in order to improve the validity of assessments for
ELLs, including using English proficiency as a trigger for content assessments, determining
appropriate accommodations for testing of ELLs, and using multiple indicators of achievement
in order to get a bigger picture of ELLs knowledge and abilities. Williams (2015) echoes
several of these same ideas for reformation, also indicating that the time in which ELLs are
forced to take these standardized tests ought to be moved back for the first three years.

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

Results
After looking through the literature, the following show the results for each of my three
research questions.
Research Question # 1 In what ways do existing educational policies affect assessments
practices for English Language Learners (ELLs)?
The first research question dealt with the ways in which existing educational policies
affect assessment practices for ELLs. Most of the literature that was uncovered discussed the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Not only did the NCLB Act affect the assessment of
ELLs, but also the ways in which services were implemented. The NCLB Act gives states the
flexibility to determine which students belong in the Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
subgroup (No Child Left Behind Fact Sheet on Assessment of English Language Learners) meaning that states can decide whether the LEP subgroup means students who are receiving
direct, daily service or also to include the students who may have exited but are being monitored.
Either way, all ELLs must take standardized tests every year (with accommodations, if
necessary) and their scores are included in the schools Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) report.
However, schools are allowed up to two years to include in the LEP subgroup former LEP
students who have attained English proficiency (No Child Left Behind Fact Sheet on
Assessment of English Language Learners). The AYP report also does not take the students
language proficiency tests into account when reporting. Many argue that, because the NCLB Act
does not take these language proficiency tests into account when reporting the AYP, there is an
inaccurate assumption that these tests are one-sized fits all and accurately portray the abilities
and knowledge of all students, without accounting for the fact that some students have different
needs (Abedi et. al, 2004). This brings up a major issue with test validity as well, because the

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

scores from content area tests (such as math, reading, and science) end up being indicative more
of student language proficiency rather than what the student knows about the content area itself
(Alvarez et. al, 2014). The AYP report also creates extra pressure for educators at schools with a
high number of ELLs, which causes schools to respond in such a way that can be potentially
harmful to the education of ELLs (La Chapelle, 2007; Abedi, 2004; No Child Left Behind Fact
Sheet on Assessment of English Language Learners).
Research Question # 2 Which types of assessments have been proven to be most effective in
enhancing student learning?
The second research question relates to the types of assessments that have been proven to
be most effective in enhancing student learning. Much of the research that has been looked at
has posed the concept of alternative assessments for ELLs, in order to get an accurate portrayal
of what the students know. As previously mentioned with the traditional forms of assessment,
they are too often geared toward the regular education student and the ELLs language
proficiency may interfere with their content knowledge. Alternative assessments provide
opportunities for these students to demonstrate what they can do and what they know at their
language proficiency levels (Norris et. al, 1998). It is also a way for teachers to get more
information and the academic needs of their students (Abedi, 2010).
One form of alternative assessment that has been discussed in a great deal of the literature
is the idea of performance assessment. In a performance assessment, the student is asked to
perform a task (or multiple tasks) that is authentic and real-to-life, and the success or failure of
the student is determined by a qualified judge (Norris et. al, 1998). Performance assessments are
based on classroom instruction and everyday tasks, so teachers can use these forms of
assessment to rate the ELLs language proficiency and academic knowledge (Colorado, 2007).

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

This can be done in the form of oral reports, presentations, demonstrations, written assignments,
and portfolios, for example. These assessments also can include both processes (for example,
several drafts of a writing sample) and products (like a team project). Teachers would use
rubrics and other forms of grading checklists to evaluate the students (Colorado, 2007).
One of the major examples of specific performance assessments proven to be effective in
the ESL classroom, and has been discussed repeatedly in the literature, was the idea of the
portfolio. Portfolio assessments are a way in which to demonstrate a students progress over the
year. These portfolios can include written work, drawings that demonstrate concept knowledge,
tapes of oral work, teacher descriptions of accomplishments, and formal test data (Colorado,
2007). It is important to note that a teacher ought to consider carefully before using this type of
assessment, and that he or she is considerate as to what to include in this portfolio, so as to
ensure the authenticity and reliability of this type of assessment (Moya & OMalley, 1994; Solis,
1993).
Performance assessments have several benefits. First of all, they can compensate for the
negative washback effect of standardized testing. Performance assessments can also be used
effectively in diagnostic situations when the teacher is trying to gather information on a
particular student. Performance assessments can also be used to document progress and
encourage students to think critically, creatively, and self-reflectively (Norris et. al, 1998).
Other than performance assessments, the idea of using assessments as learning was
introduced in Earl (2013). In this form of assessment, students set goals and monitor their
progress in reaching their goals. Assessments done in the classroom are tools that the students
may use in order to see how close they are to reaching their goals, and what the students need to
improve upon in order to reach these goals. This is far different from the normal approach to

IMPACT OF ASSESSMENTS ON ELLS EDUCATION AND PLACEMENT

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assessments, in that the assessments are purely meant to be used for and by the students, rather
than for the needs of the teacher or for reporting scores to the district. In using assessments as
learning, students are said to be more engaged in their learning process, as they are taking
ownership and driving their education.
Overall, it has been shown that the types of assessments that are most effective in
enhancing student learning are those that are student-focused or developed with the individual
student in mind (Wolf et. al, 2008; Herrera et. al, 2013). The purpose of utilizing assessments in
the classroom in the first place is to help improve the students learning, by identifying their
strengths and weaknesses and adjusting instruction accordingly, as well as showing the student
and parents where the individual student needs to improve (DeMilliano, 2002).
Research Question # 3 How do these assessments affect the future placement of English as a
Second Language students (tracking, etc.)?
The last research question that was posed was how assessments affect the future
placement and tracking of ELLs. As was mentioned previously, the implementation of the
NCLB Act has created greater pressure for schools with a high number of ELLs, because the
schools are pressured to meet their AYP every year and ELL students often negatively impact
these scores (due to lack of proficiency). If schools do not meet their AYP, they are faced with
consequences, such as the restructuring of schools in order to direct resources at the most atrisk students, which happens to include a large number of ELLs (La Chapelle, 2007). Many of
these schools have a lack of resources, such as teachers who know the best practices for ELLs,
and so therefore even though there is more focus on helping the at-risk kids, these students
may still not get what they need in order to become proficient. These high-stakes tests have such
a high impact on the curriculum of schools, where teachers focus on test-taking strategies and

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abandon programs that have been proven to be successful for ELLs over a long period of time
(La Chapelle, 2007).
Research shows as well that high school ELLs generally perform on standardized tests at
a much lower rate than their English-speaking peers (even by almost half), especially in reading
(though math scores have been shown to be a bit higher). Because of these scores, ELLs are
often placed in remedial and basic skill literacy classes however, despite this, the achievement
gap between ELLs and their English-speaking peers remains consistent (Koelsch, 2006).

Most

states have high school exit exams, and they require ELL students to pass these exams just as
their English-speaking peers. Based on this fact, it can be assumed that ELL students generally
struggle to meet graduation requirements (Pompa, n.d.). Data shows that Latino ELLs (who
comprise the largest group of ELLs) have the lowest graduation rates of all students of every
100 Latino students, only 61 will graduate high school, 31 of those who graduate will complete
some college, and only 10 of those will graduate with a Bachelors degree (Koelsch, 2006). This
statistic alone demonstrates the need for reform when it comes to assessing ELLs, especially
because ELLs account for more than 4.5 million students in the public school system - a number
which increases every year with families immigrating to the United States from other countries
(Lenski et. al, 2006). It is imperative that these students are represented when reformers are
looking to improve the assessment system in the United States so that these negative
repercussions can be avoided (La Celle-Peterson, 1994; Wright, 2006).
Issue Analyses
After looking at the results from each of the three research questions, there are three key
issues that have been determined to be of greatest importance for future consideration and
reformation.

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Theme 1: Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 in Test Validity and Future of ELLs
First of all, from looking at the research, it appears as though the No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001 (NCLB) has greatly impacted the assessment of ELLs, as well as the tracking and
the placement of ELLs in their education. The NCLB Act attempted to ensure that schools
become more accountable for the success of their students, but it did not take into consideration
how some of their actions would impact the ELLs. For example, as was mentioned in the results
section, schools with a high number of ELLs feel greater pressure to get high marks on their
students test scores, in order to make their Annual Yearly Progress (La Chapelle, 2007). The
interventions that are put into place to get these scores up among the at-risk students are not
always acceptable for ELLs, and as a result the achievement gap among ELLs is still large
(Koelsch, 2006). An alarming percentage of ELLs cannot pass these tests in order to graduate
from high school (Pompa, n.d.).
Because the NCLB Act also did not take language proficiency into account when
evaluating the scores from these tests, there is also a large issue with validity. These tests were
designed with the regular education student in mind, and so these tests are often more of an
assessment of language proficiency rather content knowledge for ELLs (Alvarez et. al, 2014).
Therefore the scores are not true indicators of what students really know when it comes to the
content, and should not be included in the data that shows how on track a school is with their
test scores.
Theme 2: Schools are Lacking Resources and Knowledge for ELLs
The second issue that was prevalent throughout the literature ties in closely with the
impact of the NCLB Act, and that is that many of schools in the United States public education
system are not equipped with the resources necessary to help the ELLs achieve proficiency, and

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are forced to approach these students with the same methods they do the other at-risk students.
When the test scores reveal that ELLs are not on target in reading and math (as well as other
content areas), schools place students in remedial classes in order to try and give them the
attention that they need. However, since these remedial classes are designed for students who
struggle with reading and math for reasons outside of language issues (or second language
acquisition issues), these classes do not meet the needs of the ELLs (Koelsch, 2006). It is
imperative that the root cause of these low test scores of ELLs, their lack of proficiency in the
English language, be addressed first. Several schools have ESL teachers who can assist in giving
ELLs the language instruction that they need, but it is imperative that classroom teachers are also
trained in how to teach ELLs, especially teachers at schools with a high number of ELLs
(Williams, 2015).
Theme 3: The Pros and Cons of Alternative Assessments
Finally, the issue of alternative assessments has been discussed in response to the
previous issues. Alternative assessments are a way to allow ELLs to show what they know
academically, without the barriers of language. Too often on standardized tests, there is
vocabulary that is unfamiliar to the student (vocabulary unrelated to content subjects) and
sentence structures that are more complicated than can be comprehensible to the student just
learning English. Therefore, these tests end up being more about how well ELLs can understand
the structure of the English language, rather than what they know about certain subject areas
(Alvarez et. al, 2014). Alternative assessments, such as portfolios, are a way for the teacher to
compile examples of student work that demonstrate what the student actually knows as well as
monitor the students English language progression (Abedi, 2010). Other forms of alternative

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assessments, particularly performance-based assessments, are based on classroom instruction

that the student is familiar with and are more real to life tasks (Colorado, 2007).
However, there are also some concerns when it comes to using alternative assessments,
and teachers need to be careful and considerate when choosing to utilize these forms. Obviously,
alternative assessments are not as straight-forward and conducive to grading as multiple choice
tests are. Grading alternative assessments, such as portfolios, takes a great deal more work for
teachers and the grading is not as clear-cut. More planning is also needed in deciding what goes
into these tests, as well as determining the instructional goal of these assessments (Norris et. al,
1998). The teacher needs to make sure that he or she develops a clear and concise rubric
beforehand in order to guide the grading process, as well as communicate to the student what is
expected of him or her. The construct of the alternative assessment is imperative, as it will
determine whether or not a test is valid and reliable for demonstrating the knowledge of an ELL
(Abedi, 2010).
Conclusion
The overarching question that this secondary research project was attempting to address
is: How does the use of assessments in the public education system affect English Language
Learners? From what has been previously stated, it can be seen that policies such as the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which were attempting to make schools more accountable and
enhance student learning, have had negative repercussions for English Language Learners. The
standardized tests that have been designed with regular education students in mind are rendered
invalid when it comes to assessing the content knowledge of the English Language Learners, due
to the interaction of language proficiency. When ELLs score low on these tests, it places them in
remedial classes with other at risk students, but fails to address the root issues of these low

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scores: the language proficiency. As a result, the high school graduation rate is lower for ELLs
because they cannot always pass the high school exit exams administered to all students.
Alternative assessment is an option that has been discussed by several educational
reformers, such as performance assessments like portfolios. While there are several benefits to
using alternative assessments for ELLs, such as being able to look past the language proficiency
issue and see what the students really know (content-wise), there is also an issue of validity in
using these assessments since teachers have to be careful how they construct and administer
these tests.
These issues are very important, as there are approximately 4.5 million ELLs in the
public schools, and this number is constantly on the rise as more than a million new U.S.
immigrants arrive every year (Lenski et. al, 2006). It is important for educators to consider the
needs of all of their students, and for them to recognize that not all students have the same needs.
With some of the startling graduation rates that have been documented for ELLs, it should be
noted that some of our ELLs needs are not being met and the education system is failing them.
Doing this secondary research project has greatly impacted my thinking on the subject of
ELLs and assessment practices. In my position as an ESL teacher in a Title 1 school in North
Carolina, I am deeply involved with the assessment of my students, particularly when it comes to
state-mandated assessments. My role is to ensure that my students are getting the
accommodations that are appropriate for them, and that these accommodations are being carried
out during the tests with fidelity. However, no matter how well we follow through with ensuring
that the accommodations are appropriate and upheld, my students consistently perform poorly on
these standardized tests. I have always been concerned with the wording on these tests, and have
identified the convolution of the sentences as the biggest issue behind these low scores. In the
classroom, my students excel and demonstrate a great understanding of content area subjects.
However, the data from these assessments shows otherwise. Prior to this secondary research

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project, I had not known the depth of the policies that had gone into the testing of ELLs, nor had
I truly registered the repercussions that these policies will cause for my students down the road.
This study will cause me to become more of an advocate for test reformation, as it is my job as
an educator to advocate for the needs of my students. The research that I have reviewed for this
project has given me several ideas on how the system needs to be changed. My resolution that is
following will identify my proposal for said changes.
Resolution
After thoroughly researching the issue of how assessments and policies of assessment
impact English Language Learners, I have identified several ideas as to how these issues could
be addressed and reformed. My issue brief is directed toward educational reformers and school
administrators for the following reasons. First of all, educational policy reformers and school
administrators are the ones who have the power to oversee the changes that need to happen in
schools. While school administrators themselves (such as principals, assistant principals, testing
coordinators, etc.) may not be able to directly determine the policies for assessing English
Language Learners, they are responsible for what goes on in their schools and can ensure that
ELLs are getting the resources and instruction that they need to attain language proficiency.
First of all, the policies toward assessing English Language Learners need to be changed
in the following ways. Williams (2015) identifies seven areas which educational policy
reformers need to address:
1) Subgroup identification and classification states differ in how they define ELL
subgroups (such as placing students who have exited the ESL program in the ELL
subgroup, or not) and this leads to faulty data. The guidelines for placing students in the
ELL subgroup need to be more defined.
2) Assessment using assessments that are not valid or reliable
3) Accountability the current system for accountability has serious faults that negatively
impact the assessing and placement of ELLs
4) PreK-3 more emphasis needs to be placed on these formative years

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5) Multilingualism more resources need to be allocated toward multilingual programs and

services
6) Human capital there needs to be more training and professional development for
educators of ELLs
7) Reinvigorating the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) the function of the
OELA is not specified enough, given the growing and critical importance of the ELL
population (Williams, 2015, p. 1).
Along with these calls for change to policy, Wright (2006) also implores educational
reformers to consider ELLs when creating assessments in the first place. This idea is known as
universal design. In this design, test try-outs include ELLs in the tryout sample, including the
use of accommodations during the trial. This way the test-makers can see what sort of trouble
ELLs run into when they are taking the test, and they can fix these problems before officially
delivering the test.
Outside of policy and reformation of standardized tests, education experts also have
much to say about what individual schools and teachers can do to ensure the validity of
assessments. Pompa (n.d.) recommends that teachers and schools determine appropriate
accommodations for ELLs (remembering that the same accommodations will not be appropriate
for every student), use native language assessments as interim assessments to determine content
knowledge, use multiple forms of assessments to get a bigger picture of what the student knows,
and implement strategies that have proven to be effective for ELLs. Lenski et. al 2006 also
weigh in on the guidelines necessary for assessing ELLs such as ensuring that assessment
activities guide the teachers instructional decisions, using assessments to determine what
students do know rather than what they do not know, using authentic learning activities when
assessing, viewing assessments over time rather than short term to see development of student
progress, and making sure that each assessment has a specific objective.

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To summarize what the literature says and also to input my own opinion on the issue,
changes to the policies of testing English Language Learners need to be made. First of all,
assessments ought to be tested on ELLs first before they are official in order to see what ELLs
struggle with and prevent unnecessary complications. Second of all, schools need to be held
accountable in the instruction of ELLs as well as how the ELLs are being assessed. Training and
professional development should be mandatory for any teacher responsible for the education of
ELLs, and instructional practices and strategies need to set in place for these students. School
administrators also need to hold teachers accountable for ensuring that these students needs are
being met and the instructional strategies are being carried out. When it comes to testing,
appropriate accommodations need to be pre-determined and used during all content exams
throughout the year, allowing for changes if accommodations are ruled ineffective. This will
also help the student become comfortable with the use of this accommodation so it is not new
and unfamiliar on testing day (which could lead to invalid test scores).
As far as score reporting goes, ELLs ought to be factored in to the reports. The subgroup
of LEP needs to be specified to include students who are still in the ESL program (not exited
or labeled formerly LEP) because these are the students for which language proficiency is still
an issue. The low scores of ELLs should not count negatively against the schools, as the tests do
not reflect necessarily how well schools are teaching content area subjects but more reflect how
far along students are in their language acquisition.
This is an important issue that educational policy reformers and school administrators
ought to care about. As mentioned previously, there is approximately 4.5 million ELLs in the
United States, a number which is growing every day. School administrators ought to be
concerned for the success of all of their students, not just the majority. Also, because low test
scores of ELLs can negatively impact the schools annual yearly progress (AYP) score, school

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administrators want to make sure that this score is as accurate as possible. Educational policy
reformers need to be ensuring that their policies of assessment are fair and give both schools and
students a chance to show what they actually know and how they are really doing. The purpose
of standardized tests is to assess whether or not students in each grade level are meeting the
educational objectives each year, and if the tests are not valid for all students then the purpose of
testing is not being met.

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References
Abedi, J. (2004). The No Child Left Behind Act and English Language Learners: Assessment
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