...English Language Learner’s Assessment English Language Learners, (ELL), have specific tests and procedures that the ELL teacher must follow in order to properly assess each student’s level of proficiency in English. After interviewing the English Language Learner teacher at our school, assessing ELL students gives the both the home teacher and ELL teacher the information needed to develop a SIOP, (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol), for each student. First, all new students are given a home language survey for their parents to fill out. If any language other than English is recorded on the survey, the student is given the WAPT in which this test identifies students who are English Language Learners. Language proficiency levels are determined through the ACCESS test which is given once a year in the early spring, and when the correct levels of English proficiency is determined, then the English Language Learner teacher will devise a plan specially designed to help the ELL student progress in learning English. The students are assessed in listening, speaking, reading, and writing the English language. They are scored on a rubic: one-entering, two-beginning, three-developing, four-expanding, five-bridging, and six-reaching. Then, the results from this assessment are used to make a learning plan for the student. This is a formal assessment, while informal assessments are used and vary throughout the school year. Teachers, (both home and ELL) are given the ACCESS...
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...Assessment of English Language Learners Grand Canyon University: ESL 533N August 21, 2013 Abstract The reason for writing this essay is to inform the reader about the processes students go through to be categorized as English Language Learners (ELLs). The administrators and educators have to follow steps to determine if a child is considered to be an ELL student. In the state of Mississippi, tests are provided to students who are entering school whom may be labelled as English language learners. The test will assist instructors with programmatic placement determinations such as identification and placement of ELLs. These assessments are called W-APT which stands for WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test. It is considered to be English language proficiency “screener” test. The tests are written from the WIDA’s five English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards: Social and Instructional Language, Language and Language Arts, Language of Mathematics, Language of Science, and Language of Social Studies. The test approaches the four communication domains of listening, talking, speaking, and writing. The Kindergarten W-APT is given to student in the second semester pre-K, Kindergarten, and first term 1st graders. Also, the paper will discuss the alternative assessment formats and importance of each one. There are many immigrants that are living in the United States. Over the past 30 years, the population of immigrants have increased more than 14 million. English language...
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...he Use of Assessment Methods and the Impact on English Language LearnersT April 30, 2014 Testing English Language Learners (ELL’s) in our district is a very huge process. When students first enroll, whether it is kindergarten or high school, the parents or guardians are required to fill out a home language survey. Based off the answers the parent/guardians provide determines if the student goes to central registration for testing. If the child is found to be of having more than one language they go for testing. The testing that the student goes through is the World –Class Instructional Design Assessment (WIDA). The WIDA method was adopted in 2008 for the entire state of Virginia. The WIDA is comprised of a series of tests ranging from spoken, written, and listening skills. The instructor who gives the test then gives the child a score on the range of one to six. These scores are directly correlated to the ELP Standards, (www.pwcs.edu/ESOL), our state has adopted. Once the WIDA is given, it gives the upcoming or current teachers a score in reading, writing, fluency, speaking, and listening. From those areas it also gives us a composite score. The composite score is what the ELL teachers use to group their students for instruction. These scores give us teacher’s valuable information in how we should instruct our children and how they should be assessed. We know if a child is at the beginning level...
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...Assessments are a very valuable tool in measuring a student’s learning abilities and achievements. They are a crucial in that they are used for teachers to look back on how and what they are teaching. Assessing a student means to prove that they are in fact learning. Teachers use this evidence to determine whether they need to change their lesson plans or the manner in which they are instructing, and the students use this feedback to find out their weak areas so that they can concentrate more on them, which is much the same use for the parents. The parents take the information provided by these assessments so that they can pursue their child’s strengths and help them with the weaknesses. The data that these assessments provide is also used by the school administrators. It shows them the improvement of not only the students but also the teachers that is needed for state and federal levels, which determine if more funding is needed to aide students with their learning and achievements. The majority of students born and raised in the United States can easily understand the English language. However, there are the select few that do not speak English because it is not their dominate language that they use at home, so these students require assessments that will enable them to pick up the English language. Getting these students to pick up the language can be an extremely hard task for teachers. In 2001 the No Child Left Behind Act states that students should be tested...
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...Due to the fact that English Language Learners can be easily misunderstood and mistaken for having a disability if their language skills are still developing, it is important that an early assessment of their ability to learn and comprehend is properly identified. If the student (s) seems to be having a hard time grasping what they are being taught, a teacher would consider that perhaps there is more than just a language barrier; possibly a learning one as well. “Once students are identified as struggling, educators need to determine whether the difficulties are due to English language learning a learning difficulty, or both. Students may need to be taught differently depending on: the root cause of their difficulty, considerations of developmental...
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...English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Nation: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE PRACTICE Edited by Jamal Abedi U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , D AV I S • S C H O O L O F E D U C A T I O N Copyright © 2007 The Regents of the University of California The work reported herein was supported in part by the National Research and Development Centers, PR/Award Number R305A050004, as administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The findings and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Institute of Education Sciences, or the U.S. Department of Education. T his study required the participation of all fifty states, their assessment directors, particularly those involved with the NCLB Title III assessments. Their cooperation and patience is much appreciated, and their dedication to educating young people is greatly admired. We cannot thank the states enough for their collaboration with this project. Many people generously contributed to the development of this report. We are especially indebted to the chapter authors for their invaluable contributions and for their patience throughout this process. Sue Rigney from the U.S. Department of Education contributed greatly to the quality of this work by providing excellent comments and suggestions. We are so grateful for her support, advice and contribution to this report. Kathleen Leos of the U.S...
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...Abstract This essay focuses on standards-based instruction and its effects on English language learners. Furthermore, this discussion will address the purpose for creating ELL Standards and the resulting benefits the standards provide both teachers and students within ELL departments throughout the country. As the amount of second language learners steadily increases, it is critical that the components necessary to decrease the language barriers, which can negatively affect students’ daily performance, be analyzed and modified as necessary. In 1983, a report titled, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform, was released under President Reagan’s National Commission on Excellence in Education (“A Nation at Risk”, 2006). The statistical information gathered in this report compared the performance of American high school and college students to that of their peers in other advanced countries. This study identified several risk factors in regard to the public education system in the United States. For example, commission research found that American students failed to place first or second on any of the nineteen academic tests administered internationally and in fact placed last on seven of those nineteen assessments (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983). In addition, the study showed a steady decline in the following subjects: science, math, reading, and language arts. In result, this research determined that the United State’s education system...
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...Running head: ELL ASSESSMENT ELL Assessment Angela Davis Grand Canyon University ESL 523N May 19, 2010 Abstract: This paper is to inform the reader about the procedures that are followed when distinguishing the English Language Learners. There are several steps to be followed when determining ELL students, to be defined as a ELL student the individual must be 3 to 21 years old, enrolled in elementary or secondary school, either not born in the United States or speaking a language other than English, and having difficulty in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding English and not meeting the state’s proficient level of achievement to successfully achieve in English-only classrooms. After reading this excerpt, you will have gained full knowledge of the ELL students. During the procedure of producing an ELL student, there are various steps that are taken. A test must be administered before anyone can be labeled as an ELL student. Also during my research, I found out that it is illegal to put a bilingual/ESOL aide or paraprofessional in charge of a classroom that is not under the supervision of a certified teacher. According to King, Title III of the NCLB Act requires that all teachers in language-instruction educational programs for ELL students be fluent in English and any other language used by that program, including written and oral communication skills. When determining if the student should be classified as an ELL student, the states and...
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...December 2, 2012 English Language Teaching: Foundations and Methodologies Alignment of Academic Standards with ELL Proficiency Standards In 2001 the federal government put into action what is known as the No Child Left Behind Act or the NCLB, changing the foundations and the administration of educational instruction in our American educational systems. Written within the federal law of the No Child Left Behind Act the government requires states to include English Language Learning or ELL students in state assessments and assess students language proficiency with valid, reliable assessments in the areas of oral language and reading and writing skills, but more specifically comprehension of speaking, reading, listening, and writing the English language. Also included in the NCLB Act are the provisions that these assessments given must also assist in assessing students in their attainment of the states academic achievement standards. (NCLB, 2001) With the development and creation of these federal standards being implemented into the educational system a new approach needed to be maid and assessed in how states and schools were acclimating and appropriately assessing English Language Learners. With the ever so growing population of non-English speaking students being implemented into the government regulated educational systems over the last several decades something needed to change. Even just the population and growth of English Language Learners has increased by over...
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...EVENT(S)/BEHAVIOR(S): In the Marshalltown Community District, there are a couple different types of assessments that are used to assess language learners. A student that is new to the country will take the TELPA assessment, which is required by the state. This test needs to be taken within thirty days from the beginning of the year, fourteen days after the start of the year. Another assessment that is given annually is called ELPA21, which is a new assessment for the Marshalltown District. It has replaced the annual assessment, I-ELDA. The new assessment, ELPA21, connects with the Iowa Core and the ELP standards. For the ELPA 21 assessment, a student will be marked “proficient” when all domain levels are greater or equal to 4. A student will be marked “progressing” when the domain level combinations fall in between the criteria for “proficient” and “emerging.” A student will be marked “emerging” when all domain levels are less than or equal to 2....
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...Integration of Working Memory Training Working memory has been a growing topic of interest in the field of Speech Language Pathology. It affects all aspects of children’s development, including speech, language, reading, and classroom success. Working memory deficits are prevalent in people with schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), traumatic brain injuries, learning disabilities, specific language impairment (SLI), and intellectual disabilities (Van der Molen, Van Luit, Van der Molen, Klugkist, & Jongmans, 2010). With the rising awareness of how working memory deficits can effect children’s development, the question of whether speech language pathologists should assess and treat these deficits has been asked more and more. Assessing and treating working memory deficits are key and can help many different populations improve in their speech and language development. Assessment for working memory deficits and working memory training should be standard and included into the normal regime. The following paper will touch on what working memory is. As well as how a deficit in working memory can effect children’s development, whether they are typically developing children, or children with other disorders. Some assessment options and then training techniques of working memory will be introduced as well. What is Working Memory? Working memory requires the ability to attend to new information, retain incoming information, and manipulate the...
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...Types of evaluations There are several types of evaluations/assessments that can be done by school systems or independently. This webpage describes eleven type of assessments/evaluations. If the school is evaluating your child, they must be evaluated in ALL the areas of suspected disability. Page Index: Educational Evaluation , Psychological Evaluation (Wechsler Intelligence, Attention, behaviors and emotions ), Neuropsychological Evaluation, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Speech and Language Evaluation, Auditory Processing Evaluation, Occupational Therapy (OT) Evaluation, Physical Therapy (PT) Evaluation, Assistive Technology (AT) Assessment, Transition Assessment(TA), Home Assessment, and Teacher Assessment/Observation. If you have received "EVALUATION CONSENT FORM", (form called Attachment to N 1) in the mail. Before you sign and return this form, you can request a "pre-evaluation conference" to talk with a school professional(s) about the 5 W's (Who, What, When, Where, Why) who will conduct each evaluation, what evaluations/tests would be helpful, when will your child be taken out of classes to be tested and where will your child be given the test/evaluations and who will be explaining why the evaluations are happening? These are the assessments/evaluations that can be listed on the Consent form (N1), it may include these but are not limited to what is printed on the (Attachment to N 1) form. As stated in Special Education Regulation: 28.04(1)(c) School...
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...| Student(s): | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Listening | Literacy[Reading 50%, Writing 50%] | Oral Language [Listening 50%, Speaking 50%] | Comprehension [Listening30%, Reading 70%] | Overall Listening 15%, Speaking 15%, Reading 35%, Writing 35%] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Other support services that my ELLs receive: | Lesson Standards and Objectives | Common Core State Standards (discipline, standard number, and description): | Content Objective(s): | Language Objective(s): Language Objectives should be directly linked to the language skills students will need to be successful in achieving the content objective.Language Objectives Differentiation for Proficiency Levels: | Mentor Text or Source: | Targeted Tiered Vocabulary from Mentor Text or SourceTier 2 & Tier 3 words should be integrated into student product/assessment. | Tier 1 wordsBasic words most children know in their primary language: may include connectors or compounds | Tier 2 wordsEssential to comprehension: i.e., process & transition, specificity, sophistication polysemy, transitional terms, idioms, clusters, cognates… | Tier 3 wordsLow frequency, content specific, typically glossed in the back of the text book | Student Prerequisite Skills or Background Knowledge: What content or language knowledge or skills do my ELLs need to successfully complete the...
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...specifically define the general definition they have provided for English Language Learners and for states to determine procedures for identifying students needing Title III services (National Research Council of the National Academies, 2011). Due to the fact that I live and teach in Florida, I will be basing the information researched for this paper on the Florida State Standards, Laws and the Department of Education Procedures. As defined by the Florida Statutes an English Language Learner (ELL) is “an individual who was not born in the United States and whose native language is a language other than English; an individual who comes from a home environment where a language other than English is spoken in the home; or an individual who is an American Indian or Alaskan native and who comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on his or her level of English language proficiency; and who, by reason thereof, has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or listening to the English language to deny such individual the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English” (Florida Department of Education, 2007.Pp.1). Individual states have a process for initial identification in order to determine affiliation of linguistic minority students, assess their English language efficiency level using an English Language Proficiency assessment, screener, or placement test (National Research Council of the...
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...during the week, and her father on weekends. The child’s language is English. Tina attends kindergarten in the morning at Pottsboro Primary and goes to a neighborhood childcare center in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the client does not receive any special education services at this time. This evaluation was completed at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Speech and Hearing Clinic on Octover 21st, 2016. Background information was collected from conversations with both Tina’s mother and teacher. The mother’s main concern is Tina’s communication development. The mother’s stated that the client speaks with a lisp and pronounces...
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