Margo Gottlieb, Ph.D.Illinois Resource Center andWorld-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium

2011 WABE Annual ConferenceKennewick, WA May 6, 2011

Building an Assessment System Inclusive of English Learners

ACADEMIC

ACHIEVEMENTLANGUAGE

PROFICIENCY

TODAY’S ADVENTURE INTO ASSESSMENT….

Testing your knowledge of assessment literacy

Examining instructional assessment systems descriptive of language learners

  Exploring the components of a balanced

instructional assessment system

  Defining the steps in designing standards-driven

instructional assessment for English learners

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WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT LITERACY?

Check out the ABC Assessment Chart in your handout.

Try to identify an assessment word or expression for each letter of the alphabet.

Star those words that directly apply to building an instructional assessment system.

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Student-focused Sustainable

Multiple sources Accountable

Aligned with standards Varied

Reliable Valid

Teacher-usable Yielding valued information

Gottlieb & Nguyen (2007)

Time to get SMART and SAVVY with instructional assessment data !

5ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES SHOULD UNDERGIRD ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS….

1. Teaching and learning are influenced by the interaction among learning goals, learning standards, and learning benchmarks, and their alignment with assessment measures.

2. Decision-making is based on multiple measures that include information from formative and summative assessment across levels of implementation to yield a rich array of quantitative, qualitative, and combined types of evidence.

ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES

3. Assessment at the state and district levels complements strongly supported assessment at the program and classroom levels.

4. Students’ language proficiency, as demonstrated by their growth in language development, is distinct from their academic achievement, their attainment of conceptual skills and knowledge. The assessment of these constructs is unique, with each measure specifically crafted to fulfill a distinct purpose.

Gottlieb & Nguyen (2007)6

LET’S IMAGINE

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You are the designer ofan instructional assessment system for yourdistrict…..

WHAT IS AN INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM?

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It’s a deliberate, agreed-upon convergence of thinking on the part of educators in how data inform teaching and learning while simultaneously contribute to local accountability.

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WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO CREATE AN INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS? TO

Provide multiple sources of evidence of student growth in language proficiency and academic achievement

Mark effectiveness of language education programs

Encourage teacher (and student) voice

Diagnose challenging areas and create a plan for improvement

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INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS ARE:

Internal to the functioning of schools and school districts while responsive to the external accountability mandates

Built on consensus from teachers, school leaders, and administrators

Rigorous, comprehensive, and standards-based

Systemic, reflective of shared educational goals, vision, and commitment

DEFINING INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT… Turn to a partner. One person thinks of 3 attributes of

instruction while one person thinks of 3 attributes of assessment. Then share the features with each other.

Instruction Assessment

SOME SHARED ATTRIBUTES OF INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT

Hands-on, performance-based

Engaging, motivating, rigorous, yet sensitive to the students’ educational experiences

Differentiated according to students’ levels of English language proficiency

Infused with instructional supports to scaffold learning

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Instruction Assessment

Instructional Assessment

MODELS OF INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS

Which shape or configuration do you think best describes an instructional assessment system built for English learners? Pick one.

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1

5 3

2

4

15INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS ARE NEEDED FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS TO:

Document their development of English over time

Track performance in their other language, if feasible and applicable

Ensure data from multiple measures are used for decision-making

Understand the relationship between the students’ language development and academic achievement

Research

Curriculum and Instruction

Assessment

AssEnglish

Learners

Standards

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MODEL 1: A CONCENTRIC ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

Professional Development

IN THIS MODEL….

English learners form the central core that is closely guarded by standards

Standards inform assessment which, in turn, drives curriculum and instruction

The outermost circle, professional development, is infused throughout the system.

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MODEL 2: A LINEAR ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

Home Language Survey

Screener

Curriculum, & Instruction

Annual ELP Assessment

ELP Benchmark Assessment

Annual Achievement Test

Achievement Benchmark Assessment

PreK-12 ELD Standards

Academic Content Standards

IN THIS MODEL English learners are identified from a

standard process consisting of a Home Language Survey and language proficiency screener

Two sets of standards work together in the design and delivery of curriculum and instruction

Measurement of language proficiency and academic achievement yields summative and interim data.

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MODEL 3: A CONTINUUM OF ASSESSMENTS

Idiosyncratic Common Interim Standardized

Individualized

Teacher Tools

Commercial Measures

Criterion –referenced

Tests

Classroom Measures

IN THIS DATA-DRIVEN MODEL Information on English learners is

considered across multiple forms of assessment that serve different purposes and have unique uses

Each form of assessment contributes to decision-making

Accountability is systemic rather than predominately at a state level

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Three forms of instructional assessment can provide formative information:

Idiosyncratic… measures designed by individual teachers used to make student, group, or classroom level decisions

Common… standard measures built by educators and used across classrooms to make grade/ department, school, program, or district decisions

Interim…. benchmark measures administered periodically that, in large part, are externally developed to make program or district decisions

DIFFERENT FORMS OF ASSESSMENT ARE DESIGNED FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES AND YIELD RESULTS THAT ARE USED IN DIFFERENT WAYS

Idiosyncratic Common Interim Standardized

Formative information

Summative information

Benchmarks

DIFFERENT FORMS OF ASSESSMENT ARE DESIGNED FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES AND YIELD RESULTS THAT ARE USED IN DIFFERENT WAYS

Idiosyncratic Common Interim Standardized

Formative information

Summative information

Benchmarks

• What are some measures that reflect each form of assessment for your English learners?

• What is the distribution of measures of language proficiency and academic achievement across the different forms?

• What are some additional measures needed for language learners?

Turn and Talk…A Quick Needs Assessment

MODEL 4: A STANDARDS- CENTERED MODEL

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INSTRUCTION

ASSESSMENT

CURRICULUM

Standards

IN THIS MODEL

English language development and academic content standards take center stage.

The system revolves around standards-referenced curriculum, instruction, and assessment

There is an interactive relationship among the components of the system.

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C

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Curriculum and

Instruction

MODEL 5: The BASIC Model

Gottlieb & Nguyen (2007)

ContextualInformation

State and districtassessment

Program and school assessment

Classroom assessment

Learning Standards

THE BALANCED ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, INCLUSIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE (BASIC) MODEL

Curriculum and instruction are the core components that are balanced by assessment data at various levels of implementation

The model is framed by learning standards and goals of the language education program

The context consists of students’ demographic & historical data that provide the backdrop for understanding their current performance

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State District Program Classroom

AcademicAchievement

Language Development

Which measures mark academic achievement and language development of English learners at each level of implementation?

• Greater consideration for each level of implementation?

• Use of additional forms of assessment and types of evidence?

• Involvement of additional stakeholders, including students and family members?

What might your district’s assessment system need to make it more balanced?

Is crafted by educators within schools and districts

Has strong ties to curriculum and is representative of instruction

Consists of tasks and projects that involve higher-order thinking, invite originality in response and encourage student interaction

Has a short turn around for reporting results with descriptive feedback for students

Reflects what is valued for teaching and learning

 

To Summarize, Instructional Assessment for English Learners

Finally, irrespective of the model you selected, the instructional assessment system must be:

A valid representation of the performance of English learners

Open to multiple voices and perspectives

Theoretically grounded in a confluence of fields, including linguistics, education, second language acquisition, and assessment

Based on research conducted on English learners

Dynamic, flexible, and open, willing to evolve over time.

IMAGINE IF…

Tomorrow, we are told that reauthorization of ESEA no longer requires annual achievement tests, but schools must continue to show that students are making adequate yearly progress toward meeting grade-level standards.

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Where would you begin to build a balanced instructional assessment system responsive to the diverse needs of your English learners?

Now that you have chosen a model descriptive of an instructional assessment system, what are the steps in its implementation for English learners?

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PREVIEW….TWO MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS 1. Who are your students?

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DEMOGRAPHICS…THE VARIABILITY AMONG ENGLISH LEARNERS

Students with Interrupted Formal Education

Long-term ELs English learners with considerations for

special education

Dual language learners ELLs with strong L1 literacy Simultaneous v. sequential young ELs

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2. What are Your Source Materials for Instructional Assessment?

Which sets of standards?

Which curricular topics and themes?

Which textbooks and technology?

Which other resources, such as multicultural communities, can you tap?

HERE IS A MULTI-STEP PROCESS FOR IMPLEMENTING AN INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM INCLUSIVE OF ENGLISH LEARNERS …

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STEP I: LANGUAGE AND CONTENT TEACHERS PARTNER TO CO-DESIGN LANGUAGE AND CONTENT TARGETS FOR CURRICULAR UNITS OF INSTRUCTION.

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WHY IS CO-PLANNING IMPORTANT? TO… Complement each teacher’s strengths and

expertise

Communicate and articulate students’ needs

Provide continuity of instruction for English language learners

Share the responsibility for educating English language learners

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HOW MIGHT YOU PLAN TOGETHER? Protected planning time

Joint professional development

Clusters

Early release days

Virtually43

Content and language targets correspond with the major conceptual and linguistic understandings for a unit of study.

A Sample Content Target

Students will round large whole numbers in various place values in solving math problems.

A Sample Language Target:

English language learners will use the language of estimation (e.g., ‘close to, about, around, approximately’) in oral communication as applied to rounding place value.

LANGUAGE CONTENT

STEP 2: INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT TASKS FOR THE UNIT ARE DESIGNED TO ENGAGE ENGLISH LEARNERS IN HANDS-ON, PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES.

A performance task should:

Exemplify both English language proficiency and academic content standards

Be rigorous, challenging, yet reasonable for English learners

Capitalize on the linguistic and cultural experiences of the students

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Step 3: LESSONS ARE DIFFERENTIATED BY LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES THAT CORRESPOND TO STUDENTS’ LEVELS OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Beginning ELs

Intermediate ELs

Transitional ELs

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In other words, how do the students’ levels of language proficiency impact how lessons are designed?

Beginning

Beginning-

Advanced

Intermediate

Advanced

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Transitional

Beginning

Intermediate

Advanced

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Beginning ELs: Students will say ‘round up’ or ‘round down’ in response to number phrases (e.g., ‘Going from 760 to 800, we __________’).

Intermediate ELs: Students will give each other a series of commands re: use of rounding for number sentences.

Advanced ELs: Students will explain, using the language of estimation, a multi-step process for rounding

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DIFFERENTIATED LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES

STEP 4. LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT IS EMBEDDED IN INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES, TASKS, OR PROJECTS

For the given language target ….

What activities, tasks, or projects might you design for the students’ levels of language proficiency?

What kinds of rubrics do you plan to incorporate into instruction?

49incorpo

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Instructional assessment = a performance activity, task or project + a rubric with set criteria + student self-assessment

EXAMPLE OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT TASK

With a partner, estimate the length, width, and perimeter of a room. Measure the room with various tools (e.g., meter and yard sticks). Round your results and explain how you did it.

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Step 5: DOCUMENTATION FORMS OR RUBRICS ARE DESIGNED TO COLLECT AND MAINTAIN DATA ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE.

Checklists Rating Scales Holistic Scales Analytic Scales

AN EXAMPLE SPEAKING CHECKLIST

YES NO

1. Student uses the language of estimation in context.

2. Student uses the language of estimation when rounding tens, hundreds, or thousands.

3. Student uses the language of estimation in explaining how to round place value.

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AN EXAMPLE RATING SCALE FOR SPEAKING

The student Not yet Sometimes Consistently

Uses the language of estimation in context.

Uses the language of estimation when rounding tens, hundreds, or thousands. Uses the language of estimation in explaining how to round place value

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STEP 6: SUSTAINED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ALLOWS TEACHER TEAMS TO ENGAGE IN AND REFLECT ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS.

Form Professional Learning Communities with language and content teacher teams that are supported by school leaders

Use devoted professional development time

as an opportunity to design and implement instructional assessment.

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‘IDEAS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF IDEAS.’ … JASON ZEBEHAZY

It’s time to build instructional assessment systems for English learners!