Strengthening Assessment for English Learner ... - REL West - WestEd
Strengthening Assessment for English Learner Success: y Challenges g and Key Opportunities under Common Core Standards Robert Linquanti Project Director & Sr. Sr Researcher WestEd REL-West EL Alliance Event May 23, 2012 Salt Lake City, UT
WestEd.org
Purposes of Today‘s Presentation •Set key points of understanding regarding EL population •Examine implications of common core state standards (CCSS) •Discuss how assessment systems can be more responsive to ELs •Highlight challenges and choices moving forward WestEd.org
If an English learner performs poorly on academic content assessment… is it due to… • Insufficient language proficiency to demonstrate content knowledge? kno ledge? • Lack of content knowledge? (opportunity to learn content?)) • Construct-irrelevant interference? (Unnecessarily complex language) • Other Oth sources off bi bias or error? ? (C (Cultural lt l distance, dialectical variation, rater misinterpretation) WestEd.org
1. Defining & monitoring EL population l ti iis critical iti l ((and d currently poorly done) • ELs very diverse, yet seen monolithically • EL status is temporary, instructionally dependent – unique subgroup g more • Successful ELs exit EL cohort,, leaving lower-performing and newly arrived performing g by y definition, exited ELs • Better p may still have linguistic, academic needs • Monitor progress in ELP by time, in academics by ELP and time WestEd.org
Accurate, Meaningful Accountability Requires a Stable EL Subgroup
St d t Who Students Wh B Began as ELs EL (English Proficient Learners)
Mett state M t t reclass criteria
Should meet grade-level proficiency; Count in subgroup g p to hold accountable for equity & access
Current ELs 1-5 1 5 yrs in state schools Should meet annual ELP & academic progress goals
Long-term ELs 6 or more y yrs. in state Schools
% should decrease annually
Working Group on ELL Policy, 2011 (www.Ellpolicy.org) WestEd.org
CA ELs and former ELs ((RFEP)) by g grade 200000
Ever-EL
K-5
6-12
Total
EL
86%
43%
1,435,734
RFEP
14%
57%
794 467 794,467
180000 160000 140000 120000 RFEP
100000
EL
80000 60000 40000 20000 0 K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Source: CDE DataQuest, 2010-11 CELDT & CST WestEd.org
District ELs, Long-Term ELs and F Former ELs EL (RFEP) by b grade d 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%
RFEP
40%
L-T EL
30%
EL
20% 10% 0%
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
RFEP
0%
0%
13%
25%
38%
46%
57%
61%
64%
58%
62%
69%
70%
45%
L-T EL
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
36%
32%
29%
28%
32%
26%
21%
24%
18%
100%
100%
87%
75%
62%
18%
11%
10%
8%
10%
12%
10%
7%
37%
2:1
3:1
3:1
3.5:1
3:1
2:1
2:1
3.5:1
EL
L-T EL:EL Ratio:
Long-term EL: 6 or more years in LEA
WestEd.org
District Students Meeting GradeGrade Level ELA Performance Standards 90%
(District 2010 CST-ELA Results)
% at Proficient o or Advanced
80% 70% 60%
EL
50%
RFEP
40%
EL+RFEP
True Gap
30%
EO IFEP
20% 10%
Long-Term ELs clustered here
0% 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
GRADE WestEd.org
2.. English-language g s a guage proficiency p o c e cy iss fundamental to academic achievement: Must measure and monitor both t
WestEd.org
ELs’ English Language Proficiency Level Affects their Academic Performance
Highest 75th %ile Mean Median 25th %ile
Linquanti, 2011
Lowest WestEd.org
Similar Students, Different Performance
WHAT WE KNOW
Cook, Linquanti, Chinen & Jung, 2012 WestEd.org
It Takes ELs Time to Learn Academic English
Thompson & Hakuta, 2011 WestEd.org
Exhibit 17 Percent of Initial ELP Level 1 ELs Attaining the English-Proficient Threshold Across Analytic Approaches and Grade Clusters Predicted Beyond Observed Years
Cook, Linquanti, Chinen & Jung, 2012
WestEd.org
Set timeframes for ELP Progress & Attainment Expected English Language Proficiency Progress Entry Point y (time zero) 1 Year 1 2 Initial 2 3 English English 3 4 Proficiency 4 4 Level 5
Time (academic years) ( y ) 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years 5 Years 3 4 4 5 4 4 5 4 5 5 IFEP (not ELL)
These expectations reflect individual EL’s AMAO 1 & AMAO 2 criteria WestEd.org
Set academic progress benchmarks • Progress benchmarking, indexed progress, growth/status models, models others • By expected ELD level (or actual if higher) Distribution of Grade 3 Mathematics Scale Scores for ELs ((byy level)) and Non ELs Groups Level 1 Level 2 ELs Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 N ELs Non EL
25th Percentile 245 287 320 346 361 341
50th Percentile 282 325 364 377 417 399
75th Percentile 336 377 407 437 469 451
Distribution of Grade 3 ELA Scale Score for ELs (by level) and Non ELs Groups Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 ELs Level 4 Level 5 Non ELs
25th Percentile
50th Percentile
75th Percentile
224 250 281 296 315 311
242 272 307 326 347 342
266 296 330 356 384 377
ELP Level Level 1 L l2 Level Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
0 to 1 182 69 48 21 --
Years in Program 2 3 69 48 48 21 21 ------
4 21 -----
WestEd.org
3. Common core standards change the game for ELs and their teachers
WestEd.org
3. Common core standards change the game for ELs and their teachers
WestEd.org
What do the New Standards Imply? Focus on Language Uses… “Students can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines and they can construct effective arguments and convey intricate and multifaceted information.” (ELA student portraits, p. 7) Common Core State Standards, 2010 WestEd.org
What do the New Standards Imply? Focus on Language Uses Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, assumptions definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. arguments They make conjectures, and build a logical progression of statements to explore p the truth of their conjectures” (Math practices, pp. 6-7) Common Core State Standards, 2010 WestEd.org
Language uses also key in creating new science standards
Among essential science practices: K-12 Science Framework •Constructing explanations and designing solutions (NRC, 2012, pp. •Engaging in argument from evidence 45, 49) •Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information WestEd.org
Major Shifts in New Standards ELA •
•
•
Regular practice with complex text and its vocabulary Building knowledge through content-rich content rich informational texts Emphasis on reading, writing, and speaking that is grounded in evidence from the text
Math •
•
•
Science
Provide opportunities for • student access to the different mathematical (discourse) practices • described in the CCSS Support mathematical discussions and use a variety of participation structures
•
Focus on students’ mathematical reasoning, • NOT on students’ flawed or developing language
Developing and using models Constructing explanations (for science) and developing solutions (for engineering) Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating g information WestEd.org
Content
Mostly vo ocabulary y, gram mmar
Old Paradigm
Language
WestEd.org
New Paradigm
Content
Discourse Complex texts Explanations Argumentation g Text and Sentence structures Δ Vocabulary practices
Language
WestEd.org
New Paradigm
Content
Discourse Complex text Explanation Argumentation Text structures Sentence structures ΔVocabulary practices
Language g g Arts WestEd.org
Implications for ELP/ELD Standards Uncover and delineate language uses in CCSS: • Social and g general/discipline-specific p p academic, e.g. » » » »
Obtain information, request clarification Demonstrate understanding, confirm being understood B ild on others’ Build th ’ & articulate ti l t own ideas id Construct explanations, engage in arguments
Express target language uses in progressions » Help H l tteachers h appropriately i t l scaffold ff ld & supportt
language used for content knowledge and action » Help ELD assessment developers design appropriate tasks to measure growth
WestEd.org
Students are challenged g to… •engage in productive oral and written group work o with peers pee s •engage in effective oral and written interactions with teachers •explain and demonstrate their knowledge using emerging complex language and other communicative strategies in different settings •extract meaning from complex written texts. WestEd.org
Teachers are challenged to… • teach for understanding and productive application – more complicated than teaching discrete skills and knowledge • see themselves as teachers of language use in addition to content area • develop new ways of motivating and enabling students to use language in the classroom to p perform in the content areas WestEd.org
Challenges for Support Systems • Existing ways to support teachers and administrators – through coaching and supervision, professional learning communities, and professional development opportunities – must attune to and build capacity to meet the increased demands surrounding content and language. WestEd.org
Challenges for Assessment Systems The new content assessments: • must yield valid inferences for ELL students at varying levels of English language proficiency. proficiency • must be unbiased with respect to language, even while language has become part of the new definition of content
The new English language proficiency assessments: • must reflect and measure the language demands inherent in the content standards. • must capture the breadth, depth, and complexity of receptive and productive language uses. WestEd.org
4. Comprehensive assessment systems can better respond to EL strengths, needs
• • •
Formative: Directly informs, supports, and enhances teacher pedagogy and student learning Interim/benchmark: Predicts outcomes, guides interventions Summative: Drives program review, review accountability
WestEd.org
4. Comprehensive assessment systems can better respond to EL strengths, needs • Formative assessment is critical for ELs as most instructionally relevant • Interim/thru-course assessments should match intended uses with opportunity pp y to learn • Summative assessment should strengthen signal i l • EL-responsive access and accommodations • Even incremental validity gains help WestEd.org
Effective formative assessment is a process teachers and students use 9 Teachers adjust teaching in response to assessment evidence 9 Students receive feedback on learning with advice on how they can improve 9 Students participate through selfassessment 9 Strengthens teacher capacity to stage EL language and content learning
Heritage, 2008, 2010 WestEd.org
5. Accommodations can improve access & validity when configured correctly • Accommodations research findings mixed • 20-25% gap reduction using English dictionaries/glossaries • Plain language approaches vary in effectiveness
• Hard to disentangle reasons for this • Necessary language complexity of learning strand? • Aggregate findings mask which work for which ELs?
• Promising: Assign configurations of accommodations by student profile/need • Emerging evidence of increased effectiveness Kieffer et al., 2009; Kopriva et al., 2007 WestEd.org
EL-responsive accommodations English-language supports: •English dictionary/glossary with extra time •Plain English (vary) (Pennock-Roman & Rivera, 2011)
Primary-language supports: •Primary-language versions (at Low ELP levels or receiving L1 instruction) •Dual language (parallel bilingual) with extra time WestEd.org
6. EL-responsive assessment innovations hold promise and risk: Pursue carefully Multi-semiotic approaches: •Target ELs at lowest ELP levels in math and science •“Language minimizing” must be seen as temporary
Computer adaptive assessment: •Should differentiate language load of construct-equivalent t t i l t items •Automated Automated scoring routines should recognize interlanguage features WestEd.org
Assessing science knowledge of beginning-ELP Level ELs
Source: www.ONPAR.us WestEd.org
Assessing math knowledge of beginning-ELP Level ELs
Source: www.ONPAR.us WestEd.org
Language Demands of CCSS g Focal Constructs and Measuring
CCSS language-richness better signals general/ p p academic language, g g but discipline-specific Need to carefully distinguish language related vs. unrelated to focal construct(s) being measured Unnecessary linguistic complexity unrelated to focal construct represents “construct-irrelevant” source of systematic measurement error Dilemma: What’s necessary, y, what’s not? Language uses inextricably related to enacting/ demonstrating complex content knowledge How do we help developers measure on a large-scale?
WestEd.org
7. ELP & academic assessment developers must collaborate on comprehensive assessment systems for ELs to benefit
RTT assessment consortia strike balance among three key assessment dimensions ELP assessment developers ensure nextgeneration assessments better measure g language skills and uses reflected in CCSS Collaboration needed to help these systems t to t cohere h
WestEd.org
PARCC and SBAC can incorporate EL assessment and accommodations research lessons into test development processes 1 Examine different interpretations of test scores by 1.
subgroups of students, including ELs at different ELP levels 2. Identify possible construct-irrelevant sources in items and tasks via cognitive labs and think-alouds on ELs at different ELP levels 3. Have content, language, g g and assessment experts p identify y unnecessary linguistic complexity o Linguistic structures related vs. unrelated to focal construct(s) () 4. Specify accommodations by EL student characteristics, testing conditions, and instructional services provided 5. Provide o de evidence e de ce to o subs substantiate a a e EL acco accommodation oda o selection & delivery WestEd.org
Some ways y forward
Develop ELP standards framework to
capture breadth, depth, and complexity of academic language skills and uses reflected in CCSS (CCSSO to release one) Strengthen g communication, data collection/analysis, experimentation, and prototyping of next-generation ELP and academic assessment tasks Convene content and ELP assessment developers WestEd.org
Some ways forward
Use new ELP performance standards to
evaluate language demands of content assessmentt it items and d tasks t k Invest heavily in formative assessment processes and practices, tools and tasks that map key academic language competencies and target language uses
Articulate in language learning progressions reflected in ELP standards & assessment specifications
WestEd.org
Understanding g Language: g g Three Goals 1. Engage in public dialogue around what the CCSS and NGSS imply for ELLs. 2. Develop exemplars of what CCSS and NGSSaligned instruction looks like, to be used as strategic tools by districts (and others). 3. Develop a vibrant, i inquisitive, i iti engaging i online community WestEd.org
ell.stanford.edu
WestEd.org
Recap of Key points 1. Defining & monitoring EL population is critical 2. English-language proficiency is fundamental to academic achievement 3. Common core standards change the game for ELs and their teachers
WestEd.org
Recap of Key points 4. Comprehensive assessment systems can better respond p to EL strengths g & needs 5. Accommodations – no panacea – can improve access and validity when configured fi d correctly tl 6. EL-responsive assessment innovations hold promise and risk: Pursue carefully 7. ELP & academic assessment developers must collaborate for ELs to benefit WestEd.org
WestEd.org
Purposes of Today‘s Presentation •Set key points of understanding regarding EL population •Examine implications of common core state standards (CCSS) •Discuss how assessment systems can be more responsive to ELs •Highlight challenges and choices moving forward WestEd.org
If an English learner performs poorly on academic content assessment… is it due to… • Insufficient language proficiency to demonstrate content knowledge? kno ledge? • Lack of content knowledge? (opportunity to learn content?)) • Construct-irrelevant interference? (Unnecessarily complex language) • Other Oth sources off bi bias or error? ? (C (Cultural lt l distance, dialectical variation, rater misinterpretation) WestEd.org
1. Defining & monitoring EL population l ti iis critical iti l ((and d currently poorly done) • ELs very diverse, yet seen monolithically • EL status is temporary, instructionally dependent – unique subgroup g more • Successful ELs exit EL cohort,, leaving lower-performing and newly arrived performing g by y definition, exited ELs • Better p may still have linguistic, academic needs • Monitor progress in ELP by time, in academics by ELP and time WestEd.org
Accurate, Meaningful Accountability Requires a Stable EL Subgroup
St d t Who Students Wh B Began as ELs EL (English Proficient Learners)
Mett state M t t reclass criteria
Should meet grade-level proficiency; Count in subgroup g p to hold accountable for equity & access
Current ELs 1-5 1 5 yrs in state schools Should meet annual ELP & academic progress goals
Long-term ELs 6 or more y yrs. in state Schools
% should decrease annually
Working Group on ELL Policy, 2011 (www.Ellpolicy.org) WestEd.org
CA ELs and former ELs ((RFEP)) by g grade 200000
Ever-EL
K-5
6-12
Total
EL
86%
43%
1,435,734
RFEP
14%
57%
794 467 794,467
180000 160000 140000 120000 RFEP
100000
EL
80000 60000 40000 20000 0 K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Source: CDE DataQuest, 2010-11 CELDT & CST WestEd.org
District ELs, Long-Term ELs and F Former ELs EL (RFEP) by b grade d 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%
RFEP
40%
L-T EL
30%
EL
20% 10% 0%
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
RFEP
0%
0%
13%
25%
38%
46%
57%
61%
64%
58%
62%
69%
70%
45%
L-T EL
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
36%
32%
29%
28%
32%
26%
21%
24%
18%
100%
100%
87%
75%
62%
18%
11%
10%
8%
10%
12%
10%
7%
37%
2:1
3:1
3:1
3.5:1
3:1
2:1
2:1
3.5:1
EL
L-T EL:EL Ratio:
Long-term EL: 6 or more years in LEA
WestEd.org
District Students Meeting GradeGrade Level ELA Performance Standards 90%
(District 2010 CST-ELA Results)
% at Proficient o or Advanced
80% 70% 60%
EL
50%
RFEP
40%
EL+RFEP
True Gap
30%
EO IFEP
20% 10%
Long-Term ELs clustered here
0% 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
GRADE WestEd.org
2.. English-language g s a guage proficiency p o c e cy iss fundamental to academic achievement: Must measure and monitor both t
WestEd.org
ELs’ English Language Proficiency Level Affects their Academic Performance
Highest 75th %ile Mean Median 25th %ile
Linquanti, 2011
Lowest WestEd.org
Similar Students, Different Performance
WHAT WE KNOW
Cook, Linquanti, Chinen & Jung, 2012 WestEd.org
It Takes ELs Time to Learn Academic English
Thompson & Hakuta, 2011 WestEd.org
Exhibit 17 Percent of Initial ELP Level 1 ELs Attaining the English-Proficient Threshold Across Analytic Approaches and Grade Clusters Predicted Beyond Observed Years
Cook, Linquanti, Chinen & Jung, 2012
WestEd.org
Set timeframes for ELP Progress & Attainment Expected English Language Proficiency Progress Entry Point y (time zero) 1 Year 1 2 Initial 2 3 English English 3 4 Proficiency 4 4 Level 5
Time (academic years) ( y ) 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years 5 Years 3 4 4 5 4 4 5 4 5 5 IFEP (not ELL)
These expectations reflect individual EL’s AMAO 1 & AMAO 2 criteria WestEd.org
Set academic progress benchmarks • Progress benchmarking, indexed progress, growth/status models, models others • By expected ELD level (or actual if higher) Distribution of Grade 3 Mathematics Scale Scores for ELs ((byy level)) and Non ELs Groups Level 1 Level 2 ELs Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 N ELs Non EL
25th Percentile 245 287 320 346 361 341
50th Percentile 282 325 364 377 417 399
75th Percentile 336 377 407 437 469 451
Distribution of Grade 3 ELA Scale Score for ELs (by level) and Non ELs Groups Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 ELs Level 4 Level 5 Non ELs
25th Percentile
50th Percentile
75th Percentile
224 250 281 296 315 311
242 272 307 326 347 342
266 296 330 356 384 377
ELP Level Level 1 L l2 Level Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
0 to 1 182 69 48 21 --
Years in Program 2 3 69 48 48 21 21 ------
4 21 -----
WestEd.org
3. Common core standards change the game for ELs and their teachers
WestEd.org
3. Common core standards change the game for ELs and their teachers
WestEd.org
What do the New Standards Imply? Focus on Language Uses… “Students can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines and they can construct effective arguments and convey intricate and multifaceted information.” (ELA student portraits, p. 7) Common Core State Standards, 2010 WestEd.org
What do the New Standards Imply? Focus on Language Uses Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, assumptions definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. arguments They make conjectures, and build a logical progression of statements to explore p the truth of their conjectures” (Math practices, pp. 6-7) Common Core State Standards, 2010 WestEd.org
Language uses also key in creating new science standards
Among essential science practices: K-12 Science Framework •Constructing explanations and designing solutions (NRC, 2012, pp. •Engaging in argument from evidence 45, 49) •Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information WestEd.org
Major Shifts in New Standards ELA •
•
•
Regular practice with complex text and its vocabulary Building knowledge through content-rich content rich informational texts Emphasis on reading, writing, and speaking that is grounded in evidence from the text
Math •
•
•
Science
Provide opportunities for • student access to the different mathematical (discourse) practices • described in the CCSS Support mathematical discussions and use a variety of participation structures
•
Focus on students’ mathematical reasoning, • NOT on students’ flawed or developing language
Developing and using models Constructing explanations (for science) and developing solutions (for engineering) Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating g information WestEd.org
Content
Mostly vo ocabulary y, gram mmar
Old Paradigm
Language
WestEd.org
New Paradigm
Content
Discourse Complex texts Explanations Argumentation g Text and Sentence structures Δ Vocabulary practices
Language
WestEd.org
New Paradigm
Content
Discourse Complex text Explanation Argumentation Text structures Sentence structures ΔVocabulary practices
Language g g Arts WestEd.org
Implications for ELP/ELD Standards Uncover and delineate language uses in CCSS: • Social and g general/discipline-specific p p academic, e.g. » » » »
Obtain information, request clarification Demonstrate understanding, confirm being understood B ild on others’ Build th ’ & articulate ti l t own ideas id Construct explanations, engage in arguments
Express target language uses in progressions » Help H l tteachers h appropriately i t l scaffold ff ld & supportt
language used for content knowledge and action » Help ELD assessment developers design appropriate tasks to measure growth
WestEd.org
Students are challenged g to… •engage in productive oral and written group work o with peers pee s •engage in effective oral and written interactions with teachers •explain and demonstrate their knowledge using emerging complex language and other communicative strategies in different settings •extract meaning from complex written texts. WestEd.org
Teachers are challenged to… • teach for understanding and productive application – more complicated than teaching discrete skills and knowledge • see themselves as teachers of language use in addition to content area • develop new ways of motivating and enabling students to use language in the classroom to p perform in the content areas WestEd.org
Challenges for Support Systems • Existing ways to support teachers and administrators – through coaching and supervision, professional learning communities, and professional development opportunities – must attune to and build capacity to meet the increased demands surrounding content and language. WestEd.org
Challenges for Assessment Systems The new content assessments: • must yield valid inferences for ELL students at varying levels of English language proficiency. proficiency • must be unbiased with respect to language, even while language has become part of the new definition of content
The new English language proficiency assessments: • must reflect and measure the language demands inherent in the content standards. • must capture the breadth, depth, and complexity of receptive and productive language uses. WestEd.org
4. Comprehensive assessment systems can better respond to EL strengths, needs
• • •
Formative: Directly informs, supports, and enhances teacher pedagogy and student learning Interim/benchmark: Predicts outcomes, guides interventions Summative: Drives program review, review accountability
WestEd.org
4. Comprehensive assessment systems can better respond to EL strengths, needs • Formative assessment is critical for ELs as most instructionally relevant • Interim/thru-course assessments should match intended uses with opportunity pp y to learn • Summative assessment should strengthen signal i l • EL-responsive access and accommodations • Even incremental validity gains help WestEd.org
Effective formative assessment is a process teachers and students use 9 Teachers adjust teaching in response to assessment evidence 9 Students receive feedback on learning with advice on how they can improve 9 Students participate through selfassessment 9 Strengthens teacher capacity to stage EL language and content learning
Heritage, 2008, 2010 WestEd.org
5. Accommodations can improve access & validity when configured correctly • Accommodations research findings mixed • 20-25% gap reduction using English dictionaries/glossaries • Plain language approaches vary in effectiveness
• Hard to disentangle reasons for this • Necessary language complexity of learning strand? • Aggregate findings mask which work for which ELs?
• Promising: Assign configurations of accommodations by student profile/need • Emerging evidence of increased effectiveness Kieffer et al., 2009; Kopriva et al., 2007 WestEd.org
EL-responsive accommodations English-language supports: •English dictionary/glossary with extra time •Plain English (vary) (Pennock-Roman & Rivera, 2011)
Primary-language supports: •Primary-language versions (at Low ELP levels or receiving L1 instruction) •Dual language (parallel bilingual) with extra time WestEd.org
6. EL-responsive assessment innovations hold promise and risk: Pursue carefully Multi-semiotic approaches: •Target ELs at lowest ELP levels in math and science •“Language minimizing” must be seen as temporary
Computer adaptive assessment: •Should differentiate language load of construct-equivalent t t i l t items •Automated Automated scoring routines should recognize interlanguage features WestEd.org
Assessing science knowledge of beginning-ELP Level ELs
Source: www.ONPAR.us WestEd.org
Assessing math knowledge of beginning-ELP Level ELs
Source: www.ONPAR.us WestEd.org
Language Demands of CCSS g Focal Constructs and Measuring
CCSS language-richness better signals general/ p p academic language, g g but discipline-specific Need to carefully distinguish language related vs. unrelated to focal construct(s) being measured Unnecessary linguistic complexity unrelated to focal construct represents “construct-irrelevant” source of systematic measurement error Dilemma: What’s necessary, y, what’s not? Language uses inextricably related to enacting/ demonstrating complex content knowledge How do we help developers measure on a large-scale?
WestEd.org
7. ELP & academic assessment developers must collaborate on comprehensive assessment systems for ELs to benefit
RTT assessment consortia strike balance among three key assessment dimensions ELP assessment developers ensure nextgeneration assessments better measure g language skills and uses reflected in CCSS Collaboration needed to help these systems t to t cohere h
WestEd.org
PARCC and SBAC can incorporate EL assessment and accommodations research lessons into test development processes 1 Examine different interpretations of test scores by 1.
subgroups of students, including ELs at different ELP levels 2. Identify possible construct-irrelevant sources in items and tasks via cognitive labs and think-alouds on ELs at different ELP levels 3. Have content, language, g g and assessment experts p identify y unnecessary linguistic complexity o Linguistic structures related vs. unrelated to focal construct(s) () 4. Specify accommodations by EL student characteristics, testing conditions, and instructional services provided 5. Provide o de evidence e de ce to o subs substantiate a a e EL acco accommodation oda o selection & delivery WestEd.org
Some ways y forward
Develop ELP standards framework to
capture breadth, depth, and complexity of academic language skills and uses reflected in CCSS (CCSSO to release one) Strengthen g communication, data collection/analysis, experimentation, and prototyping of next-generation ELP and academic assessment tasks Convene content and ELP assessment developers WestEd.org
Some ways forward
Use new ELP performance standards to
evaluate language demands of content assessmentt it items and d tasks t k Invest heavily in formative assessment processes and practices, tools and tasks that map key academic language competencies and target language uses
Articulate in language learning progressions reflected in ELP standards & assessment specifications
WestEd.org
Understanding g Language: g g Three Goals 1. Engage in public dialogue around what the CCSS and NGSS imply for ELLs. 2. Develop exemplars of what CCSS and NGSSaligned instruction looks like, to be used as strategic tools by districts (and others). 3. Develop a vibrant, i inquisitive, i iti engaging i online community WestEd.org
ell.stanford.edu
WestEd.org
Recap of Key points 1. Defining & monitoring EL population is critical 2. English-language proficiency is fundamental to academic achievement 3. Common core standards change the game for ELs and their teachers
WestEd.org
Recap of Key points 4. Comprehensive assessment systems can better respond p to EL strengths g & needs 5. Accommodations – no panacea – can improve access and validity when configured fi d correctly tl 6. EL-responsive assessment innovations hold promise and risk: Pursue carefully 7. ELP & academic assessment developers must collaborate for ELs to benefit WestEd.org
