Assessing English Language Proficiency A Training Module

Transcription

Assessing English Language Proficiency
A Training Module
PUBLISHED AS PART OF THE LEP STUDENT
SUCCESS INITIATIVE GRANT
Department of P-16 Initiatives
Texas Education Agency
In collaboration with
The Institute for Second Language Achievement
(ISLA)
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
and
JoAnn Canales, Ph.D.
Professor, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Slide 1: The information contained in this PowerPoint is largely drawn from Texas
state documents so that educators who work with Limited English Proficient
students will understand the requirements and be able to appropriately assess their
English language proficiency. It also includes a section on what constitutes
language and language proficiency to help educators understand the complexity of
language and the importance of a comprehensive assessment to determine the
appropriate placement and instruction.
Once you review and “own” the material, feel free to utilize the custom animation
feature to enhance points you wish to emphasize..
1
Workshop Focus
Review Assessment Standard and Competency for
Becoming an ESL Certified Teacher in Texas
I.
A.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Standards (Standard
VI)
TExES – Texas Examinations of Educator Standards
(Competency 007)
B.
II.
III.
Define Language and Language Proficiency
Examine Requirements
A.
State Requirements
3.
LPAC – Language Proficiency Assessment Committee
HLS - Home Language Survey
OLPT - Oral Language Proficiency Test
4.
NRT - Norm Referenced Test
1.
2.
B.
Federal (NCLB) Requirements - TELPAS – Texas
English Language Proficiency Assessment
System
1.
2.
TOP – Texas Observation Protocols
RPTE – Reading Proficiency Tests in English
Slide 2: Note to facilitator: Review workshop objectives with the audience.
Emphasize that they will have time to engage in application and discussion,
particularly during the section numbered III B.
2
BECOMING AN ESL CERTIFIED TEACHER IN
TEXAS
Assessment is addressed by Standard VI
of the English as a
Second Language (ESL) Standards
http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/standtest
/standards/allesl.pdf
Slide 3: Say: “Standard VI of the ESL Standards addresses assessment. Let’s review what
teachers are expected to know and be able to do.”
[Note to facilitator: Review the standard with the audience]
ESL Standard
The ESL teacher understands formal and informal assessment procedures and instruments
(language proficiency and academic achievement) used in ESL programs and uses assessment
results to plan and adapt instruction.
What teachers know and understand:
6.1k basic concepts, issues, and practices related to test design, development, and interpretation;
6.2k types of assessment used in the ELS classroom (e.g., recognition, production portfolio,
observation, student self-assessment) and their characteristics, uses, and limitations;
6.3k standardized tests commonly used in ESL programs in Texas;
6.4k state-mandated LEP identification procedures and placement and exit criteria, including the role
of LPAC; and
6.5k relationships among state-mandated standards, instruction, and assessment in the ESL
classroom.
What the Beginning ESL teacher can do:
6.1s select, adapt, or develop appropriate assessments for different purposes in the ESL program
(e.g., diagnosis, evaluation, proficiency);
6.2s interpret results of standardized tests commonly used in ESL programs in Texas;
6.3s implement LPAC recommendations for LEP identification, placement, land exit; and
6.4s use ongoing assessments to plan and adjust instruction that addresses individual student
needs and enable ESL students to achieve learning goals.
3
BECOMING AN ESL CERTIFIED TEACHER IN
TEXAS
Assessment is also Competency 007
on the TExES for ESL Certification
http://www.texes.nesinc.com/prepmanuals/PDFs/
TExES_fld154_prepmanual.pdf
Slide 4: Say: “Competency 007 on TExES for ESL Certification focuses on Assessment. Listen for
the similarity to Standard VI we just reviewed.”
[Note to facilitator: Review the competency below with the audience]
TExES Competency
The ESL teacher understands formal and informal assessment procedures and instruments used in
ESL programs and uses assessment results to plan and adapt instruction.
The Beginning ESL teacher:
Knows basic concepts, issues, and practices related to test design, development, and interpretation
and uses this knowledge to select, adapt, and develop assessments for different purposes in the ESL
program (E.g., diagnosis, program evaluation, proficiency).
Applies knowledge of formal and informal assessments used in the ESL classroom and knows their
characteristics, uses, and limitations.
Knows standardized tests commonly used in ESL programs in Texas and knows how to interpret
their results.
Knows state-mandated LEP policies, including the role of the LPAC, and procedures for
implementing LPAC recommendations for LEP identification, placement, and exit.
Understands relationships among state-mandated standards, instruction, and assessment in the ESL
classroom.
Knows how to use ongoing assessment to plan and adjust instruction that addresses individual
student needs and enables ESL students to achieve learning goals.
4
How English Proficient Are you?
To FAT32
You can use the FAT32 conversion tool to easily convert your hard
disk to the FAT32 file system. However, before you convert file
systems, you should read the following information carefully:
If you didn’t make a Windows 98 Startup Disk, before you convert to
FAT32, you should create one by following the steps in the ”Using
the Startup Disk” section earlier in this chapter.
You shouldn’t convert any drives on which you also want to run an
operating system that doesn’t support FAT32. Also, if you’re
running Windows 98 and another operating system in a dual-boot
environment, converting your primary disk drive to FAT32 may
cause the other operating system to be unusable. This is true even
if the other operating system is installed on a different drive.
If anti-virus software is running, it may detect the request to update
the partition table and book record and prompt you to allow the
updates. If this occurs, instruct the anti-virus software to allow
the updates.
Once you convert to FAT32, you can’t compress stored information or
convert back to FAT16 unless you use a third-party partition
management utility designed for that purpose.
Slide 5: [Note to facilitator: The purpose of this exercise is to create a mindset that English language
proficiency is relative – it is very contextually driven. Before clicking on the text,]
Ask, “How many of you consider yourselves proficient in English?”
Then say:
“Before we get started talking about language proficiency, let’s see how we stack up. I am going to ask
someone to read this aloud and then ask someone to explain the content and the process. Please follow along,
listen carefully, and read silently.”
Points to be made:
While you may deduce it’s something having to do with computers, what specifically is it trying to tell us can be
done?
What is FAT32?
How do we go about using this tool?
What is dual-boot environment mean?
What is a partition table?
What does it mean to “compress stored information”?
What is a third-party partition management utility?
Any language is very contextually driven. While it is also interactive dependent, it is possible to be able to read
and not comprehend what was read. Which is why it is important to assess discreetly, as well as holistically.
Let’s spend a few minutes defining language as a way to better understand how to determine English language
proficiency.
5
Language and Language Proficiency Defined

Linguistic Structures
– Graphophonemics
– Lexicon
– Morphology
– Semantics
Communication Skills
Receptive
Expressive
Oral
Listening
Speaking
Written
Reading
Writing
Slide 6:
Language is a multi-dimensional concept that requires the interaction of linguistic structures,
communication skills, and sociolinguistic variables such as the domains of language, registers,
dialect, and knowledge of the language. (Canales, 1988)
Linguistic structures refers to the four subsystems that include grapho/phonemics (letters/sounds);
lexicon (vocabulary); morphology (grammar and word order); and semantics (meaning). These
subsystems exist in all languages. Levels of proficiency may differ between any or a combination of
these subsystems. For example, an individual's pronunciation of English may be difficult to
understand and word order may not be grammatically correct, however the verbal delivery of a
complex concept may be achieved. Thus, the individual's language proficiency may be "high" with
respect to vocabulary and meaning but "low" regarding the use of sounds and
grammar/syntax. Additionally, these subsystems are also interactive, not mutually exclusive
operations in everyday communication.
Communication skills are either receptive (listening/reading) or expressive (speaking/writing) and
are accomplished in pairs related to the mode of communication , e.g., oral (listening/speaking) and
written (reading/writing). In either case, the pairing of the skills does not suggest that proficiency in
one skill, e.g., listening, necessarily equals proficiency in its paired skill, e.g., speaking or
reading. For instance a non-native speaker of English whose language learning efforts have not
focused on oral production (speaking), or on academic reading materials, might easily be able to
understand a set of oral directions, but would have a difficult time giving these same directions, or
comprehending the directions if they were written.
The process of learning a second language differs from learning one's first language in that the order
of first language acquisition is speech to print, i.e., listening/speaking to reading/writing while for
some individuals the order of second language acquisition might possibly be listening, reading,
writing, speaking. Thus, measures of language proficiency ought to allow for students to
demonstrate their levels of proficiency while employing different communication skills simultaneously
(integratively).
6
Language and Language Proficiency Defined
(Continued)

Sociolinguistic Variables
–
–
–
–
Social domains
Registers
Dialect
Knowledge of the language
Slide 7: Sociolinguistic variables refer to those environmental variables which impact on language, namely,
the social domains, the registers, the dialects, and the knowledge of the language.
Social domains of language include four categories: home, peers, school, and community. This aspect of
language suggests, and rightly so, that the language spoken within the context of the four domains may differ,
not only regarding the pronunciation of the words, but the vocabulary used and the level of complexity required
of the utterances (phrases/sentences). While there is a commonality among each of these domains to a
certain extent, each of the domains have their unique demands requiring users of language to adapt according
to the personal and social needs of the domain participants. The content of discourse (connected speech) and
the vocabulary utilized must vary from setting to setting if communication is to be the primary outcome of the
communicative exchange.
Registers of a language refer to a range of expressive opportunities that depend on such factors as situation,
participants, relationships, roles, topics, and locale. For example, the formality of a teacher's conversation will
differ considerably when talking with students, versus colleagues, versus the school principal.
Dialect refers to the form of speech employed by a given community. This may consist of shortened or altered
forms of words found in the native language such as `mon' for `man' commonly used by natives of the
Caribbean or Bahamian islands. Some easily distinguishable dialects include Southern, Bostonian, and New
Jersey dialects.
Knowledge of the language refers to the extent of the exposure an individual has in a given language. The
average monolingual child from a home environment where there are frequent opportunities for verbal
exchange, including family discussions and reading of children's literature, enters kindergarten at age five with
at least 23,741 hours (365.25 days/year x 5 years x 13 hours of wakefulness/year) of exposure to the oral
(listening and speaking) skills of the language spoken at home, with peers, or in the community. Thus, it is
possible for children to know the sounds of a language without the letters that represent them and to use them
in meaningful combinations to form words and sentences in a variety of settings before the first day of school.
[Note: It is this standard against which linguistically different children or children limited in their own native
language must compete in the school environment.)
None of the above characteristics of language such as dialect, listening, and sound system are mutually
exclusive, that is, they do not occur in isolation. Rather these characteristics function integratively to
communicate meaning. Thus, it follows that assessment of language proficiency should also be integrative
(assess the use of language in context) if it is to be a useful measure of proficiency.
7
Stages of Language Learning
Grade 2-6 Level
Communication Development Stage
Child learns difficult phonemes/complex
grammar. “If I were you. I would have
gone.”
Grade 1 Level
Creative Stage
Child is able to create his/her own
language. “Mommy, I love you 1,000
trees.
Kindergarten Level
Automatic Stage
Child can generate original language.
“When I get big, I’m gonna be an
astronaut..”
60 Months
Structural Awareness Stage
Child makes errors by overgeneralizing.
“I goed to the store today.”
48 Months
Expansion & Delimiting Stage
Language has features of adult
language. “I want to go outside with
you.”
24 Months
Unitary Stage
12 Months
Infant Stage
Speech is abbreviated. Child uses 2 –
word utterances. “Baby, go?”
Child vocalizes. Babbles “ma-ma-ma”.
Slide 8: When children learn a language from birth, they have the luxury of
developmental growth over time. Generally speaking, children begin verbalizing at
the age of 12 months and gradually build on sounds to add words, then phrases and
sentences in more complex structures as they mature. They also have the luxury of
developing their oral language skills before they develop their written skills.
Unfortunately, our students do not have the same luxury. That is why we need to
assess their proficiency in an integrative way, as well as facilitate the development
of their skills integratively, i.e., engaging them in activities that use listening,
speaking, reading, and writing in as many settings as possible.
8
More Than Meets the Eye!
•
•
•
Appearances
Dialect
Foods
and
• Customs
•Religious beliefs
•Values
•“Grandmother’s
stories”
•Interpersonal
dynamics
Slide 9: It is also important to understand that there is more to the students than
meets the eye. They may not only have different physical characteristics, speak a
different language, and eat different foods, they also bring with them different
•customs (celebrating “Christmas” at different times of the year, e.g., January 6 – El
Dia de Los Reyes);
•religious beliefs (believing in a different deity called by a different name, e.g.,
Buddha);
•Values (cooperative vs competitive);
•Grandmother’s stories (beliefs handed down through the generations in the form of
“sayings” or behaviors, e.g., if someone drops a knife it means a male will be
visiting, or not exercising after eating for at least 1 – 2 hours); and
•Interpersonal dynamics (personal distance between individuals or avoidance of eye
contact).
These characteristics are also important to determine, in order to appropriately work
with the students initially, but also to prepare them to function in our society.
9
Texas Education Agency Requirements

HLS
- Home Language Survey
OLPT - Oral Language
Proficiency
Test
NRT
- Norm Referenced Test
LPAC – Language Proficiency
Assessment Committee
Slide 10: Since 1975, as a result of the LAU remedies following the Supreme Court
ruling in the Lau v. Nichols case required schools to offer instruction in a language
comprehensible to all students, the Texas Education Agency has required:
Home Language Survey (HLS) – a brief questionnaire intended to determine the
need for further assessment.
Oral Language Proficiency Test (OLPT) – intended to assess listening and speaking
proficiency skills in the student
Norm Referenced Test (NRT) – a standardized achievement test (as opposed to a criterion
referenced test) intended to assess reading and writing
LPAC – Language Proficiency Assessment Committee – a group of individuals responsible for
determining the best placement for children who are linguistically different
Following are some additional points about each of these assessment components.
10
Home Language Survey

Administered, only once, at time of
enrollment
Sample survey questions:
– What language is spoken in your home
most of the time?"
– What language does your child (do you)
speak most of the time?"
Slide 11: Note to facilitator: Read the slide and then read below.
Additional questions may be asked as well, e.g.,
Is a language other than English used in the home?
What was the student’s first language?
Does your child speak a language other than English?
A positive response to any of the questions warrants administering an OLPT
PROS and CONS of Home Language Surveys
PROS
1. Brief questionnaire - Can be completed in less than 5 minutes
2. Can serve as the initial screening
3. Can be administered in any language
4. Does not require specialized training
CONS
1. Questions can be misleading, e.g., Grandfather may speak a language other than English but the
child may speak both.
2. Parents are required to have literacy skills.
3. Administrators may allow bias to influence parents.
4. Because this is essentially a self-report, parents tend to negate the use of a language other than
English in the home.
11
Oral Language Proficiency Test

Examples: IDEA, LAS
Example of Linguistic Structures Measured
by the LAS
Communication
Skills
Vocabulary
Semantics
X
Listening
Speaking
Syntax
X
X
Phonology
X
X
X
Slide 12: With respect to OLPTs, the state has a list of recommended tests. The two most commonly used are
the IDEA and the LAS.
For prekindergarten through Grade 1, scoring below the grade appropriate score is sufficient to designate the
child as LEP.
For students in Grades 2-12, the same applies as well as their performance on the NRT.
OLPTs are administered individually, and usually by an adult unknown to the LEP student. Such a
situation can be intimidating to the student causing limited oral language production, particularly in
English.
Two key points about the most widely used OLPTs.
1. The IDEA was first a language development kit developed by a Speech Pathologist and a classroom
teacher. The OLPT emerged from the kit, thus linking the exam performance to the activities in the kit.
2. The LAS assesses English proficiency in the areas indicated by the “Xs” in the cells. The secondary version
has a pictorial story sequence designed to elicit talk from the student. The title of the story is “The Lady in
Red”. In some cultures, a “lady in red” does not represent something that is discussed publicly, and
especially to a stranger in a one-on-one situation.
Additionally, in the late 1980s, the TEA convened panels of experts and practitioners, to review these
instruments for their appropriateness. Every committee convened had the same finding . . . These
measures would not meet American Psychological Association standards. They are too brief and too limited
in their assessment items to accurately and comprehensively determine an individual’s language
proficiency. However, most of the OLPTs can be administered in 20 minutes or less, which is what makes
them appealing to school district personnel. It’s important to consider, however, that these OLPTs simply
assess Basic Language used socially, and a bare minimum of skills as evidenced by the chart indicating the
linguistic skills measured.
12
Norm Referenced Test

Examples:
– CTBS – Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills
– SAT – Stanford Achievement Test
– CAT – California Achievement Test

Bilingual or ESL Program Placement Criteria
– Score below the 40th percentile or
– Unable to take the test due to limited English proficiency

Issues with SATs
– Assess reading skills, not writing
– Challenging for students with
Poor reading skills
Learning disabilities
Limited attention span
Slide 13: Examples of Norm Referenced Tests include the CTBS, SAT, and the
CAT (or you can simply mention the one used in your district}.
For students in Grades 2-12 to qualify for bilingual or ESL programs, they must
score below the 40th percentile on the NRT or evidence such a limited ability in
English at his or her grade level on the reading and language arts sections of a
TEA-approved norm-referenced assessment instrument or other test approved by
TEA at the time of administration, so as to warrant it invalid.
It’s important to remember that while NRTs were created to compare students’
performance, they are primarily a reading test, and there are many reasons why a
student would not score well on such a test including having poor reading skills,
learning disabilities, and/or a limited attention span.
Thus, while the intent to assess all four communication skills with OLPTs (listening
and speaking) and NRTs (reading and writing) may evidence sound reasoning, the
basic assumptions are ill-conceived.
13
Texas Education Agency
Requirements

LPAC – Language Proficiency
Assessment Committee
–
–
–
–
Role
Composition
Some Decision Making Points
Documentation
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/
resources/guides/lpac/index.html
Slide 14: LPAC – Language Proficiency Assessment Committee is a fourth requirement of TEA.
Role of the LPAC
•
Adhere to the provisions stipulated in the LPAC manual
•
Function as a committee to make assessment decisions on an individual student basis within four
weeks of the enrollment of ELLs.
•
Monitor students’ progress and needs
•
Determine appropriate instructional interventions
•
Document assessment decisions, instructional interventions for exempted students, and the
reason for each exemption in the student’s permanent record file.
(see Assessment Decision Record on TEA LPAC Manual website).
Composition of the LPAC implementing a bilingual program (including but not limited to):
A campus administrator
A professional bilingual educator
A professional transitional language educator (a bilingual teacher or ESL teacher)
A parent of an ELL student (not employed by the school district or charter school)
Composition of the LPAC implementing an ESL program (including but not limited to):
One or more professional personnel, including an ESL teacher
A parent of an ELL student (not employed by the school district or charter school)
Some Decision Making Points:
Administration of the TAKS in Spanish vs. English – limit of three years of administration in Spanish
Students in ESL classes are administered the English TAKS
May exempt students from TAKS testing only if the student is having academic or linguistic difficulties that stem
from school experiences outside the U.S., e.g., not yet received a rating of advanced high on RPTE. (see
exemption flow charts on pages 21, 23, 29, and 31 of the LPAC Manual).
14
Federal (NCLB) Requirements
TELPAS – Texas English Language Proficiency
Assessment System
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/telpas
/telpas_guide.pdf
– Meets NCLB federal requirements
– Assesses ELLs in Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
– Parent brochure available
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources
/guides/parent_csr/telpas.html
– Uses 4 proficiency ratings – Beginning, Intermediate,
Advanced, and Advanced High
– Has two parts:

TOP (Texas Observation Protocols) – Grades K-12
RPTE (Reading proficiency Tests in English) – Grades 3-12
Slide 15: In addition to the state requirements set forth by TEA, new requirements have been added as a result of the No
Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. These requirements call for a more comprehensive assessment of students’ English
Language Proficiency, in each of the communication skill areas and in a variety of settings. This comprehensive, and very
complementary assessment is known as:
. TELPAS – Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System
Developed to meet the federal testing requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)
Requires that ELLs be assessed annually in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing beginning in Kindergarten
until the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) determines that they are proficient in English.
Brochures available for parents to:
provide basic information about TELPAS (available at TEA website);
explain a sample test report sent to child’s school;
provide summaries of proficiency ratings used to gauge progress in learning English.
Uses four proficiency ratings – Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, and Advanced High
Beginning—Students who receive this rating are in the early stages of learning English. These students have a small
vocabulary of very common words and little ability to use English in academic settings. These students often communicate
using English they have memorized.
Intermediate—Students who receive this rating are able to use common, basic English in routine academic activities but
need considerable English-language support to make learning understandable. Socially, these students are able to
communicate simply about familiar topics and are generally able to understand conversations but may not comprehend all
the details.
Advanced—Students who receive this rating are able to understand and use academic English in classroom activities when
given some English-language support. In social situations, these students can understand most of what they hear but have
some difficulty with unfamiliar grammar and vocabulary.
Advanced High—Students who receive this rating are able to use academic English in classroom activities with little Englishlanguage support from others, even when learning about unfamiliar material. Students at this level have a large enough
vocabulary in English to communicate clearly and fluently in most situations.
TELPAS has two parts:
Reading Proficiency Tests in English (RPTE) – Grades 3 – 12 only - one day test
Texas Observation Protocols (TOP) – Grades K – 12 - classroom observations to measure students’ progress in listening,
speaking, and writing.
15
(READING - Grades K – 2)
Reading (K-2) – Formative assessment, using
grade level rubrics found in the TOP Rater
Manual, based on the following types of
activities:

Paired reading
Sing-alongs and read-a-longs, including
chants and poems;
Shared reading with big books, etc.
Guided reading with leveled readers/texts
Reading subject-area texts and related
materials
Independent reading
Literature circles
Cooperative group work
Reading response journals
Sustained silent reading
Slide 16: The Texas Observation Protocols (which are actually performance
rubrics) are designed to be used as formative assessment tools. This means that
the teacher can assess the students as they engage in their everyday class
activities, without stopping instruction to administer an assessment instrument.
There are two different instruments, [click to next slide]
16
TOP Proficiency Level Descriptors Grades K-1 Reading
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/rpte
/Descriptors_06.pdf
Slide 17: This rubric is for use with children in K-1. It follows the same four levels
of proficiency mentioned earlier and takes a holistic approach to assessing reading.
This means that the teacher is asked to make a judgment of students’ reading
proficiency based on children’s ability to recognize print, decode, fluency, and
comprehension holistically, as opposed to rating each of these aspects discreetly.
17
TOP Proficiency Level Descriptors Grade 2 Reading
Slide 18: The rubric for use with children in Grade 2 is similar in nature extending
the context to include academic, as well as social settings.
[Note to facilitator: If time permits ask for a volunteer to read each of the columns.]
Children in third grade and beyond are administered the RPTE – Reading
Proficiency Test in English. [Click to next slide].
18
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/teachers.html

Grades 3 – 12
Designed especially for ELLs
Variety of reading selections and questions
Span range of English reading ability
Different RPTE test for grade groups (3, 4-5, 6-8,
9-12)
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/release/
rpte/index.html
Slide 19 Different RPTE test for grade groups (3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12)
Beginning level–lots of pictures/common words
Advanced level-requires near native understanding of English
19
EXEMPTIONS

ELL students in special
education may be
exempted by ARD
Committee
2nd semester nonEnglish speaking
immigrants may be
exempted by LPAC
ELLs with parental
denials may not be
exempted
Slide 20: No notes.
20
TOP – Texas Observation Protocols (WRITING - Grades K – 12)
Writing (K-12) – Formative assessment, using grade
level rubrics found in the TOP Rater Manual, of 3-5
writing samples, including academic and nonacademic work, taken at time of rating. Examples of
writing taken from TEA website may include:

Journal writing for personal reflections
Shared writing and language experience dictation
Organization of thoughts and ideas through prewriting
strategies
Writing assignments in various subject areas
Publishing and presenting
Labeling pictures, objects, and items from projects
Learning logs for content-area concept attainment
First drafts
Revising and editing skill application
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/telpas
/telpas_prompts.pdf
Slide 21: Writing Protocols consist of similar holistic formative rubrics. There are
also two versions: [click to next slide]
21
TOP Proficiency Level Descriptors Grades K-1 Writing
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/rpte/Descriptors_06.pdf
Slide 22: The first protocol is used with students in grades K – 1 and the second
protocol is used with students in Grades 2 - 12. [Note to facilitator: Ask
participants to “put their heads together” and review the protocol that best
reflects the grade level taught. Then ask the following questions:
1. How similar are these descriptors to what you have used in the past.
2. As you reflect on your own students, how accurately do these descriptors
describe your students’ capabilities?
22
TOP Proficiency Level Descriptors Grades 2-12 Writing
Slide 23: Points to address:
Teachers must be very familiar with analyzing students’ products to use these
products well, as they too are holistic in nature and require the teacher to make an
overall judgment of quality based on a variety of characteristics.
Say to audience: “As a way to familiarize ourselves with TEA’s expectations, we
are going to assess three separate writing samples. We will be using the protocol
for Grades 2 – 12. Please refer to this protocol as one of you reads the example on
the screen. Then, we will determine and discuss the appropriate response.
23
Grade 4 Writing Example
Slide 24: GRADE 4 WRITING SAMPLE
This paper presents features of the beginning level of second language proficiency
in writing. While some knowledge of English is evident, the writing is characterized
by high frequency words (toys, beds, furniture, TV dog, etc.) and phrases presented
in a list-like fashion. Despite the highly familiar, concrete topic of describing a
room, the ability to express original ideas using short, simple sentences is not
evident. While some cohesive devices (for example, and, also) are present, they
are used in a manner that indicates a memorized or artificial pattern. Primary
language features are also frequent (furniture small, pillows of color red, the bed of
my kitty and the of my dog). When the attempt is made to express an idea that
goes beyond listing words and phrases, the attempt is unsuccessful (And in the
dark if see whats glow, and if see scary), and the ideas cannot be understood even
by individuals accustomed to working with English language learners. [Example and
Analysis taken from p. 35 of the 2005 TOP Rater Manual]
24
Grade 8 Writing Example
Slide 25: GRADE 8 WRITING SAMPLE
This paper shows features of the advanced level of second language proficiency in
writing. This paper about a girl’s experiences on a soccer team in Mexico shows an
ability to narrate in some detail about a past event dealing with a familiar subject.
The paper includes a variety of sentence structures used to link ideas. There is
evidence of sustained control over basic grammar features, tenses, and sentence
patterns and partial control of more complex constructions. While the student
successfully uses the past tense to tell the story, she substitutes present tense for
past tense when reporting dialogue (the teacher told me that I can be the leader, I
told him that I want to be the leader, etc.), which is a more complex grammatical
construction. This problem and the occasional presence of primary language
features (in a soccer team, organize with all the girls, win the first play, I felt very
proud of me) do not hinder understanding. [Example and Analysis taken from p. 55
of the 2005 TOP Rater Manual.]
25
GRADE 4 Writing Example (High Level)
Slide 26: This paper shows features of the advanced high level of second
language proficiency in writing. The student uses appropriate content-based
vocabulary (materials, battery, bulb, wires) to clearly explain a scientific process.
The paper shows evidence of the ability to link ideas smoothly and control complex
structures (If it doesn’t work that means that this battery must be dead or that the
bulb is broken. Try a new battery and if it still doesn’t work try a new bulb). While
there is some unnaturalness of expression (get one end of a wire touching the
bulb), it does not detract from the overall effectiveness of the communication. The
command of English demonstrated in this sample suggests an ability to address
grade-appropriate writing tasks with minimal need for support in second language
development. [Example and Analysis taken from p. 59 of the 2005 TOP Rater
Manual.]
26
Other ideas for assessing writing:
Develop essay questions from text material
covered.
Be directive, e.g., compare, critique, define,
etc.
Allow students adequate time for a full
response.
Slide 27: Besides the ideas presented in the Protocol Manual, here is an additional
suggestion that integrates the content areas, as well.
27
Content Area Examples –
Science
Science Example 1: (6th – 8th grade)
Scientists tell us that there are hundreds of asteroids
that could collide with the earth anytime. One such
asteroid did in fact collide with the earth millions of
years ago during the time of the dinosaurs. Describe
where you think this asteroid might have hit the earth
and what kinds of physical changes took place
afterwards.
Imagine that you have just heard on the news that an
asteroid is going to hit the earth in a few days.
Describe ways that scientists will try and keep the
asteroid from hitting the earth. How will people react
and what will you do?
Science Example 2: (9th-12th grade)
You are given two test tubes, one labeled Protein Q, the
other labeled Protein Z. How could you tell if these
tubes really contained different proteins? Outline the
experimental procedure you would follow.
Slide 28: These writing prompts were created for use in a middle school and a high
school in the Denver Public Schools System using the students’ content area
textbooks.
[Note to facilitator: Read the sample writing prompt or have someone in the
audience read them and discuss their potential for eliciting students’
knowledge of the content area as well as conventional writing skills.]
28
Content Area Examples – Social Studies
Social Studies Example 1: (6th – 8th grade)
Step back into time to the 1600’s. You are a woman with lots
of intelligence, lots of ideas and lots to offer the world.
Write an entry in your diary explaining your frustration
because you are about to get married to a man you don’t
even know. Your marriage has been arranged by your
parents and you have no choice but to marry this man. He
is quite a bit older than you. You are much more interested
in using your intelligence and education for something.
Write in your diary about what you want to do, and why
your society probably won’t let you.
Social Studies Example 2: (9th – 12th grade)
An important function of the United Nations is to help settle
disputes between nations. Describe how one dispute was
handled successfully, point out how the settlement
illustrates a general strength of the United Nations.
Describe also how one dispute was handled unsuccessfully,
pointing out how this illustrates a general weakness of the
United Nations.
Slide 29:These writing prompts were also created for use in the same middle
school and high school in the Denver Public Schools System using the students’
content area textbooks.
29
Social Studies Example 3
(9th – 12th grade)
Describe the characteristics of the party system in the U.S. illustrated in
the cartoon below.
Slide 30: For students with limited reading proficiency, but who have good
comprehension skills or schooling in their own country, a pictorial representation of
concept makes an excellent writing prompt.
30
Content Area Examples –
Language Arts
Language Arts Example 1: (6th – 8th grade)
The main character in this story is an eighth grade girl
who overhears her teachers arguing about her. She
is a straight A student and seems to do well in class.
Describe what you think the teachers are discussing
and what it might have to do with the green and gold
“Scholarship Jacket”.
Language Arts Example 2: (9th – 12 grade)
Use a picture or a cartoon and ask students to create a story
depicting what they see.
Slide 31: These are additional examples of writing prompts created for use in the
middle school and high school in the Denver Public Schools System using the
students’ content area textbooks.
31
USING PICTURES AS A STIMULUS
Slide 32: For students with limited reading proficiency, pictures are an excellent
stimulus for written, as well as oral, production.
32
Content Area Examples – Math
Grouping: Assign students to groups of 2
Materials:
– 2 sheets of paper
– 1 pencil
– 2 patterns per group
Directions:
Each of you has a pattern that you are going to ask your
partner to draw. BE SURE that your partner does
not/cannot see the pattern. Sit back to back and take
turns describing your particular pattern to your
partner. Be sure to call each shape by its name, e.g.,
Draw a triangle in the upper right hand corner. Be
specific and remember to use the terms we have
learned in math class. Each of you has 10 minutes to
describe your pattern to your partner.
Scoring: Use the TOP rubrics for listening and speaking
Slide 33: Content area subject matter can be used to assess all skill areas –
listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Although in this particular instance, the
receiver of the information is being asked to draw, it provides an excellent example
of an activity that can be used to assess multiple modalities.
33
(LISTENING -- Grades K – 12)
Listening (K-12) – Assess formatively, using
a rubric, during informal and formal academic
tasks. A rubric is provided on p. 23 of the TOP
Rater Manual found on the TEA website.
Examples of activities provided on the TEA
website include:

Reacting to oral presentations
Responding to text read aloud
Following directions
Informal, social discourse with peers
Large-group and small group interactions in
academic settings
One-on-One Interviews
Individual student conferences
Slide 34: In contrast to the protocols for reading and writing, there is only one
listening protocol for students in Grades k – 12.
34
TOP Proficiency Level Descriptors Grade K-12 Listening
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/rpte/Descriptors_06.pdf
Slide 35: Put your heads together and review the descriptors for each of the
ratings. Think about your own students and try to mentally apply this protocol to
their performance.
[Note to Facilitator: Discuss with the audience the challenges in
administering this instrument, e.g., structuring activities that demonstrate
students’ listening proficiency; monitoring talk to determine what constitutes
use of high frequency words, “with support” vs. “minimal support”;
documenting the varying contexts (social and academic).
35
(SPEAKING -- Grades K – 12)
Speaking (K-12) -- Assess formatively, using
a rubric, during informal and formal
academic tasks. A rubric is provided on p.
24 of the TOP Rater Manual found on the
TEA website. Examples of activities
provided on the TEA website include:
Oral presentations
Informal, social discourse with peers
Large-group and small group interactions in
academic settings
One-on-One Interviews
Classroom discussions
Articulation of problem-solving strategies
Individual Student Conferences
Slide 36: As with the Listening Protocol, there is only one Speaking Protocol to be used as students engage
in both informal and formal academic tasks.
Following is an example of an informal task.
Getting acquainted activity:
1 piece of chart paper
4 students
In respective corner, write descriptors about yourself. – 4 brothers, like hotdogs, prefer action movies, etc.
As a group, take 20 minutes to share what characteristics you have in common, don’t have in common.
Use the TOP rubric for speaking to rate students.
Speaking Activity 2: Planning a dream party
In the year, 20__, you will be graduating from high school. You have been granted an unlimited amount of
money to plan your dream Graduation Party. As a group, decide on the following:
Where will your party be?
How will your guests get to your party?
When will your party be held?
Who will you invite?
What will you serve?
What kind of entertainment will you have?
You have 35 minutes to plan your party.
SET PARAMETERS to keep students from going off on inappropriate tangents!!
Use the TOP Speaking Rubric to rate students
36
TOP PROFICIENCY Level Descriptions Grades K-12 Speaking
Slide 37: Please put your heads together and review the descriptors for each of the
ratings. Imagine your students. How well does this protocol work for you?
[Note to facilitator: Engage the audience in a discussion of the importance of
structuring classrooms where the teacher gets “off center stage” and
students have multiple opportunities to engage in talk.
Discuss challenges with participants, e.g., using a holistic instrument to
accurately determine students’ proficiency in discreet areas such as
pronunciation, vocabulary, morphology, and semantics (the linguistic
structures discussed earlier in the workshop.]
37
FORM for Documenting Listening and Speaking Activities
Slide 38: Managing the collection of the data can be quite cumbersome. This is an
example of a form that can be easily used as students engage in listening and
speaking activities, while the teacher “clipboard cruises” documenting students’
proficiency based on the rubrics shared earlier. Performance on six different
activities can be captured on this one form. The overall proficiency can be
determined by averaging the individual’s performance across the activities. Every
effort should be made to include three social events and three academic events so
as not to skew the average. Or, another option is to generate a social AND an
academic oral language proficiency score which would require modification of the
form by inserting an additional Overall Proficiency column and labeling them
accordingly – Overall Social Proficiency and Overall Academic Proficiency.
[Note to facilitator: Review the top portion and the importance of
documenting this information.
38
FORM for Documenting Reading and Writing Activities
Slide 39: Managing the collection of the data can be quite cumbersome to
document reading and writing, as well. This is an example of a form that can be
easily used as students engage in reading and writing activities, while the
teacher “clipboard cruises” documenting students’ proficiency based on the rubrics
shared earlier. Performance on six different activities can be captured on this one
form.
Be sure to note pertinent information at the top including
Observer’s Name
Grade/Subject
Campus
District
39
FORM for Capturing Proficiency in Communications Skills
Slide 40: This form captures students’ proficiency performance for all four
communication skills during three separate activities which is a state requirement.
Again, it’s important to note pertinent information at the top including
Observer’s Name
Grade/Subject
Campus
District
40
More To Assessing Language
Proficiency Than Meets the Eye!
•
•
•
HLS
OLPT
NRT
versus
• Reading Rubrics
• Writing Rubrics
• Speaking Rubrics
• Listening Rubrics
• Reading Proficiency
Test
Slide 41: Using the glacier metaphor again, assessing English Language
Proficiency is far more complex than has been historically practiced, as it should be,
given the complexity of language. We need to be more comprehensive and use
complementary practices as those being required under the NCLB Act.
41
One-shot Snapshots May not Capture True Capabilities
Slide 42: Borrowing from “Far Side”, if we resort to one-shot snapshots, we may
not be capturing the students’ TRUE capabilities.
42
Recommending a Student for Exit?
Ask yourself . . .
1.
Does the oral language proficiency test used by your school
district measure, not only the kind of language needed in
your class, but also that which will be needed at the next
higher grade level?
2.
Has the student sufficiently mastered the basic language
skills that will prepare him/her to deal successfully with the
shifting emphasis of language skills at the next level of
schooling?
3.
Are you familiar with the textbooks that the student will be
expected to use during the next school year? Are you sure
s/he can handle both the language and content demands of
these books with a minimum of help?
4.
Have you challenged the student in terms of vocabulary
development, a variety of thinking and problem solving
skills, and on a wide range of topics?
Slide 43: The multiple data will not only help you answer these critical questions
more aptly, but actually serve as an advocate for the student and his/her
educational success and well-being.
[Note to Facilitator: As a member of the audience to read each of the
questions while the rest follow silently along as they think about their own
LEP population.]
43
Recommending a Student for Exit?
Ask yourself . . . (Continued)
5.
How is the student’s reading rate in English? How is
his/her comprehension, not only of materials in the
reading text, but in the content-area materials as well?
6.
What are the student’s scores in language arts and
reading on the most recently-administered achievement
test? Are his/her scores at least as high as the average
student in the school (i.e., the student’s scores compare
favorably with the school or district expectations?
7.
Has the student mastered the district standards in math,
science, and social studies? Is the progress that s/he has
made toward achieving the content standards what you
would expect compared to other students in the same
grade?
8.
How high is the student’s anxiety level in your class? Is
school stressful for the student or is s/he self confident
and able to handle frustration or failure?
Adapted from B. Mace-Matluck, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL)
Slide 44: No Notes
44
Getting Started
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Identify a cross section of grade representatives and
select a “chief worrier”
Access all of the available resources from the TEA and
ISLA websites
Determine the assessment activities to be used campus
wide
Organize the assessments in a notebook to be
disseminated to every classroom teacher
Schedule “reliability training” to ensure that everyone is
utilizing the rubrics in similar fashion – use student work
samples including voice recordings for this training
Develop a district-wide consistent record keeping
system.
Slide 45: Using a “David Letterman” approach, it’s important to identify the top 6
steps necessary for adequately and appropriately developing your English language
assessment skills. [Proceed by reading each of the items on the slide.]
45
Reasons Why the English Language is Hard to
Learn:
1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more
refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the
desert.
7. Since there is no time like the present, he
thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass
drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
Slide 46: [Note to the Facilitator: To help create empathy among your
participants for the challenges faced by their students, share the following
circulated on e-mail (Author Unknown).]
46
Reasons Why the English Language is Hard to Learn
(Continued)
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen about
how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when the does are
present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a
sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his
sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections, my jaw got
number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a
tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate
friend?
Slide 47: No Notes
47
Learn (Continued)
Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in
eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in
pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or
French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while
sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take
English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we
find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are
square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a
pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth
beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One
index, 2 indices?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one
amend, that you comb through annals of history but not a
single annal?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but
one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why
didn't preachers praught?
Slide 48: No Notes
48
Learn (Continued)
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by
truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man
and a wise guy are opposites?
Have you noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are
absent? Have you ever seen a horseful carriage or a strapful gown?
Met a sung hero or experienced requited love? Have you ever run into
someone who was combobulated, gruntled, ruly or peccable? And
where are all those people who are spring chickens or who would
actually hurt a fly?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your
house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by
filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the
creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That
is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights
are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start
it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it?
Slide 49: No Notes
49
Sample TExES Item:
A fifth-grade student arrived from his home country, El
Salvador, last year with no prior formal education. He is
now in his second year in a Texas school and is receiving
bilingual and ESL services. He is still at the beginning
stages of Spanish literacy development, English language
development, and academic development.
What would be the state policy with regard to the assessment
of academic skills in this student’s case?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC)
may recommend that the assessment of English language
skills be waived; however, an assessment of academic
skills must be administered in either English or Spanish.
Since he is enrolled in the bilingual program, assessment
of academic skills must be administered in either English
or Spanish.
The LPAC may determine that neither English nor Spanish
proficiency tests would be an appropriate measure for
school accountability.
Since he is now in his second year of enrollment in a U.s.
school, the school must administer an assessment of
academic skills in English.
Slide 50: And, now, to get a sense of how you will be assessed on the TExES, try
your hand at this sample item.
“C” is the correct response.
50
Sample TExES Item:
A middle school ESL teacher is working with a group of ESL
students whose English-language abilities vary. Which of
the following would be the most appropriate strategy for
evaluating the progress of students who are at different
proficiency levels in English.
a. Using multiple measures, such as observations, test
scores, and samples of daily work
b. Selecting language achievement tests that have been
normed on a similar student population.
c. Establishing a grading curve and distributing students’
test results along the curve
d. Assessing students only in those areas of English in
which they have achieved competence.
Slide 51: A is the correct response.
51
RESOURCES

Canales, J. (Fall, 1988). “Assessment of language proficiency: Informing
policy and practice.” Position paper prepared for Southwest Educational
Development Laboratory (SEDL) to assist state education agencies in
defining language assessment policy and practices.
Canales, J. (1993) Innovative assessment in traditional settings. The power
of two languages: Literacy & biliteracy for Spanish speaking students. New
York: MacMillan-McGraw Hill Publishing Company, pp. 132-142.
Canales, J. (1994) Linking language assessment to classroom practices.
TABE Compendium. San Antonio, Texas: Texas Association for Bilingual
Education, Fall, pp. 59-73.
Peregoy, S.F. & Boyle, O.B. (1997). Reading, writing, and learning in ESL: A
resource book for K-8 teachers (3rd ed.). White Plains, New York: Longman
Publishing Group.
Websites:
http://www.sbec.state.tx.us
http://www.tea.state.tx.us
Slide 52: No Notes
52