| Assessment that is custom designed to fit a particular | | | | diagnostic testing to determine what their students can |
| classroom situation gives an accurate picture of | | | | and cannot do. This information will also help the |
| struggling ELLs and their reading abilities. | | | | teacher modify and differentiate classroom instruction. |
| Pre-assessment and post-assessment techniques help | | | | During instruction, teachers use informal observations, |
| teachers identify a starting point and steps in the | | | | samples of student work, and other forms of |
| process of adapting the curriculum for ELLs in a | | | | documentation to provide them with current |
| general education framework. Informal assessment, | | | | information about student achievement. Reflective |
| such as observation and documentation allows | | | | learning logs may play a role as educators reflect on |
| teachers to modify lesson plans as needed to make | | | | instructional goals and what they learn from |
| sure ELLs grasp key concepts. | | | | collaboration about various assessment techniques. |
| Assessment provides teachers with concrete | | | | Questions for consideration include:o What |
| evidence as they consider what they can do to | | | | assessment type did you use? Did it contain all |
| improve students' learning. Pre-assessment results can | | | | elements for the "struggling ELL" definition?o When do |
| guide teachers as they plan and implement steps to | | | | ESL and general education teachers collaborate on |
| meet instructional goals, including goals to deepen | | | | joint assessments?o When and how was your first |
| reading comprehension and increase fluency. Informal | | | | assessment completed to determine eligibility of |
| assessment conducted alongside instruction helps | | | | students in a general education class?o How and |
| teachers refine learning goals and objectives. | | | | when do you continue to update assessment to |
| An Overview of Assessment Procedures in an ELL | | | | determine progress? |
| Classroom | | | | Student performance should be determined by a |
| Research shows that a system of accountability is | | | | variety of factors including that of assessment. |
| necessary for supporting ELLs in general education | | | | Struggling learners should be evaluated based upon |
| classes as well as ESLs who receive language | | | | their progress in general education and ESL classes |
| support in small instructional groups. "The research on | | | | based on material that is designed for their level. |
| the development of English literacy strongly suggests | | | | Schools and districts in general, have their own state |
| that adequate assessments are essential for gauging | | | | standard test for intake and placement of entering |
| the individual strengths and weaknesses of | | | | ELLs as well as exit exams for determining placement |
| language-minority students, making placement | | | | of ESL students. However schools do not provide |
| decisions, and tailoring instruction to meet student | | | | guidelines for determining struggling ELLs' progress |
| needs" (Shanahan and August, Executive summary, | | | | according to standards designed for general education |
| page 6). Ideally, a system of accountability should be | | | | classes or ESL learning groups. This is where ESL and |
| supported by a wide variety of assessment | | | | general education teachers can jointly plan |
| measures, which have been carefully aligned with the | | | | assessment procedures in order to ensure that their |
| program's content standards, curriculum, and actual | | | | students are progressing. |
| classroom instructional practices (Espinosa and Lopez, | | | | One way teachers can effectively do this is to |
| 2007). | | | | evaluate assessment results in order to successfully |
| Assessment Techniques | | | | engage their struggling ELLs. One major question |
| Teachers evaluate their students prior to, during, and | | | | teachers should ask when planning assessments jointly |
| after instruction using a variety of procedures and | | | | is: "Do all students fit the definition of struggling ELLs" |
| techniques. In the context of ELLs in a general | | | | or more specifically, can all struggling ELL perform all |
| education classroom, teachers will want to begin | | | | assessment based task? |
| pre-assessment procedures with various forms of | | | | |