Language Test Construct

Individualized Language Test Construct for Academic Success

Alexandria White

December 13, 2015

Introduction

The purpose of the Language Test Construction is to disaggregate student educational needs to maximize their learning potential. Based off observations and research of the current regulations, educational constructs, and growing need for effective ESL programming, I have decided to share a method of individualized assessment and data collection that better targets student progress and grade level placement in areas of reading comprehension, listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, writing, and speaking.

Assessments

“Language, culture, and pre-existing education.” The closer the language is to English, Romance languages, the easier the language transfer. The variation between the written languages creates more of a challenge. Research says native language literacy to the classroom has advantage to non-native speaker. Assessment is the gathering of data, information on student’s educational skills and abilities.

Individualized educational programs have been commonly used for students who have special education needs, which would be appropriate for immigrant students attending US schools. Many challenges were addressed in the 2014 video on Assessment of English Language Learners by ColorinColorado, that students, parents, and educators face in distributing and assessing L2 language learners, as far as accuracy, placement, and referrals to educational services.

Challenges

Such challenges that TESOL faces in maintaining validity in assessments are the lack of intake services, cultural irrelevance of context, heavy language loads, discretions in testing instructions, bias and cultural assumptions by test developers. As a teacher at a school for students with specials needs, I have experienced these disconnects between standardize testing, state regulations, and classroom exposure, Assessment of English Language Learners by ColorinColorado (2014).

Solutions

Although my personal experience does not directly relate to ESL instruction, my experience in formal and informal assessments and IEP, individualized education programming, development can be transferable in attempts to equalize the L1 and L2 education gaps. IEPs can be used for any student, as long as it specifies and addresses the individual’s baseline knowledge in each subject area, assesses strengths and weaknesses, areas of improvement, creates relevant goals, and tracks the students progress. IEPs can be used for any population; immigrants, refugees, first generation language learners, etc. For this language test construction, I am sharing and applying IEP templates for data, used in my classroom, to assess and track language acquisition for students with Autism, and relating my opinions on how these same assessment methods will benefit ESL students in their language acquisition assessments, in the following areas:

• Listening/Comprehension

• Grammar

• Vocabulary

• Reading

• Writing

• Speaking

Individualized Assessments

Throughout this language test construction, I will use sample documents that will help guide instructors through the IEP assessment process. The assessment process for IEP for a L2 student includes top-down, and bottom-up approaches to identify student learning baseline, and overall goal achievements. You will see in document 1, listed below in the site file cabinet, is a sample intake test, in which names are changed for HIPAA compliance. Here, we use teacher observations, parent feedback, and a standardize test, called the Brigance Basic Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills II, to get an idea of existing education baseline. For ESL purposes, we would want to test the student in their native language to collect this data.

Document 1, intake test sample, show us, the range of testing areas. The array of questions range from easy to very difficult questions and tasks. Teacher instruction is minimal, which decreases language load and bias. The questions in the exam are intended to retrieve a whole idea of where a student is at with social, mental, economic, and academic comprehension. Without a doubt, it takes more than just a test to figure out student educational and environment needs, which ideally includes parent participation, as well. Often times students go home where their native language is the primary source of communicating. Keeping this in mind, using baseline assessments, teacher can create supplementary materials, and lesson to build into student curriculum in the classroom and in their homes.

Sample 2 document, is very common assessment, we all know as a progress report. However, this particular progress report is a compilation of student reading progress throughout the 2014-2015 year. Top down, you see the main goal: Independent reading by independently reading sight words. The goal is broken down into two objectives, and then systematically focuses on the Mastery of each objective before moving forward with other subjects that support the overall goal of independent reading. A progress report system, like Sample 2 document, is beneficial to ESL students because, it breaks down and deconstructs curriculum that is can be overlooked in public school classroom. This report is research based and supported by data, that student is maintaining and meeting learning criteria. Progress reports are completed with the support of document 3, a daily data sheet, that documents daily progress.

Document 3, is the data collection sample sheet that assesses student progress on a day to week basis. The data sheet is created after assessing student baseline, current knowledge, and overall goals. The data sheets are updated once student masters an objective. If student does not master objective, sublevels are created to bridge any gaps that prevents goal progress and mastery. These sublevels may include supplemental materials, re-evaluation of teaching method. This information is carefully reviewed, assessed, and then teacher adds the percentages of correct responses out of opportunities, that will be used for quarterly progress reporting to parents, and administration. If student maintains 80% accuracy, across two works sessions, then student can move forward, and that masters objective will become maintenance work.

Prompt Levels

There is a prompt hierarchy that we use at my school that can be applied to assisting acquisition of language and academic curriculum. This can be very useful in teaching English to L2. It takes a step back from traditional teaching methods and offers assistance, and support during teaching and assessment periods. Although most commonly used in teaching students with Autism, the prompting hierarchy is designed to teach and gradually fade teacher intervention. Thus, allowing student to be independently successful in completing tasks. See prompt hierarchy graph below.

Data Collection and Results

To complete Document 3, teacher marks the prompt level used in teaching student vocabulary, reading comprehension, or communication questions. Teachers must write their level of prompting so they can track the next appropriate phase, to fade out assistance. I can see this being useful for advanced L2 learners who are acquiring social language. They would most likely need partial verbal assistance to find the proper word bank to express what they mean to say. I can also, see this prompting hierarchy being useful for lower level writing task, that involve a visual or material prompt (MA+) and vocabulary bank to help queue the appropriate words the student is looking for to complete their writing task. Below is an example of a visual aid that may be used to assist students in their grammar organizations for subject-verb agreement, as well as answering “wh” who, what, when, where questions. Practicing this visual approach would support a larger goal of listener-response communication, as well and writing structure. They can reflect on the material to help them fulfill functional communication, and even syntax.

Diagnostic Reading Assessment

By creating an IEP goal, and taking data, instructors can desegregate academic areas and find ways to better support and supplement L2 learning. Constant assessments are needed for this process. One way my school is supporting language and individual student learning needs, while hosting a diverse social environment, that meets every students learning needs in teaching and assessment, is using Diagnostic Reading Planning sheets, which you can view, document 5. The DRO strategy is a great way to assess diverse learning needs.

1. Brainstorm ideas and activities that surround the topic of a book, make the reading relevant to students

2. Teacher has student watch a Youtube video book.

3. Based off teacher observations, teacher asks student question that is appropriate to their comprehension and response level.

4. Use leaset to most prompting with pictures, gestures, and reading strategies to assist student to find answer.

Teacher takes data. If the student is incorrect, teacher marks (-) then teacher write the prompt used to lead student to correct answer (G+) meaning teacher used a gesture, to assist student to right answer. At the end teacher adds up the correct answers out of opportunities. If the percentage of the data is under 80%, teacher must revisit, or offer remedial help with reading comprehension.

Review

Individualized student assessments in the classroom, is an alternative and supportive way of getting more accurate reports on academic standings. It provides the one on one attention that students need when joining a new classroom that is different from their native culture traditions and norms. It also, continuously tracks what works and what does not work in student curriculum. One thing is for certain and that is that everyone is learns differently, and everyone has different learning needs. If I had it my way all classrooms would setup individualized curriculums that help every student maintain quality education that promotes equal education. However, the individualized programming comes with a cost. IEPs usually require a team of specialist that gather information, and bounce around ideas that help student succeed on all levels. Often times, student cognitions is mislead by their communication disabilities, or lack of language acquisition. This is frustrating and can hold a student back, not because they don’t know the answers, but because their current language does not understand the context of the English speaking culture. The assessments, observations, and data, are simple and scientifically-supported ways we can make learning more accurate for ESL students.