ELLs and Assessment

Abedi, J. (2002). Measuring instructional quality in accountability systems: Classroom assignments and student achievement. Educational Assessment, 8(3), 231-257.

This article explains research about the performance difference between English Language Learners and English speakers on standardized tests. The data comes from case studies at four different sites from across the United States. The study looks at several different factors that may be at fault for this performance gap, focusing specifically on the influence of language. It shows a clear influence of language differences on performance.

Amrei, A. L., & Berliner, D. C. (2002). An analysis of some unintended and negative consequences of high-stakes testing. Michigan: The Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice.

This article is on the long side, but it has a table of contents at the beginning to make it easy to find the information that you are looking for. The background on high-stakes testing is good general information to have. There is a thorough analysis of the impact of testing on each state, which is more relevant to high school than other education levels. The following section,”The Other Unintended Consequences of High-Stakes Test,” provides good, concise information on consequences, particularly for those students who are considered at-risk. Thought the focus of the paper is not on English Language Learners, the information is helpful to have as general knowledge about high-stakes testing, and there is some application specific to ELLs.

McKay, P. (2005). Research into the assessment of school age learners. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 25, 243-263. Retrieved from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/12095/1/12095.pdf

This is a chapter from a longer work, and this specific chapter focuses on assessment in second language and foreign language education. To start with, it addresses the standards and testing movement. The authors take the position that this movement has negative effects for second language learners. The chapter expounds on those negative effects and follows up with recommendations for addressing those negative effects and ways for teachers to assess more effectively. There is also a small section to specifically address young learners.

McNeil, L. (2010). Beyond the products of higher-order questioning: how do teacher and english-language learner perceptions influence practice?. TESOL Quarterly, 2. Retrieved from http://www.tesol-journal.com/PDF/A6V2_TESOL.pdf

This article is more about in class assessment for English Language Learners. It uses a case study to evaluate the use of higher-order questioning for ELLs. The authors define the idea of higher-order questioning and evaluate the hypothesis that it is not used enough for ELLs by observing classes. They also describe the possible effects of not using enough questions of that nature.

Menken, K. (2008). English learners left behind: Standardized testing as language policy. Clevedon; Buffalo: Multilingual Matters Ltd.

This book is not in our library, but I got it easily with an Interlibrary loan. Kate Menken writes about her research on testing and English Language Learners in New York City schools, especially relating to testing. The study focuses exclusively on high school students, and has extensive information about exit exam requirements for high school graduation. The book also gives in-depth information about the rise in drop-out rates and the phenomenon of pushing out for ELLs.

Moya, S. S., & O'Malley, J. M. (1994). A portfolio assessment model for ESL. The Journal of Educational Issues of Language Minority Students, 13, 13-36. Retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/rcd/BE019739/A_Portfolio_Assessment.pdf

This article is a little dated but it gives some really valuable general information about the use of portfolios as assessment, particularly for the ESL class. The benefits of using portfolios are explained, and a process is outlined for implementation. The authors come to the conclusion that portfolios are not a fad but a part of the future for assessment in second language classrooms.

Odo, D. M. (2010). A review of the literature on ESL literacy assessment. British Columbia Lower Mainland ESL Assessment Consortium. Retrieved from http://www.eslassess.ca/esl/docs/Assessment_Lit_Review_Publication.pdf

Because it is a literature review, this article synthesizes a lot of information that you might find in several different places. The history of the development of language tests at the beginning can be good background knowledge about language testing in general. It also gives basic information about the current use of traditional tests, and a fair critique of a few popular alternative assessment methods. Following sections specifically address both elementary and secondary levels of testing, computer testing, and the societal impact of assessment. Overall an extremely informative and useful article.

Simon, M. (2010). Assessment versus achievement: Winner takes all! Florida Journal of Educational Administration & Policy, 3(2), 73-85.

A case study in Florida public schools analyzes the effects of No Child Left Behind on the school system. Although the study was done in Florida, general applications can be made by the questions that are raised in the research. The beginning of the article contains a useful summary of the requirements of NCLB for schools, and outlines how those requirements play out in Florida schools. A major emphasis is the amount of time that tests take away from instruction. To conclude, the authors provide recommendations of alternative to NCLB.

Wolfe, J., & Gilrane, C. P. (2008). Assessment that supports student learning: One Teacher’s journey TNTESOL Journal, One, 8-19.

This article is useful if you want to look at the ideas of alternative assessment. An ESL teacher shares her own personal experience with using assessment methods in her classroom and their effectiveness. Valuable information is given about keeping anecdotal records, documenting growth, and student reflection. The author discusses how these methods have been helpful in knowing where here students are and improving her instruction.

Wright, W. E., & Choi, D. (2006). The impact of language and high-stakes testing policies on elementary school english language learners in arizona. EDUCATION POLICY ANALYSIS ARCHIVES, 14(13) Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v14n13/

The authors of this study interviewed forty ESL and bilingual teachers in Arizona, which has some of the strictest rules in the country about the education of ELLs. The article explains why this is the case, evaluating Arizona legislature. This study is particularly beneficial for getting teacher perspectives on high-stakes testing. There are several easy to read and use charts showing teacher reactions and feelings about legislation, high-stakes testing, and the results on instruction.