Transforming Language and Literacy Systems for English Learners

Trends in Assessment per the California ELA/ELD Framework

Session Description

“This session will high key elements of assessing language and literacy per the new California English Language Arts-English Language Development framework. Participants will review the range of assessments expected of all students and those of particular importance for English Learners. The merits, challenges and validity of assessments for English Learners will be examined.” - Jorge.CuevasAntillon@sdcoe.net

California ELA/ELD Framework Emphasizes Varied Assessments

“It is the intent of the Legislature…to provide a system of assessments of pupils that has the primary purposes of assisting teachers, administrators, and pupils and their parents;improving teaching and learning; and promoting high-quality teaching and learning using a variety of assessment approaches and types” (p. 2)

Framework Shifts Assessments

● enables backwards mapping from the College & Career anchor standards (relatively small # of competencies)

● unifies ELA and ELD, with proficiency levels within every grade level set of standards

● includes the full spectrum across all grades ● encourages broad, comprehensive

instruction and standards grouping● connects academic disciplines to language

and literacy learning

California Assessments

• California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP)– Replaces STAR (Standardized Testing and

Reporting) program– Grades 3rd-8th

– Exempts students if <12 months in U.S. school

– Multi-state aligned (Smarter-Balanced)– Two parts for ELA:

• Selected response (multiple choice)• Constructed response (short or long essay)

California Assessments

• Computer-Adaptive Tests (CAT): tailor assessments items based on a student’s performance during a test

• Performance tasks: require students to demonstrate “21st Century” skills in complex tasks to produce a range of products

California Assessments

• National Center & State Collaborative (NCSC) Consortia: alternative assessment for students with significant cognitive disability (to replace the CAPA – California Alternative Performance Assessment)

• Bilteracy Assessments (assessment in bilingual or dual language programs)

• English Language Proficiency Test (CELDT to be replaced by the ELPAC)

Performance Task Sample (from a draft history-language arts unit)

1. Find the document titled “Sample Unit Overview: California 1850-1950”

2. Listen as the unit is described3. Find the document titled “Sample Unit

Performance Task”4. Listen as the performance task is debriefed.5. Take a moment to note some challenges for

the students.6. Identify any challenges particularly complex

for English Learners.

Sample Student Challengesin Performance Tasks

To excel in a PT, students must be able to: ● Read at grade level*● Multitask independently, manage many

documents simultaneously & monitor time● Discern vocabulary from context*● Wield technology adeptly● Absorb multiple sources simultaneously● Produce academic language & long text*● Be able to spell if using a dictionary**Can be esp. challenging for English Learners

What are some of the purposes for assessing?

(What positive value do assessments provide for students, teachers, and others?)

Purposes of Assessment

● for learning: provide real time information about student learning to meet students’ specific needs and secure progress

● of learning: provide information on students’ current level of achievement after a period of learning has occurred

Dimension for Learning of Learning

Method Formative Process

Classroom Summative/

Interim

Large-scale Summative

Main Purpose

Assist learning immediately

during instruction

Measure student

achievement/progress

Evaluate programs and

multi-year growth

Focus Teaching & Learning

Measurement Accountability

Locus Individual student & classroom

Grade level / department /

school

school / district / state

Priority HIGH MEDIUM LOW

Educators Need Assessment Clarity

“Classroom teachers, school leaders, and professional learning providers should consider the support that educators require in order to understand and implement the formative assessment process, as well as to use interim/benchmark and summative assessments effectively. Importantly, educators need to interpret assessment evidence in order to plan instruction and respond pedagogically to emerging student learning.” (p. 7)

Assessment Cycles• Short-Cycle Formative Assessment

• Medium-Cycle Assessment– End-of-Unit Assessments– Interim or Benchmark Assessments

• Long-Cycle Assessment– Annual/End-of-Year Assessments

Short-Cycle AssessmentsFrequency Methods Information Uses/Action

Minute - by - Minute

Observation; Questions; Instructional Tasks; Student discussions; Written Work / representations etc.

Students’ current learning status, difficulties and misunderstandings, idea clarity, level of understanding

Continuing learning, oral feedback to individuals, adjust instruction according to students’ learning status (e.g, teachable moments)

Daily (Same as above, but planned into the lesson + ...)Student self-reflection (e.g., quick write)

(Same as above) continue with planned instruction; adjust instruction is this or next lesson; find out more; feedback to class or individuals (oral or written)

Week Students discussions and work products; Student self-reflections (e.g., journals

Students current learning relative to lessons learning goals

plan instruction for next week; feedback to students (ora or written)

Medium-Cycle AssessmentsFrequency Methods Information Uses/Action

End-of-Unit

Student word artifacts (e.g., portfolios, writing project, oral presentation); rubrics; students self-reflection (e.g. short survey); classroom assessments designed by teacher(s)

Status of students learning relative to unit learning goals

Grading; reporting; teacher reflection on efficacy of planning / instruction; teacher grade level departmental discussions of students work

Quarterly / Interim /

Benchmark

Portfolio; oral reading observation; test

Status of achievement of intermediate goals toward meeting standards (aggregate & disaggregate)

Making within-year instructional decisions; monitoring/reporting; grading; same year adjustments to curriculum; teacher reflection on efficacy of planning / instruction; readjust professional learning priorities and resource decisions

Long-Cycle AssessmentsFrequency Methods Information Uses/Action

End-of-Unit

Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments;CELDT;District / school created test

Status of student achievement with respect to standards (results aggregated and disaggregated)

Judging students overall learning;Gauging student, school, district, and state year-to-year progress;Monitoring, reporting and accountability;Classification and placement (e.g., ELs);Certification;Adjustments to following year’s instruction, curriculum, programs;Final gradesProfessional learning prioritization and resource decisions;Teacher reflection (individual / grade level / department) on overall effectiveness of planning and instruction

Formative Assessment Features

“...formative assessment is a process rather than a particular kind of assessment….There is no such thing as a ‘formative test.’”

“....the formative assessment process involves both teachers and students…, both of whom must be actively involved in the process of improving learning.”

Formative Assessment Features

“…from a learning progression teachers havethe big picture of what students need to learn, as well as sufficient detail for planning instruction to meet short-term goals.”

“…teachers must provide the criteria by which learning will be assessed… using language readily understood by students, with realistic examples of what meets and does not meet the criteria.”

Formative Assessment

● Is a process during instruction to provide feedback to adjust ongoing teaching moves and learning tactics.

● Is not a tool or an event, nor a bank of test items or performance tasks.

● “Well‐supported by research evidence, it improves students’ learning in time to achieve intended instructional outcomes. “

Key Features of Formative Assessment

1. Provides clear lesson learning goals and success criteria (students understand the aim);2. Gathers evidence of learning during lessons to determine where students are relative to goals;3. Offers descriptive feedback as a pedagogical response to evidence4. Includes peer‐ and self‐assessment to strengthen students’ learning, efficacy, confidence, and autonomy;5. Enables a collaborative classroom culture where students and teachers are partners in learning.

What are some formative assessment processes

you wish to encourage in schools/classrooms?

Which of those are especially effective and beneficial for English Learners?

Formative Assessments Practices Good for ELs

• Questioning with feedback and corrective paraphrasing as needed

• Student discussions with observational annotations of needs and debriefs

• Written work/representations with models & success criteria comparison

• Student self-reflection with teacher monitoring of students’ metacognition

Other Critical Assessments:Assessments for Intervention

• Universal Screening - brief assessments of focused on target skills that are highly predicative of future outcomes

• Diagnostic- assessments used to identify when an intervention may be needed

• Progress Monitoring - curriculum-based measurement to (1) determine whether students are learning content; (2) create more effective programs; (3) estimate rates of students improvement

Biliteracy Assessment Sample (Bilingual Phonics Skills Test)

1. Find the document titled “Sample Spanish Phonics Text”

2. Listen as the context is explained.3. Listen as the assessment is explained.4. Take a moment to note some challenges for

each student.5. Identify any recommended interventions.6. Consider any insights gained from this type

of assessment.7. Share your insight with anyone near you.

Quality Checklists

“The idea of the technical quality of assessment refers to the accuracy of information yielded by assessments and the appropriateness for their intended purposes. There are three key elements:...” (p. 63)

• Validity• Reliability• Bias-Free

Key Points of Quality Assessments: VALIDITY

• The extent to which the information the assessment provides is accurate, adequate, and appropriate for a specific decision-making purpose

• While people often refer to the "validity of a test," it is more correct to refer to the validity of the interpretations that can be made from the results of a test

• No test is valid for all purposes

Key Points of Quality Assessments: RELIABILITY

• Consistency of the test results, repeatedly and over time

• Results of a test are reliable if they are replicable (despite changes in test administration and scoring, e.g., time of administration or who scores a test)

• Reliability is important because it is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for validity. If assessment results are not consistent, then it is reasonable to conclude that the scores do not accurately measure what the test is intended to measure

Key Points of Quality Assessments: FREEDOM FROM BIAS

• Information or condition in an assessment that unfairly disadvantages a student or groups in showing knowledge in the content

• An assessment free from bias produces same scores for students at the same attainment level, despite students’ demographics (gender, ethnicity, primary language)

• Two forms of bias: (1) offensiveness – content offends or upsets particular subgroups, (2) unfair penalization – contents more difficult for some students than others

For more information, contact:

Jorge Cuevas AntillónCoordinator, Language Acquisition/Biliteracy

San Diego County Office of EducationPhone: 858-571-7249Email: jorge.cuevasantillon@sdcoe.netWeb: www.sdcoe.net