Posted: June 11th, 2024

Understanding Assessments for English Language Learners

Understanding Assessments for English Language Learners

As the parent or guardian of an English Language Learner, it’s important to understand the types of assessments used in schools to measure your child’s progress in both English language development and academic content. This knowledge empowers you to support your child’s learning at home and advocate for their needs at school. The three main categories of assessments are diagnostic, formative and summative (Brooks & Thurston, 2020).

Diagnostic Assessments
Diagnostic assessments are typically given at the beginning of the school year or when a new ELL student enrolls. Their purpose is to determine your child’s current English proficiency level and identify strengths and areas for growth. This information helps teachers plan appropriate instruction and support. Examples include the WIDA ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT) and Pre-LAS (Malone et al., 2019). Results are used to place your child in the right English development program.

Formative Assessments
Formative assessments occur during lessons to check your child’s understanding. Teachers use methods like observing group work, asking questions, assigning short quizzes and reviewing homework (Solano-Flores & Gustafson, 2019). The goal is to adjust teaching in real-time to meet your child’s needs. With ELLs, formative assessments may involve simplified language, visuals, or allowing responses in the home language. Feedback helps your child reflect on their own learning. Ask the teacher how you can reinforce skills at home.

Summative Assessments
Summative assessments are given at the end of a unit or course to evaluate your child’s mastery of the material (Mitchell, 2020). Unit tests, essays, projects and state standardized tests in reading and math fall into this category. Accommodations such as extended time, bilingual dictionaries and test questions read aloud provide ELLs equal opportunity to demonstrate knowledge (Koeller & Mitchell, 2022). Summative results show your child’s progress in grade-level standards and English language development standards. Schools use this data to make decisions about moving ELLs to the next proficiency level and exiting them from language support services.

Ongoing Communication
Expect regular updates on your child’s language and academic progress through translated progress reports, parent-teacher conferences, and online grade portals (Ferlazzo, 2019). Interpreters should be available. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. The school values your insights into your child’s development and cultural background. Together, we will help your child succeed!

Bibliography:
Brooks, J., & Thurston, L. P. (2020). English language learner engagement. Intervention in School and Clinic, 56(1), 17-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451220914880

Ferlazzo, L. (2019). Collaborating with multilingual parents. Educational Leadership, 76(8), 50-55.

Koeller, L., & Mitchell, C. (2022). Preparing teachers for equitable grading using assessment accommodations with English learners. TESOL Journal 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.615

Malone, E., Feng, G., Mo, H., & Feng, Y. (2019). Examining the validity of a new assessment of early English language development. Language Testing, 36(1), 85-114. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532218775326

Mitchell, M. (2020). Summative assessments for English learners. The Reading Teacher, 74(2), 239-240. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1931
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Communication with families of ELLs can be challenging but it is vital for student success and family engagement. Many families may be unfamiliar with the standard practices of education in this country. Understanding assessment and how assessment data is used can be particularly difficult to discuss depending on the families’ previous experience with assessment in other educational settings.

Create a digital newsletter for families of ELLs to explain assessment practices. Consider how you communicate the information for non-native English-speaking families. Include the following in your newsletter:

Description of each type of assessment (diagnostic, formative, and summative), including how and when each will be used to support English language instruction
Explanation of alignment of the assessments to ELP and content standards and the use of assessment data to determine student progress in both language and content
Description of testing accommodations for ELLs
Discussion of how the data from assessments will be used to inform instructional decisions and planning, including enrichment and interventions
Identify strategies to communicate timely and meaningful feedback with students and families, including student self-reflection strategies
Support your newsletter with a minimum of three scholarly resources.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance. Include Title Page

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Study Notes & Homework Samples: Discuss with your mentor teacher culturally specific items in their classroom environment »Creating lesson plans that align the English Language Proficiency (ELP)