This course surveys assessment strategies as applied to instruction of students learning English language in current designated and integrated classes. By considering my current students, administrator conversations, formal and informal assessment paradigms, and my personal experience with assessments, I have developed strategic approaches to lesson design intended to support students as they acquire English language literacy.

Current Students

            Currently, the classes I teach include a two-period block of designated English Language Development and two sections of Introduction to Art where students learning English language are on the roster. All levels of English literacy are represented by the students. Moreover, the two types of classes approach English literacy in distinctly different ways.

            Something both courses have in common is that learning experiences are context rich to support what Professor Jim Cummins termed Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) though visual media, live captions in English or Spanish, and visual syntax in varied forms of graphic organizers (Colorίn Colorado, 2021). Introduction to Art requires highly differentiated instruction and many options for scaffolding to meet each individual student where they are in their educational journey because of the academic language involved in formal visual analysis supported by the elements of art and principles of design

            The ELD classes require particularly unique emphasis on Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) because this class is the perfect opportunity to address this content and provide time for students to practice interpersonal communication before assessments. Students benefit from working with a more proficient student to increase speaking and interpretation ability in class. Students who are more proficient in English are encouraged to lead during in class discussions as well as guide some instruction where appropriate. 

          In fact, the Colorίn Colorado website suggests that the length of time required to develop conversational and academic proficiency in the target language (English) is important for educators to keep in mind (2021). Especially in art class where all students are being introduced to the language of formal visual analysis, providing sentence frames to support writing in class is important so that learners of all abilities are able to participate in working toward the visual art learning targets.

            Also, in ELD class we read passages of text from all subjects and disciplines to also support academic language development. In both courses, opportunity for assessment in multiple modalities of expression are available and frequently student can choose between writing and speaking to demonstrate what they know and can do. Further, formative assessment in speaking and listening is tracked by regular voice recording of students reading and response to questions regarding their interpretation of a text.

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Administrator Conversations

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            During the school year, I have met with three administrators at my school for discussion about students learning English language which I teach in two sections of designated English Language Development as well as two sections of Introduction to Art. These administrators include the school Principal, Magnet Coordinator, and Counselor. Each conversation was valuable in its unique point of view and set of priorities. However, all administrators expressed explicit commitment to the success and support of the students learning English language in our school community.

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            Conversation with the principal made clear the intention of the school in shifting to the offering the double block of designated English Language Development (ELD) classes after offering integrated English class with a supporting designated block. This is my first year at the high school, hiring me was part of this transition, and the expectation from the beginning has been that through the small class of only nine students in a double block focused on English language acquisition that we would see more students move toward reclassification. Even though the online schedule has limited contact, since the ELD class was scheduled as a double, we have met as a class consistently every day. Moreover, the principal expresses approval and appreciation for the work we are accomplishing in class together.

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            The Magnet Coordinator has observed our class in addition to meeting me to discuss learning targets, instructional approaches, and student learning outcomes. Also, we have a Community of Practice group which is led by the Magnet Coordinator and these monthly meetings provide a forum for a small group of faculty and administrators to discuss school culture and learning experiences. Also, the Magnet Coordinator provides after school tutoring for the students which I recommend and supply the students with the tutoring schedule and zoom links embedded in the daily lesson slides. Through the Magnet Coordinators hands-on approach, experience with, and ongoing commitment to the learning outcomes for our students learning English language, as a school learning community we are synchronized in our obligation to meeting student needs.

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            The Counselor maintains a fluid dialogue with me with regard to English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) testing as well as the Reading Inventory (RI) exams which the students undertake each semester. Actually, the Counselor is hands-on in test administration by coming to class and proctoring exams in a breakout room as well as offering make-up testing opportunities as needed. The Counselor has been supportive of me in my Professional development and training around the testing protocols and this has required several one-on-one meetings. Also, the Counselor facilitates connections to community support providers such as the Los Angeles Education Project (LAEP) which offers an after-school program called Language in Action. I provide a Schoology (LMS) group for this activity as well as post updates with schedules and zoom links for the events. Together we have planned and implemented as successful program this year.

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            Importantly, in addition to these conversations with administrators I have ongoing discourse with faculty members in our school learning community. These ongoing conversations regarding the needs of specific students as well as broader conceptual underpinnings of our collective pedagogical approach are integral to the warmth, belonging, and sense of safety which we provide our students as they acquire English language literacy.

Formal and Informal Assessments for English Learners

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            Informal assessments are ongoing in class while formal assessments punctuate closure in topics of instruction. During daily class students are provided opportunity to write in chat and unmute to speak in response to the lesson. Importantly, students are provided time to practice any skill or knowledge which will later be graded. Weekly checks for understanding, knowledge and skill in reading, writing, speaking and listening provide students opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do.

            According to Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model encourages teachers to assess students “whenever they have an opportunity” (p. 219). I appreciate this perspective and approach. Importantly, assignments frequently provide the student options for their preferred modality of expression. Not all but some assignments allow for student choice between recorded audio or video or writing. Some assignments are specific especially in the case of some writing or speaking performance assessments. In either case, clear learning targets based on relevant standards are explicitly provided with a grade rubric based on a four-point scale.

            Ongoing formative assessment takes the form of teacher active listening to the student performance in class as well as in ungraded activities designed to provide low stakes practice time. Formal assessment takes the form of a weekly assignment and independent practice log. Performance assessments are preferred where students have some authorship in their assessment of learning.

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Experience with Assessment

            In my experience as a student, I have often felt that assessment was unfair and not useful. The assessment strategies which impressed me as fair and relevant often included some sense of student choice or involvement in the process. For example, a social studies project where the assessment was a student inquiry project required prediction about the future informed by research and evidence from history to support the prediction. This was creative and empowering while providing not only an opportunity for me as a student to demonstrate what I know and can do but also extended the learning from class into interests which would support life long learning. Assessment that did not seem fair would have vague criteria for grading or present with too much power or discretion or subjectivity on behalf of the teacher as the grader. As an educator, I have learned from my experience as a student and will foster clear expectations while enrolling students in to the assessment process as much as possible.

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            In my classroom, I will monitor student progress though ongoing informal assessment to allow for the dynamic exchange between student formation of knowledge supported by the feedback to inform instruction. By responding to student performance in formative assessment, as an educator I can better met the student where they are. Examples of such informal assessment include listening to student pronunciation during class activities to determine what the language workshop on the following day might need to address in terms of speaking. Also, monitoring student response to text read aloud in terms of their interpretation and comprehension can be demonstrated through filling in blanks in a sentence frame during class. Whatever might be missed by the student as they interpret and actively listen to spoken English can serve inform future instruction tactics and content alike. Ongoing informal assessment supports learning and instruction and makes the case for assessing at every opportunity as suggested by the SIOP model.

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Sources

Colorin Colorado. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2021, from https://www.colorincolorado.org

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Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. J. (2013). Making content comprehensible for English learners: the SIOP 

            model. 4th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

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