English Language Learners

1. English Language Learners Assessing Language Proficiency: Chapter 9: Rhodes, R. L.; Ochoa, S. H.; & Samuel O. Ortiz, S. O. (2005). Assessing culturally and linguistically diverse students: A practical guide. [Chapter 9]. NY: Guildford Press.

2. Language Proficiency Assessment • You must obtain information for the ELL in both L1 and L2 prior to testing. • You must obtain information for the ELL in both L1 and L2 prior to testing. • You must obtain information for the ELL in both L1 and L2 prior to testing. • You must obtain information for the ELL in both L1 and L2 prior to testing.

3. Why test for Language 1st? • To determine the appropriateness of the client’s learning/ work setting. • To determine the language for future testing. • To determine the impact that language proficiency may have on testing data. • To determine if the areas of concern are a result of a real disability or simply a reflection of the normal process of 2nd language acquisition.

4. Same fact over and over. • A true disability must be apparent in both languages. • You can not be disabled in English and not be disabled in your native language. • If you are experiencing significant difficulty in English, this must be supported as significant difficulty in your first language to be considered a disability.

5. Use formal and informal Methods • Formal methods (examples) • WMLS-R • IDEA • BEST-Plus • WLPB-R • Informal methods (examples) • Basic conversation • Observations with peers • Interviews with parents and teachers

6. Formal and Informal Methods Include • Formal methods: surface components are examined: • Phonology • Morphology • Syntax • Grammar • Vocabulary • Informal methods: • Real-life use of language • Use BOTH for a complete picture.

7. What country were norms generated? New immigrants or 2nd-3rd generation in norming sample. Language testing incorporates all dialects as possible choices. Tests are created in a manner as to be culturally biased in the questions asked. Looks at only one component in language. Does not use authentic language. Things to look out for . . .

8. WMLS-R: Provides CALP • CALP score: • 1 = negligible • 2 = very limited • 3 = limited • 4 = fluent • 5 = advanced

9. Testing should measure… • BICS and CALP • Measure both languages • Receptive and Expressive Skills • Current language skills (data more than 6 months old is OUTDATED)

10. What to look for in a good test: • Norming properties • Psychometric factors (reliability and validity) • Skills assessed • Theoretical foundation used to develop the measure • Extent to which the instrument incorporates the language proficiency practices just described

11. Translated into another language, but not renormed. Translated into another language with no concern as to how item difficulty might impact basals and ceilings. No norms at all Poor reliability and validity in newly normed language. Only reliability and validity reported for original language. Things to look out for . . .

12. What do you do when no “perfect test” exists? • Use multiple sources of data (this should be standard practice even with great tests). • Incorporate informal and formal measures in your assessment plan (this should be done anyway). • Describe any significant weaknesses of a measure in your interpretation of the results.

13. Two Respected Language Proficiency Measures • Basic Inventory of Natural Language: This test can be used for more than 30 languages and is used to test students in grades kindergarten through 12. Students are shown large pictures, which the students individually discuss orally. Their taped explanations are then scored using measurements such as sentence complexity and length. • Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey-Revised: This individually administered test is for ages 4 through adult and measures listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. http://spanish.about.com/library/questions/blq-fluencytests.htm

14. WMLS-R: Provides CALP • CALP score: • 1 = negligible • 2 = very limited • 3 = limited • 4 = fluent • 5 = advanced

15. Informal Methods • Observations: academic and social settings. • Questionnaires: parents, teachers, and clients answer open-ended questions. • Rating Scales: Uses Likert scales for teacher, parent, and client input. • Storytelling: Have the client tell you a story and evaluate that story. • Cloze Techniques: Client completes a sentence or phrase presented. • Language Samples: Obtained through direct conversation, observations in class, or anywhere that the client talks

16. Informal Language Testing • Many of the previously described methods have previously published methods of conducting the informal assessment. • Observations: BOLD • Questionnaires: Bilingual Proficiency Questionnnaire • Teacher Rating Scale: SOLOM • Make sure that you are familiar with how to produce CBM before you make your own informal measure of language assessment.

17. Factors When Interpreting Language Proficiency Data • Context of previous educational services and home literacy factors. • Does/Did client have CALP in L1? • What type of bilingual education? • Does/Did the client receive formal language instruction in L1 outside of school? • Compare the ELL with other ELLs • CALP scores significantly different from language learning peers? • Do teachers note any significant difference from language learning peers? • Do you note during observations or informal testing any significant difference from language learning peers?

18. Factors When Interpreting Language Proficiency Data • Consistency of data across formal and informal measures • If there is a difference, you need to find out why. • Additional Caveats in Interpretation • Dominance only shows if a client is better in tested aspects of language assessed and not client’s overall language skills. • Just because a client is dominant in one language over another, this does not mean that the child has sufficient language skills to just test in that language. • Presence or absence of an accent does not indicate proficiency or dominance. It just shows what age the learner picked up either language.

19. Discussion Board Options: • Examine the profiles on pg. 149. • Which profiles will experience the most difficulties in school/work in the U.S? • Which profiles will experience the most difficulty in school/work in the native country? • Describe how one might develop into a client meeting the description of Profile 1. • Describe how one might develop into a client meeting the description of Profile 8.