ESOL- (Assignment#7). Education Coursework Assignment.

Read the article, “Using Informal Assessments for English Language LearnersPreview the document”.
In a word-processed document, complete the following:
Choose one content area standard to be assessed
Provide one test question/item from an original assessment
Identify TWO alternative assessments you can use to assess the standard.
Describe how each alternative assessment would be used/look in your classroom.
Explain how each alternative assessment incorporates the VAK (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) learning styles.

Using Informal Assessments for English Language Learners
Informal assessments (also called authentic or alternative) allow teachers to track the ongoingprogress of their students regularly and often. While standardized tests measure students at aparticular point in the year, ongoing assessments provide continual snapshots of wherestudents are throughout the school year. By using informal assessments, teachers can targetstudents' specific problem areas, adapt instruction, and intervene earlier rather than later.Ongoing assessments are particularly important for English language learners (ELLs).
Standardized tests in English do not usually reflect ELLs' true content knowledge or abilities. Yetinformal assessments can provide a more well-rounded picture of their skills, abilities, andongoing progress. Today's No Child Left Behind legislation requires that meticulous records bekept on the progress of ELLs. Having these records will make it easier when questions ofprogram placement, special services, and grading arise.
There are two commonly used informal methods: performance-based assessment and portfolioassessment. Both methods utilize typical classroom activities to measure progress towardcurricular goals and objectives. These activities can be monitored and recorded by teacherobservation and student self-assessment.
Performance-based assessments
Performance-based assessments are based on classroom instruction and everyday tasks. Youcan use performance-based assessments to assess ELLs' language proficiency and academicachievement through oral reports, presentations, demonstrations, written assignments, andportfolios.
These assessments can include both processes (e.g., several drafts of a writing sample) andproducts (e.g., team projects). You can use scoring rubrics and observation checklists toevaluate and grade your students. These assessment tools can help document your ELLs'growth over a period of time.
Here is a sample language and academic assessment form that you can complete on a monthlybasis to learn about the overall academic and English proficiency progress of your ELLs. If thereis an ESL or resource teacher at school assisting your ELLs, you can share this assessment of theELL's progress during the past month.
When using performance-based assessments, it is important to establish clear and fair criteriafrom the beginning. It might be helpful to develop these criteria in conjunction with otherteachers or specialists at your school. Performance-based assessments promote a wide range ofresponses and do not typically produce one single, correct answer. Therefore, evaluation ofstudent performances and products must be based on teacher judgment, using the criteriaspecified for each task. Here is a sample oral scoring rubric.
You can also develop assessment (and instructional) activities that are geared to your ELLs'current level of English proficiency. Performance-based assessment activities can concentrateon oral communication and/or reading. Here are examples of commonly-used activity typesdesigned for assessing speaking or reading:
• Reading with partners
• Retelling stories
• Role playing
• Giving descriptions or instructions using visual or written prompts• Oral reporting to the whole class• Telling a story by using a sequence of three or more pictures• Completing dialogue or conversation through written prompts• Debating, either one-on-one or taking turns in small groups• Brainstorming• Completing incomplete stories• Playing gamesWhen using performance-based assessments with beginner and intermediate Englishproficiency level ELLs, it is best to assess no more than three items at a time. For example, inone role play activity, you might assess ELLs' abilities to:1. Respond to "what" and "where" questions2. Ask for or respond to clarification3. Read addresses or telephone numbersPortfolio assessmentsPortfolios are practical ways of assessing student work throughout the entire year. With thismethod, you can systematically collect descriptive records of a variety of student work overtime that reflects growth toward the achievement of specific curricular objectives. Portfoliosinclude information, sample work, and evaluations that serve as indicators for studentperformance. By documenting student performance over time, portfolios are a better way tocrosscheck student progress than just one measure alone. Portfolios can include:• Samples of written student work, such as stories, completed forms, exercise sheets, anddescriptions• Drawings representing student content knowledge and proficiencies• Tapes of oral work, such as role-playing, presentations, or an oral account of a trip• Teacher descriptions of student accomplishments, such as performance on oral tasks• Formal test data, checklists, and rating sheetsChecklists or summary sheets of tasks and performances in the student's portfolio can help youmake instructional decisions and report consistently and reliably. Checklists can also help youcollect the same kind of data for each student. In this way you can assess both the progress ofone student and of the class as a whole. This sample math development checklist is an exampleof how you can organize your data collection for each ELL.In addition, here are a few ways that your ELLs can have an active role in the portfolio process:• Students can select samples of their work and reflect on their own growth over time.• You can meet with ELLs to develop their goals and standards, such as with this sample writingcriteria chart.• Together with students, you can set tangible, realistic improvement goals for future projects.• Students – as a class, in groups, or individually – can create their own rubrics.Assessing content knowledgeELLs need to learn grade level academic content even though they are still in the process oflearning English. Even if ELLs are at the beginning or intermediate stages of English languagedevelopment, you can still use their thinking ability and challenge them with contentknowledge activities. ELLs need your help to exercise their critical thinking skills – such asknowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation – in order tosucceed in school during all stages of English language development.It is possible to assess ELLs' understanding of math, science, social studies, and other contentareas somewhat independently of their level of English proficiency. The following assessmenttechniques can help you adapt assessments to reduce English language difficulties while youassess ELLs' actual content knowledge. These techniques can be used separately orsimultaneously as needed.• Scaffolding assessments allow ELLs to demonstrate their content knowledge through exhibits orprojects, drawings, and graphic organizers. Consider giving ELLs extra time to complete thesetasks, or to give short responses.• Differentiated scoring scores content knowledge separately from language proficiency. To scorecontent knowledge, look at how well ELLs understand key concepts, how accurate theirresponses are, and how well they demonstrate the processes they use to come up withresponses.You can use a content area progress form with the above techniques to rate your ELLs' overallcontent achievement in class. You will need separate forms for math, science, and social studiesperformance.It is important to note that if students are being instructed in content in one language (e.g.,English), they should not be assessed on that content in another language, even if it is theirnative language.For more information on assessing ELLs in general, visit the Northeast and Islands RegionalEducational Laboratory (LAB) website.ReferencesAdapted from: Eastern Stream Center on Resources and Training (ESCORT). (2003). Help! Theydon't speak English. Starter Kit for Primary Teachers . Oneonta, NY: State University College.And from: Stefanakis, E. (1998). Whose judgment counts? Assessing bilingual children, K-3.Portsmouth, NH: Heinamann.Article CitationColorín Colorado. “Using Informal Assessments for English Language Learners.” Retrieved Online May12, 2020. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/using-informal-assessments-english-languagelearners.