1. Using ELA Non-Summative Assessments for ELs Teacher Leader Summit Alice Garcia Special Population Assessment Coordinator

2. Today’s Goals
At the end of this presentation, participants will understand:
How to use ELA non-summative assessments (benchmarks, interims, classroom assessments) to make instructional decisions for ELs
How to use these same assessments to monitor EL progress towards English proficiency using the EL Connectors

3. Rationale
Right now, the only way to measure an EL’s progress towards full English proficiency is with the yearly summative (ELPT).
However, all ELs take classroom assessments and possibly interims/benchmarks, diagnostics, and maybe more.
Those assessments provide a lot of of data that could be used in other ways.
We will use the information from ELA assessments to:
measure an EL’s progress towards English proficiency
make instructional decisions about what kinds of supports and/or scaffolds an EL needs.

4. Positives to using ELA Assessments
Increases collaboration
No additional testing
Comparison to non-ELs may distinguish between language development issues or “struggling learner”
Pinpoint interventions and/or classroom supports
Content based assessments

5. The EL Connectors
The EL Connectors reflect the interconnectivity of language.
Nearly each one addresses some sort of reading or writing skill.
Reading and Writing are the domains where ELs struggle most, and the areas that will help them be more successful in other content areas.

6. The Connectors: Grouped
Domains
Corresponding ELP Connector
Listening & Reading 1
Construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational through grade appropriate listening, reading and viewing. 8
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text.
Speaking
and
Writing 3
Speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics. 4
Construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence. 7
Adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing. 9
Create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text. 10
Make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade-appropriate speech and writing.
Listening,
Speaking, Reading, 2
Participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions. 5
Conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems. 6
Analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing.

7. How? What to do before
Review the assessment before or after it is given.
What kinds of passages are on the assessment?
Poems are hard for ALL students.
Are their images to support the readings?
Is it based on prior knowledge or “cold read”?
Did students read the texts assessed in class (with discussion and activities)?
Is this the first time they’re seeing this text?
Think of the variety of EL students you have, which ones will struggle the most with which parts?
This goes beyond just their levels in reading and writing.

8. How ? What to do after Review the student responses.
Did the student avoid certain questions?
Look at these questions. Why would this student avoid them? Are they really long? Is the vocabulary challenging?
How does the student score on classroom assessments (prior knowledge) versus a standardized assessment?
Typically, students do better on prior knowledge assessments
How long did it take the student to complete the test?
Did the student use their accommodations?

9. How? Including the writing
Student written responses will give you the most information.
ELs should write, even if just a little (or written from translation).
Don’t translate the prompt for them (let them do it).
If the student is a Level 1 or 2, you might modify the writing requirements.
Student may feel more comfortable writing in their native language then translating.
What writing strategies did the student use?
Collect any brainstorming/outlines that the student used (or take a picture).

10. Is it language?
This is the question with which we should approach the results.—Is it language?
The results of an assessment can give us valuable information about how an EL is progressing towards their content goals and English language proficiency.
It’s important to look at the results with an EL lens and in comparison to non-EL students.
What are this student’s ELPT/ELPS results (especially reading and writing levels)?

11. ELPT/ELPS Levels Performance Level Description Definition Level 1
Beginning
Displays few grade-level English skills and will benefit from EL program support
Level 2
Early Intermediate
Presents evidence of developing grade-level English language skills and will benefit from EL program support
Level 3
Intermediate
Applies some grade-level English language skills and will benefit from EL program support
Level 4
Early Advanced
Demonstrates English language skills required for engagement with grade level academic content instruction at a level comparable to non-ELs
Level 5
Advanced
Exhibits superior English language skills as measured by ELPT/ELPS

12. Common EL Issues on Assessments
ELs struggle more with literary passages because there is more inferential reading and reading “between the lines”.
ELs will often perform worse than non-ELs on language and vocabulary questions.
While all students struggle with writing, ELs will demonstrate certain characteristics that are common for language learners (more on this later).
ELs will struggle more with the testing format especially if there are Technology Enhanced items.

13. Common EL Writing Issues
To see these, we must first get ELs to write. Once we do, it is not unusual to see the following:
Misusing/omitting articles
Reversing adjective-noun order
Incorrect or lack of pronoun usage
Subject-verb agreement (tense and singular versus plural)
Lack of prepositions
More complicated verb tenses not used
Lack of contractions, possessives, idioms

14. Writing Analysis: Your turn
Take a look at the packet of EL writing samples.
These are samples of student writing for some practice ELPT items.
Look at each, and ask yourself,
“Are there issues related to language?” Or
“Is this student struggling with writing in general?”

15. Example: Your Turn
Take a look at one of the two assessments on your table. They are the Grade 3 ELA Practice Test and the ELA Guidebook Unit 8 Cold Reading Task. Consider the following:
What connectors would you say are being assessed with this section?
What issues might an EL encounter (particularly those with a Level 1-2 Reading score on ELPT/ELPS)?
How do these issues differ from a non-EL who struggles in ELA classes?
How would you expect an EL student to score on these items?
The writing piece is important as well and would offer a lot of good information about an ELs progress. It would be very beneficial to create a rubric in the same style as the ones used on ELPT to evaluate an EL’s writing

16. Assessment EL Accommodations
Classroom Assessments
Statewide Assessments
Bilingual dictionary or word-to-word dictionary
Word-to-Word native language dictionary
Written assignments in native language*
Extended time
Directions in native language
Modified/Shortened tests
Math assessment in Spanish
Test read aloud for all but ELA
Tests read aloud in all but ELA
Test administered by EL Teacher/Para/Specialist
For more see the: EL Instructional Support Plan

17. Next Steps Any questions?
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Key Dates
Action
August-May
Work with content/EL teachers to evaluate assessments and results
September
ELPT Writing Sample Items (Grades 6-12) Webinar
February 3-March 13, 2020
ELPT Window Open