Bilingual assessment practices: challenges faced by speech-language pathologists working with a predominantly bilingual population

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Qin Teoh ◽  
Chris Brebner ◽  
Sue McAllister
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Bilingual Assessment ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists

School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists' Adherence to Practice Guidelines for Assessment of English Learners

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Virginia L. Dubasik ◽  
Dubravka Svetina Valdivia
Keyword(s):  
Professional Practice ◽  
Practice Guidelines ◽  
Case History ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Federal Legislation ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
School Based

Purpose The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) assessment practices with individual English learners (ELs) align with federal legislation and professional practice guidelines. Specifically, we were interested in examining SLPs' use of multiple tools during individual EL assessments, as well as relationships between practices and number of types of training experiences. Method School-based SLPs in a Midwestern state were recruited in person or via e-mail to complete an online survey pertaining to assessment. Of the 562 respondents who completed the survey, 222 (39.5%) indicated past or present experience with ELs, and thus, their data were included in the analyses. The questionnaire solicited information about respondent's demographics, caseload composition, perceived knowledge and skills and training experiences pertaining to working with ELs (e.g., graduate school, self-teaching, professional conferences), and assessment practices used in schools. Results The majority of respondents reported using multiple tools rather than a single tool with each EL they assess. Case history and observation were tools used often or always by the largest number of participants. SLPs who used multiple tools reported using both direct (e.g., standardized tests, dynamic assessment) and indirect tools (e.g., case history, interviews). Analyses revealed low to moderate positive associations between tools, as well as the use of speech-language samples and number of types of training experiences. Conclusions School-based SLPs in the current study reported using EL assessment practices that comply with federal legislation and professional practice guidelines for EL assessment. These results enhance our understanding of school-based SLPs' assessment practices with ELs and may be indicative of a positive shift toward evidence-based practice.

Dynamic Assessment With Bilinguals: A Focus on Increasing Clinicians' Confidence

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda K. Gorman
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Idea 2004 ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Effective Dynamic ◽  
Education Act

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are obligated to judiciously select and administer appropriate assessments without inherent cultural or linguistic bias (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], 2004). Nevertheless, clinicians continue to struggle with appropriate assessment practices for bilingual children, and diagnostic decisions are too often based on standardized tests that were normed predominately on monolingual English speakers (Caesar & Kohler, 2007). Dynamic assessment is intended to be a valid and unbiased approach for ascertaining what a child knows and can do, yet many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) struggle in knowing what and how to assess within this paradigm. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present a clinical scenario and summarize extant research on effective dynamic language assessment practices, with a focus on specific language tasks and procedures, in order to foster SLPs' confidence in their use of dynamic assessment with bilingual children.

scholarly journals Implications of Variability in Clinical Bedside Swallowing Assessment Practices by Speech Language Pathologists

Dysphagia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 650-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue McAllister ◽  
Samantha Kruger ◽  
Sebastian Doeltgen ◽  
Emma Tyler-Boltrek
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Swallowing Assessment

Speech-Language Pathologists' Beliefs About Language Assessment of Bilingual/Bicultural Individuals

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Effie Papoutsis Kritikos
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bilingual Assessment ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Personal Efficacy ◽  
Bilingual Issues ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

A survey of speech/language pathologists, in 5 states across the United States was conducted to determine their beliefs about the language assessment of bilingual/bicultural individuals. Most SLPs reported low efficacy in bilingual assessment for both their own skills (personal efficacy) and those of the field in general (general efficacy). SLPs who learned a second language in the context of cultural experience (the CE group) reported more personal efficacy in bilingual assessment than speech-language pathologists who learned a second language via academic study (the AS group), who in turn felt more competent than monolingual SLPs (the M group). Furthermore, the 3 groups of respondents differed in terms of attributions for their low personal efficacy. The M group was most likely to mention their lack of knowledge about bilingual issues, the AS group commented on their less than optimal language proficiency, and the CE group focused on both proficiency and experience as influences. Over half of all participants (52%) reported that bilingual input in a child's environment would influence their interpretation of that child's language assessment results. Most of these participants (40%) reported that they would be more conservative in recommending language therapy for a bilingual than a monolingual child, particularly due to the respondent's own lack of knowledge of bilingual issues. Implications regarding the relations between language learning experiences and beliefs about the assessment of bilingual/bicultural individuals among SLPs are discussed.

Writing Funding Proposals for Speech-Language Staff Development Projects

1982 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-171
Author(s):  
Carol A. Esterreicher ◽  
Ralph J. Haws
Keyword(s):  
Staff Development ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
State Funding ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
School Environments ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Service Programs ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Special Programs

Speech-language pathologists providing services to handicapped children have pointed out that special education in-service programs in their public school environments frequently do not satisfy the need for updating specific diagnostic and therapy skills. It is the purpose of this article to alert speech-language pathologists to PL 94-142 regulations providing for personnel development, and to inform them of ways to seek state funding for projects to meet their specialized in-service needs. Although a brief project summary is included, primarily the article outlines a procedure whereby the project manager (a speech-language pathologist) and the project director (an administrator in charge of special programs in a Utah school district) collaborated successfully to propose a staff development project which was funded.

Language Test Content

1983 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Owens ◽  
Martha J. Haney ◽  
Virginia E. Giesow ◽  
Lisa F. Dooley ◽  
Richard J. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Test Item ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Language Test ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Diagnostic Aid ◽  
Item Content

This paper examines the test item content of several language assessment tools. A comparison of test breadth and depth is presented. The resultant information provides a diagnostic aid for school speech-language pathologists.

Effect of Teacher Training Sessions on Listener Perception of Voice Disorders

1985 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. DeGregorio ◽  
Nancy Gross Polow
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
School System ◽  
Voice Disorders ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Bergen County ◽  
Experimental Group

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of teacher training sessions on listener perception of voice disorders. Three ASHA certified speech-language pathologists provided the criteria mean. Thirty randomly selected teachers from a Bergen County school system, randomly placed into two groups, served as subjects. The experimental group received three training sessions on consecutive weeks. Three weeks after the end of training, both groups were given a posttest. Listener perception scores were significantly higher for the experimental group. The implications of these results for in-service workshops, teacher/speech-language pathologist interaction and future research are discussed.

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