Performance of English Language Learners as a Subgroup in Large-Scale Assessment: Interaction of Research and Policy

This article highlights a set of principles and guidelines, developed by a diverse group of specialists in the field, for appropriately including English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities in large-scale assessments. ELLs with disabilities make up roughly 9% of the rapidly increasing ELL population nationwide. In spite of the small overall percentage of students that they represent, this group experiences significant learning and assessment challenges. In the context of successfully educating all students to high standards, it is important for state education agencies, policymakers, and local education agencies to improve achievement outcomes for these students. One of the first steps in improving test performance is to design and implement comprehensive and accessible assessment policies, and consequently assessments, that address the specific needs of ELLs with disabilities. Doing so will give them the chance to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have, thus allowing the test results to more accurately show areas for school improvement.

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The Impact of Setting Accommodation on Large-scale Assessment of English Language Learners with and without Learning Disabilities: Balanced vs. Unbalanced Data in Latent Class Analyses

Journal of Studies in Education ◽

10.5296/jse.v3i2.3371 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Pei-Ying Lin ◽

Yu-Cheng Lin

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

Large Scale ◽

English Language ◽

Latent Class ◽

Unbalanced Data ◽

Large Scale Assessment ◽

Latent Class Analyses ◽

The Impact

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Challenges in Implementing and Evaluating a Large-Scale Science Intervention: The Case of the Promoting Science among English Language Learners (P-SELL) Project

Supporting K-12 English Language Learners in Science ◽

10.4324/9781315659930-12 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 68-82

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

Large Scale ◽

English Language ◽

Science Intervention

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Standards-based classroom assessments of English proficiency: A review of issues, current developments, and future directions for research

Language Testing ◽

10.1177/0265532211404188 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 367-382 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Lorena Llosa

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

Large Scale ◽

English Language ◽

Classroom Assessment ◽

English Proficiency ◽

The United States ◽

High Stakes ◽

Classroom Assessments ◽

Key Issues

With the United States’ adoption of a standards-based approach to education, most attention has focused on the large-scale, high-stakes assessments intended to measure students’ mastery of standards for accountability purposes. Less attention has been paid to the role of standards-based assessments in the classroom. The purpose of this paper is to discuss key issues and challenges related to the use of standards-based classroom assessments to assess English language learners’ English proficiency. First, the paper describes a study of a standards-based classroom assessment of English proficiency in a large urban school district in California. Second, using this study as an example and drawing from the literature in language testing on classroom assessment, this paper highlights the major issues and challenges involved in using English proficiency standards as the basis for classroom assessment. Finally, the article outlines a research agenda for the field given current developments in the areas of English proficiency standards and classroom assessment.

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