Course Developer Larraine Ratzlaff Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Revised: May 2012 Acknowledgements The following individuals and organizations provided assistance during the developing and writing of this course: Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools: Greg Chatlain, Rosanne Kerr, Diana Nordick Saskatchewan Ministry of Education: Rosemary Beckie Student Support Services Ed Bourassa, Patricia Kovacs – Curriculum and Instructions Nadia Prokopchuk - Student Achievement and Supports Branch University of Saskatchewan: Shannon Storey – Academic Coordinator, CERTESL Program Note: Every effort has been made to acknowledge original sources and to comply with copyright law. Errors or omissions will be corrected in a future version.
Students should be encouraged to keep personal dictionaries with vocabulary learned in the EAL class as well as in other classes. Separating the words into themes will aid retention. Effective Assessment and Evaluation Strategies Student assessment and evaluation are an integral part of good teaching practices. These practices must be well planned, purposeful, and attached to specific learning outcomes. They must also inform classroom instructional approaches and strategies, so that improvements to students learning are always being made. Assessment tools guide both teachers and students in making decisions about attainment of learning outcomes. For students who are learning English as an additional language, assessment activities should: Focus on observable, measurable, and attainable skills which show growth in language use and communicative abilities Involve a variety of language competencies (as in real life) Take place in a variety of contexts which target academic learning Assessment and evaluation strategies which are particularly effective for students who are learning English as an additional language have been identified below. These are followed by summative checkpoints which can be used to assess language progress. ► Checklists Checklists are an efficient method of gathering information on student’s language development. Teachers write dates, checkmarks and/or notes next to specific skills, behaviours or concepts. Both teachers and language learners can use check lists as assessment instruments. ► Cloze Cloze (fill in the blanks exercises) can assess students’ reading and writing strategies as well as the ability to make sense of text. ► Interviews and Conferences Conferences with individual students allow teachers to gain insight into a student’s strengths, progress and learning needs. Dated notes on the conversations can be kept in binders, on discs or in student files. ► Observations and Anecdotal Records Observations provide a way of gathering information that may not be picked up in other types of assessments. Anecdotal records are a form of ongoing assessment of student(s) in the classroom. These ‘jot-notes’ provide the teacher with information as to how the student is processing information, collaborating with students as well as general observations on learning styles, attitudes and behaviours. Such records are a valuable form on ongoing assessment.
Appendix D – Sample Rubrics for Assessment and Evaluation The following rubrics are intended to be used as examples only. Teachers should modify them according to the context of studies and the needs of their own students. For ELLs with limited or interrupted education, providing picture-only rubrics may be required at the beginning. A translated version would be helpful as well. These samples have been adapted from Nebraska K–12 Language Framework (1996). For other sample rubrics, see: ORAL PRESENTATION RUBRIC – SAMPLE A 4 Yes! 3 Yes, but… 2 No, but… 1 No Pronunciation Good pronunciation Most words pronounced correctly Some problems with pronunciation Many pronunciation problems Fluency Speaks naturally Speaks naturally with a few pauses Many pauses Long pauses, slow Comprehensibility Easily understood Understandable Difficult to understand Cannot understand Vocabulary Excellent use of vocabulary Some use of vocabulary Minimal use of vocabulary Vocabulary is not used Performance Lively, enthusiastic; good General enthusiasm; some Low energy; limited Eye-contact Reads from cards, no eye-contact *A bilingual version of this rubric will assist ELLs with limited or interrupted formal education ORAL PRESENTATION RUBRIC – SAMPLE B Exceeds Expectations 3 2 1 Usage Excellent Uses what is studied very well Some errors with application of what is being studied Does not appear to understand what is being studied Vocabulary Creative use of vocabulary Vocabulary is appropriate to present level of study Some use of current vocabulary; key words missing Minimal use of targeted vocabulary at present level of study; words used contact
for Assessing Language Proficiency Formal English Language Proficiency Tests Test Skills Grades Contact Basic Inventory of Natural Language (BINL) speaking listening tests skills in over 30 languages K-12 CHECpoint Systems, Inc. 1520 North Waterman Ave. San Bernardino, CA Tel. (800)-635-1235 Idea Proficiency (IPT) Title III Testing System speaking listening reading writing PreK-12 Customer Relations Ballard & Tighe Publishers 480 Atlas Street Brea, CA 92821 (800) 321-4332 (714) 990-4332 Fax: (714) 255-9828 www.ballard-tighe.com Language Assessment Scales Links Placement Test speaking listening reading writing K-12 CTB/McGraw-Hill 20 Ryan Road, Monterey, CA 93940 U.S.A Tel: 800.538.9547 Fax: 800.282.0266 Tel: 831.393.0700 Fax: 831.393.6528 Stanford English Language Proficiency Test speaking listening reading writing PreK-12 Harcourt Assessment, Inc. 19500 Bulverde Rd. San Antonio, 78259 (800) 211-8378 Fax: (800) 232-1223 www.harcourtassessment.com Language Survey, Normative Update 2001 Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey, Revised 2005 speaking listening reading writing PreK-12 Age norms: 2-90, Grade norms: K.0-18.0 Customer Relations Riverside Publishing Co. 425 Spring Lake Itasca, IL 60143-2079 (800) 323-9540 (630) 467-6069 (fax) Additional information: Handbook Of English Language Proficiency Tests, Ann Del Vecchio, PhD, Michael Guerrero, PhD, Evaluation Assistance Center - Western Region, New Mexico Highlands, University Albuquerque, New Mexico, December, 1995 National Clearing House for English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement & Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students Informal Assessment Techniques Type Skills Informal Interview (with or without translator) Listening, speaking Dictation Sample Listening, writing Free Writing Sample (in L1 and L2) Writing
Saskatchewan Education. (1999). English language arts: A curriculum guide for the secondary level. Regina, SK: Author. Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. (2008). English language arts curriculum guide: Grade 9. Retrieved from Teaching Refugees with Limited Formal Schooling . Western Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Basic Education (WCP). (2000). The Common curriculum framework for international languages. K–12. Electronic source: Wiggins, G. & McTighe, G. (2007). Schooling by design: Mission, action, and achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Williams, C. (2007). and functions charts. Retrieved from