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A Vital Goal: Blending Assessment with

InstructionEnglish Learners

H Gary Cook, Ph.D.University of Wisconsin

National Conference on Student AssessmentJune 2013

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Overview• What defines and English learner (EL)?• What are EL demographics like?• What do we need to think about when

we assess them?• What should we consider when

evaluating systems that support them?

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What defines and English learner (EL) NCLB 9101(25)?• Age (3-21)• Home language status• Language proficiency status

– ability to be proficient on state tests– ability to successfully achieve in EO class– opportunity to participate in society

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What are EL demographics like?

They are very diverse!! They not a monolithic

group.

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Distribution of ELs by State

Approximately10% of US PublicSchool Population

Figure & Statistic (2011): nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdf/coe_ell.pdf

57% of ELLsBorn in US*

* AIR (2010) www.air.org/files/ELL_Assumptions_and_Evidence.pdf

52% ages 5-924% ages 10-1324% ages 14-17**

** nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/tables/table-lsm-2.asp

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Top Languages Spoken by ELs

3.6 Million Spanish ELLs

NCELA Fact Sheet: www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/uploads/NCELAFactsheets/EL_Languages_2011.pdf

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ELs Heterogeneous

• Diverse language backgrounds, even in Spanish

• Diverse experiences with education• Diverse levels of native language

literacy• Diverse cultural heritages and

expectations for education

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Distribution of ELs by District in WIDA Consortium

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What do we need to think about when we

assess them?

… What ELs come with… Relationship between language and content proficiency… Construct relevant language

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… What ELs come with• Socio-cultural uniqueness• Different experiences with and

perceptions of education• Different levels of native language

literacy• Different levels of English proficiency• At least one other language• They’re doing double the work

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Language and Content Proficiency

Cook, Boals Lundberg (Nov 2011) Kappan.

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How long to English Proficiency?

Cook, Boals Lundberg (Nov 2011) Kappan.

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Construct Relevant Language

Assessing language critical to the content

Assessing content with construct

relevant language

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What should we consider when evaluating systems

that support them?

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Some Key Points

• Language proficiency level matters• It takes time to become English

proficient in school settings• Measures using construct relevant

language better assess the construct

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• No services• Content area

tutoring• Content base ESL• Developmental

bilingual• Heritage language

program

• Pull out ESL• Sheltered instruction• Structured

immersion• Transitional bilingual• Dual language• Self-contained

Program Types (e.g., from WIDA)

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• EL Program types have different teacher makeups– Some ELs assigned to specific teachers, e.g.,

Pull out ESL, Developmental Bilingual– Some ELs have support teachers, supporting

content teachers, e.g., Structured Immersion– Some ELs are supported by aides (non-certified

teachers), e.g., Content Area Tutoring

• Who is the teacher of record? Who is the adult of record?

Attribution

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• Many types of programs share instructional time with content teachers

• Support for EL students differs based on needs, some classes have support others do not.

• As ELs transition to proficiency, they no longer have support. How do you attribute part year growth to EL teachers?

Attribution

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• We should have high standards for all students, especially ELs.

• ELs are not a single monolithic group.• Language and content proficiency are

related; this needs to be factored in when evaluating programs serving them.

Where do we go from here?