Measuring Language Growth

February/March 2023

Photo of School Team Analyzing Data by Arlington Research on Unsplash [https://unsplash.com/photos/nFLmPAf9dVc]]

It's ELPA21 Testing Season in Iowa!

It is officially English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) Summative testing season in Iowa, or the annual language assessment testing period for all identified English Learners!

This season helps remind us why language assessments are so critical. For example, the ELPA21 Summative Assessments yield results essential to measuring yearly growth in English, ensuring school accountability, and determining readiness for reclassification or exiting a school’s Langauge Instruction Educational Program (LIEP). The ELPA21 results also help to guide instructional planning,

For the first time this year, two ELPA21 Summative Assessments are available: the General ELPA21 Summative Assessment and the Alternative ELPA21 (Alt ELPA21). Most English Learners in Iowa will participate in the General ELPA21, and K-12 students identified as English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities will participate in the Alt ELPA21. To be eligible for the Alt ELPA21, IEPs must reflect that a student takes Alternate Assessments and include accommodations specific to At ELPA21. All students in Iowa who meet the eligibility requirements are expected to participate in the ALT ELPA21.

In this newsletter, we would like to highlight various topics related to measuring language growth. We will begin by planning ahead for the spring 2023 ELPA results to help inform fall instruction by sharing tools to interpret your ELPA21 Spring 2023 results. We will also consider how much time it takes to become proficient in academic English and share tools to support differentiation based on language proficiency levels. In other topics, we will consider how tests may create barriers to accurate inferences of student knowledge and skills, discuss allowable accommodations for English Learners, and highlight the importance of formative assessments.

We hope this newsletter reminds you of why testing and assessment are essential while providing insights for using results for current and upcoming instruction.

Happy Testing Season!

Your Heartland AEA ESL/Diversity Team

Image Source: Iowa Department of Education ELPA21 Website

Tools for Interpreting Spring 2023 ELPA21 Assessment Results

To help plan ahead for what you do with Spring 2023 ELPA21 results once you have them, consider having teams or individuals record each of their English Learners' four language domain scores, proficiency status, and predicted instructional implications. This will provide educators a jumpstart on designing/informing English Learner instruction for potential summer enrichment or instruction in the fall.

Here are a few sample tools to try, or you can create your own:

ELPA21 Summative Assessment Class Roster

ELPA21 Class Portrait: Sample

ELPA21 Class Portrait: Template

How much time does it take to become proficient in academic English?

Once we receive our ELPA summative scores, we may look at the history of language growth for each student and consider if our student's English language is progressing as it should. Some people have been under the misconception that English Learners should grow by one level every year in every language domain, but there is no research to support this claim.

In the video below, Dr. Jim Cummins discusses his research that helped provide information on how much time it may take English Learners to become proficient in academic English language.

West Middle School. (2017). Jim Cummins Research BICS and CALP [Video]. https://youtu.be/N-JvqObf5qk

Tools to Support Differentiation Based on Language Proficiency Levels

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Achievement Level Descriptors

The Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) help educators understand what English Learners are working on in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking at five different language proficiency levels and six grade bands.

Click on this ALDs LINK to access the ALDs.

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Proficiency Level Descriptors

The Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) help educators understand what English Learners can do in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking at five different language proficiency levels and six grade bands.

Click on this PLDs LINK to access the ALDs.

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Differentiating for English Learners Poster

This Differentiating for English Learners poster can be seen in many Heartland AEA buildings and is also available for purchase at https://shop.nabe.org/products/poster.

It is organized by four language domains and five proficiency levels. See below for an enlarged version of the Listening domain.

Zooming In

The visual above includes an enlarged version of the Listening Domain section of the Differentiating for English Learners poster. Key parts include:

Five English language proficiency levels from 1-Beginning to 5-Advanced based on ELPA21 scores.
A QR Code in the top left corner provides additional in-depth descriptions of sample strategies listed on the poster.
K-12 Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) of what students are working on at each level
Sample Instructional Strategies to differentiate instruction by domain and proficiency level
Sample Assessment Strategies to differentiate assessment by domain and proficiency level

The poster includes these descriptors for all four domains: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.

How Language Supports Impact Performance on Assessments

When we consider the data produced by different assessments, we should also keep in mind the degree to which those assessments provide language accommodations embedded in the assessment to allow English Learners to show what they truly know and/or are able to do with content area education.

An assessment that does not provide language accommodations is testing a student's proficiency in English rather than content knowledge. A literacy screener that does not provide language supports is testing literacy in English but may not reflect a student's true literacy potential.

See the graphic below to see a few examples of how standardized tests or screeners may or may not provide language supports for English Learners.

How Assessments Can Provide Inaccurate Inferences

The video below is a short introduction to areas we must consider when evaluating the results of assessments given to English Learners. Assessments that do not allow language supports, or do not consider the current language proficiency of students provide inaccurate results about students' true knowledge and skills in a particular content subject.

Valid Inferences - does the assessment test what it is supposed to test? does this assessment measure knowledge/skills or does it measure the current level of English language proficiency of your student?

Reliability - does the test result in consistent results for all students in all student groups? Is this a reliable test for English Learners in all English proficiency levels?

Authentic Assessment - does the assessment provide an authentic method that allows English Learners to show us what they know and are able to do?

Cultural Bias - does the assessment contain references to cultural items, cultural knowledge, or ideas that may represent information a student from another culture has not yet experienced or has not yet had an opportunity to learn?

ELL Today. (2019). Validity, reliability, authenticity, and cultural bias in assessment. [Video] https://youtu.be/6ndJygJixqY

Allowable Accommodations

Accommodations are specific language supports accessible to students based on their membership in certain student groups. In the area of standardized assessments, test creators have identified allowable accommodations that may be used with their specific tests.

The document below is a brief summary of accommodations that are allowed for the most commonly used assessments in Iowa. The accommodations are organized into areas of accommodations shown to be effective with English Learners. While some accommodation manuals for tests do not address all areas, they are not prohibited.

Click on the hyperlinks at the top of each assessment column in the document to connect to the accommodations manual for that corresponding assessment.

Allowable Accommodations for English Learners

This document is a BRIEF SUMMARY of possible assessment accommodations and does not replace a thorough reading of the assessment manuals published by each assessment entity. "Allowable" indicates accommodations that are allowed and recommended for English Learners and are not prohibited accord...

docs.google.com

The Importance of Formative and Authentic Assessments

It takes time to acquire academic English, especially when English is a new language for you and/or your family.

Formative assessments are the best way to gather data around student abilities and growth in using academic English. Below are two resources that address the role of formative assessment with English Learners.

The ESL Best Practices document is adapted from a document used in Massachusetts to guide educators on best practices in using formative assessment with English Learners.