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Language Proficiency Levels & Formative Assessment

To Improve Student Achievement

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TOP Proficiency Level Descriptors

• T- Texas

• O- Observation

• P- Protocol

Used to determine language proficiency in – English– Language Arts

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Linguistic Domains and Language Proficiency Levels

Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division, 2006

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Linguistic Domains1. Listening: the ability to understand spoken language,

comprehend and extract information, and follow social and instructional discourse through which information is provided

2. Speaking: the ability to use language appropriately and effectively in learning activities and social interactions

3. Reading: the ability to comprehend and interpret written text at the grade-appropriate level

4. Writing: the ability to produce written text with content and format, fulfilling classroom assignments at the grade-appropriate level

Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division, 2006

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Language Functions

• Language functions refer to how individuals use language to accomplish specific tasks. Language functions have been identified for both social/communicative and academic purposes (Chamot & Pierce, 1996).

• Communicative language functions are those used to express meaning in a routine social context that is not cognitively demanding (Chamot & O’Malley, 1994).

• Academic language functions are those that are critical for success in grade-level classrooms (Cummins, 1982 and 1984).

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Domains

• Grades K–12 Listening

• Grades K–12 Speaking

• Grades K–1 Writing

• Grades 2–12 Writing

• Grades K–1 Reading

• Grade 2 Reading

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Proficiency LevelsBeginning Intermediate Advanced Advanced

High

Beginning English language…

Intermediate English language…

Advanced English language…

Advanced High English language…

These students:

These students:

These students:

These students:

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Proficiency Levels

• With a partner– Highlight the differences among the

four proficiency levels

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High School Science Students• Julio is sixteen years old and has lived in

the U.S. for two years. He is quiet but is very proficient in social conversations.

• He is very frustrated with school. He comprehends portions of the science textbooks and attempts to use academic vocabulary. He is able to complete some of the written assignments, usually writing in the present tense. He doesn’t believe he needs any assistance because he can speak English very well with his friends. However, he doesn’t understand why he is having difficulties in Chemistry.

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Where is Julio?Beginning Intermediate Advanced Advanced

High

Beginning English language…

Intermediate English language…

Advanced English language…

Advanced High English language…

These students:

These students:

These students:

These students:

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High School Science Students

In your table group, determine the proficiency level for each of the other three students described on the cards provided.

• Angelica

• Su Yen

• Miguel

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6 Minutes Left

"Schools are made of four walls and tomorrow inside."

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5 Minutes Left

"Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands."

– Seneca

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4 Minutes Left

"Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them."

– Ann Landers 

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3 Minutes Left

"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people."

– Lee Iacocca

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2 Minutes Left

"Knowledge is the food of the soul."

– Plato

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1 Minute Left

“Nothing endures but change.”

– Heraclitus

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Time Is Up!

Prepare to share your decisions on the proficiency levels of the three students.

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Student Proficiency Levels

• Select the spokesperson for your group by determining who has been in his or her current job assignment the longest.

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Proficiency Levels

Beginning Intermediate Advanced Advanced

High

Angelica

Su Yen

Miguel

(For the Writing Domain)

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Proficiency Levels

• Examine the proficiency levels on page 39 in the Making Science Accessible, by John Carr.

• Note some of the differences between the TOP levels and those in the Carr book.

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Proficiency Levels

Carr

• Beginning• Early Intermediate• Intermediate• Early Advanced• Advanced

TOP• Beginning• Intermediate• Advanced• Advanced High

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Language Objectives• Reflect on the model

lesson and develop an appropriate language objective* for the student of your choice using– the description of one of the

students provided,– the language objective

formula, and– the TOP proficiency levels.

*Dong, Y.R. (2004/2005), Okhee, L (2005)

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WHAT + DO + HOW

• WHAT

• DO

• HOW

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5 Minutes Left

Reflect on the model lesson and develop an appropriate language objective for the student of your choice using

•the description of one of the students provided,

•the language objective formula, and

•the TOP Proficiency Levels

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4 Minutes Left

Language Objective Formula

WHAT + DO + HOW

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3 Minutes Left

“Forever is composed of nows.”– Emily Dickinson

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2 Minutes Left

Write your Language Objective on the chartpaper provided, then post it on the wall near your table.

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1 Minute Left

Write your Language Objective on the chartpaper provided, then post it on the wall near your table.

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Time Is Up!

Write your Language Objective on the chartpaper provided, then post it on the wall near your table.

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Is It Working?

• How do you know?

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Formative Assessment

• What it is… • What it is not…

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Implications for Assessment

Teachers need to use assessment tasks that are as authentic as possible in a classroom setting. This means

1) using authentic language in listening/speaking activities;

2) setting real-world tasks, such as getting the gist of a message, listening selectively, describing, giving directions, and giving opinions; and

3) giving students opportunities to use language in situations based on everyday life.

O’Malley & Pierce (1996)

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Effective Use of Formative Assessment. . .

• provides just-in-time feedback to the student and teacher;

• increases student achievement from 50% to 84%*; and

• is the difference between a physical exam with your doctor and an autopsy with the coroner.

*Bloom, B (1984)

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Effective Use of Formative Assessment

Success inScience*Targeted Teaching to Student Need On-Going AssessmentTeaching is Targeted to Identified Student NeedOn-Going AssessmentTeaching

Student Achievement

Short & Boyson (2004), August & Shanahan (2006), Stecker, P. M., & Fuchs, L. S. (2000), Okhee (2005)

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Kinds of Formative Assessment

• Making Science Accessible… (pg. 83–84)

• Science for English Language Learners…

(pg. 69)

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Activity: Formative Assessment

• Read and list the types of formative assessments provided in each of the books (pages listed on the handout provided).

• Add any other formative assessments not included in the lists.

• Share instances in which you have seen formative assessments used effectively.

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Keeping Track—Nucleic Acids

Sentence Frames*

Concept Map

Personal White Board

Learning Log

Angelica

Julio

Su Yen

MiguelCenter on Instruction (2006), Blake & Sickle (2001), Cleghorn (1992), Setati, Adler, Reed & Bapoo (2002)

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Learning Log

Response to what was taught– An interesting detail is…

– I think/feel/ believe…

– This reminds me of…

– Questions still unanswered…

What I learned

– Just the facts

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References*

• Carr, J., Sexton, U., & Lagunoff, R. (2006). Making science accessible to English learners: A guidebook for teachers. San Francisco, CA: WestEd.

• Fathman, A. & Crowther, D. (2006). Science for English language learners. Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association.

• O’Malley, J. & Pierce, L. V. (1996). Authentic assessment for English language learners: Practical approaches for teachers. New York: Longman Publishing.

• Texas Education Agency. (2006). Texas observation protocol: Overview. Retrieved February 20, 2007 from: http://www.region10.org/BilingualESL/documents/37.Fall2006TOPRaterQualificationProcess63006.ppt

*See facilitator guide for a complete list of references

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Learning Log

• Silently reflect on this session

• What are your thoughts about – Language objectives– Proficiency levels– Formative assessments