NEW MEXICO SCHOOL NEW MEXICO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF FOR THE DEAF

CASA-CONFERENCECASA-CONFERENCE

April 4, 2008April 4, 2008Alfred H. White, Jr., Ph.D.Alfred H. White, Jr., Ph.D.Texas Woman’s UniversityTexas Woman’s University

awhite@twu.eduawhite@twu.edu940/898-2026940/898-2026

EVIDENCE-BASED EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES & LANGUAGE PRACTICES & LANGUAGE

ASSESSMENT IN THE ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOMCLASSROOM

The concept of evidence-based practices has The concept of evidence-based practices has its origin in the larger notion of its origin in the larger notion of

ACCOUNTABILITYACCOUNTABILITY

THE BIG CONCEPTSTHE BIG CONCEPTS

Accountability in the classroom is no longer Accountability in the classroom is no longer optional.optional.

Unfortunately, the tools used to hold teachers Unfortunately, the tools used to hold teachers accountable are often:accountable are often: Thrust upon teachers, and…Thrust upon teachers, and… Not very helpful in monitoring progressNot very helpful in monitoring progress

ACCOUNTABILITYACCOUNTABILITY

All too often, ACCOUNTABILITY, takes the All too often, ACCOUNTABILITY, takes the form of ‘standardized testing’.form of ‘standardized testing’.

Standardized Testing may be:Standardized Testing may be: Administered at the first and end of one year.Administered at the first and end of one year. Administered every two years.Administered every two years. Administered every three years.Administered every three years.

TEACHER ASSESSMENTS MUST TEACHER ASSESSMENTS MUST FIT INTO THE LARGER SYSTEMFIT INTO THE LARGER SYSTEM

Standardized tests seem to be a way of life—they are Standardized tests seem to be a way of life—they are here to stay.here to stay.

BUT…Standardized tests have only limited value for BUT…Standardized tests have only limited value for monitoring student progress in the short term because monitoring student progress in the short term because they can’t be used on a regular basis without they can’t be used on a regular basis without destroying their validity.destroying their validity.

The TOOL used must help teachers monitor student The TOOL used must help teachers monitor student improvement in the domain of language.improvement in the domain of language.

BRINGING ACCOUNTABILITYBRINGING ACCOUNTABILITYINTO THE CLASSROOMINTO THE CLASSROOM

The Concept----(Discuss visual #1)The Concept----(Discuss visual #1)

MORE PRECISION IS NEEDEDMORE PRECISION IS NEEDEDIN THE ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE ACCOUNTABILITY

SYSTEMSYSTEM Teachers need to understand and find value in Teachers need to understand and find value in

those activities in which they are engaged.those activities in which they are engaged.

‘‘Those activities’ should be designed to assess Those activities’ should be designed to assess their students: student performance is the their students: student performance is the ultimate end in the accountability system.ultimate end in the accountability system.

ASSUMPTIONS MADE!ASSUMPTIONS MADE! Teachers want to be able to demonstrate in Teachers want to be able to demonstrate in

quantitative terms that their students are improving in quantitative terms that their students are improving in their use of Englishtheir use of English

THE ACT OF INFORMING SUPERVISORS AND THE ACT OF INFORMING SUPERVISORS AND ASKING FOR HELP strengthens a teacher’s position ASKING FOR HELP strengthens a teacher’s position and and distributes the burden of responsibility to othersdistributes the burden of responsibility to others..

Teachers must come to understand that sharing ‘bad Teachers must come to understand that sharing ‘bad news’ is a way of getting oneself ‘off the hook’ and a news’ is a way of getting oneself ‘off the hook’ and a way of communicating you are a professional !way of communicating you are a professional !

Tools are Needed to Help Teachers Tools are Needed to Help Teachers in the Classroomin the Classroom

We need to empower teachers so they can access and We need to empower teachers so they can access and quantify language development in the classroom.quantify language development in the classroom.

Need to empower teachers so that they can monitor Need to empower teachers so that they can monitor language improvement quantitatively in the language improvement quantitatively in the classroom. classroom.

ONLY WHEN LANGUAGE IS QUANTIFIED CAN ONLY WHEN LANGUAGE IS QUANTIFIED CAN IT BE MONITORED.IT BE MONITORED.

RECOMMENDATIONRECOMMENDATION

The SAWL IS MY The SAWL IS MY

ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT

OF CHOICE !OF CHOICE !

(Visual #2-SAWL)(Visual #2-SAWL)

INTRODUCTION TO THE INTRODUCTION TO THE SAWLSAWL

STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT OF WRITTEN LANGUAGEWRITTEN LANGUAGE

THE SAWL IS BASED ON THE SAWL IS BASED ON WRITTEN WRITTEN ENGLISHENGLISH BECAUSE BECAUSE ITIT IS READILY IS READILY

AVAILABLE AND EASILY ASSESSEDAVAILABLE AND EASILY ASSESSED

T-Unit is the Unit of AnalysisT-Unit is the Unit of Analysis T-Unit = An Independent Clause and all T-Unit = An Independent Clause and all

attached Dependent Clauses.attached Dependent Clauses.

Independent Clauses are connected by: Independent Clauses are connected by: and, and, but, or, nor, so, for, yet, still.but, or, nor, so, for, yet, still.

All other connective words serve to connect All other connective words serve to connect Dependent Clauses to Independent Clauses Dependent Clauses to Independent Clauses or other Dependent Clauses. or other Dependent Clauses.

USES OF THE T-UNITUSES OF THE T-UNIT

HUNT’S WORK---AUTHOR OF HUNT’S WORK---AUTHOR OF THE T-UNIT. (See visual #3, #4)THE T-UNIT. (See visual #3, #4)

Normative Data—White, Scott and Normative Data—White, Scott and Grant (See visual #5)Grant (See visual #5)

The SAWL Can Empower TeachersThe SAWL Can Empower Teachers

The SAWL helps a teacher identify those things that are The SAWL helps a teacher identify those things that are strong indicators of improved competence in English. strong indicators of improved competence in English. Do you want to know if there is:Do you want to know if there is:

Improvement in the ordering of words?Improvement in the ordering of words? Improvement in the length of sentences?Improvement in the length of sentences? Improvement in the use of affixes (prefixes and Improvement in the use of affixes (prefixes and

suffices)?suffices)? Improvement in the process of subordination?Improvement in the process of subordination? Improvement in verb usage?Improvement in verb usage?

COMPREHENSIVE MODEL FOR COMPREHENSIVE MODEL FOR INTEGRATING STANDARDIZED INTEGRATING STANDARDIZED

TESTS WITH CLASSROOM TESTS WITH CLASSROOM MONITORINGMONITORING

Note------Standardized Testing is not being Note------Standardized Testing is not being eliminated or de-valued.eliminated or de-valued.

Note------Repeated use of the SAWL is Note------Repeated use of the SAWL is acceptable; it cannot be used too much.acceptable; it cannot be used too much.

SCORING THE SAWLSCORING THE SAWL

Turn to the unscored language Turn to the unscored language sample. (See visual # 6)sample. (See visual # 6)

We will score one T-unit at a time.We will score one T-unit at a time.

RESULTS OF SCORINGRESULTS OF SCORING

See visual # 7See visual # 7 See visual #8a & 8b for summary of See visual #8a & 8b for summary of

scoring procedures (2 pages)scoring procedures (2 pages)

DOING STATISTICAL ANALYSIS DOING STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USING A t-test of SignificanceUSING A t-test of Significance

A Teacher Can Study One A Teacher Can Study One Subject or Study of the entire Subject or Study of the entire class. (See visual #9)class. (See visual #9)

TRACKING / MONITORINGTRACKING / MONITORING

AN INDIVIDUAL (See Visual #10)AN INDIVIDUAL (See Visual #10)

AN ENTIRE SCHOOL (Visual #10)AN ENTIRE SCHOOL (Visual #10)

Year Perfect T-UnitsLevel-I

Perfect & Flawed T-Units:Level-II

Level-III

TU/100

WTU

MTU

CTU

WER

TU/100

WTU

MTU

CTU

WER WER

2007 5.9 6.0 7.0 1.0 .36 8.4 6.71 7.79 1.0 .56 .75

2008 7.2 7.3 9.4 1.1 .53 9.7 7.30 9.40 1.15

.71 .86

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

TEACHERS HAVE USED THE TEACHERS HAVE USED THE SAWL AND ARE USING THE SAWL AND ARE USING THE

SAWLSAWL

Doris McQueen Primary School – Longview Doris McQueen Primary School – Longview Independent School DistrictIndependent School District

Erin Stokes (903/738-0132)Erin Stokes (903/738-0132) stokes@lisd.orgstokes@lisd.org

Gorgeen SpyhalskiGorgeen Spyhalski (903/235-9255 or 903/663-3919)(903/235-9255 or 903/663-3919)spyhalski@lisd.orgspyhalski@lisd.org or gsy@cablclynx.com or gsy@cablclynx.com