Date: Thursday, February 5, 2015
Time: 12:30-1:30 pm
Location: Digital Literacy Centre, Ponderosa Annex F
Title: Creating Locally-Developed and Locally-Normed English Reading Assessments for Primary-, Intermediate- and Secondary-Level ESL Students
Presenter: Lee Gunderson
Abstract: Instruction is broadly based on the notion that students who are within a particular age group, such as grade 3 or 11, are generally at the same level or stage of English language development, although there is considerable diversity. Classrooms often enroll students who are non-English speakers who have never attended school and those who have attended school and who have English abilities varying from very limited to fluent. Valid and reliable assessment is essential to appropriate instructional planning. A BC ESL Assessment Consortium was established in 2008 and members quickly concluded that there was an urgent need for uniform assessments among and within districts. A significant problem is that measures are generally not normed on ESL populations and there is consensus that results are generally neither valid nor reliable.
Discussion focused on the nature of the assessment and whether it should involve listening, speaking, reading, or writing, or a combination of more than one kind of measure. Members concluded they would agree to disagree about “levels” and the instruments were designed to be interpreted in 4- and 5-level districts. This session will include a discussion and review of the development and norming of assessments for Primary-, Intermediate- and Secondary-Level students, both paper-and-pencil and online versions. The strengths and limitations of the assessments will be reviewed.
All welcome! Feel free to bring your lunch.
