Focus of Action Plan Research:
My action plan research focused on alternative assessments for ESL students. I chose this topic because the teachers in my school have had very little experience with ESL students and struggle with assigning appropriate grades for students.
Questions:
1. What are the grade differences between the traditional classroom tests and alternative tests administered to ESL students?
2. What form of alternative testing is the most appropriate/fair for the ESL student according to the student, classroom teacher, and the ESL teacher's perspective?
Subject:
The subject for this study was a third grade student who is at a low intermediate level with fluency. This student was placed in a kindergarten reading group at the beginning of last year, then was placed in a first grade reading group and second grade intervention group during the latter part of last year. This year the student is placed in the third grade reading group. This study took place in the third grade science class and in the ESL classroom.
Fieldwork:
Field work involved included:
- observing the student in the regular education classroom
- interviewing the student and teacher
- developing alternative assessments a
- administering alternative assessments
- reteaching in the ESL classroom
- administering surveys to teachers and students
- comparing and analyzing data
Data Analysis:
Comparison of scores on regular education tests and alternative assessments
Description of Assessment | Regular Classroom Tests
Traditional multiple choice and fill in the blank with a word bank – no visuals | Alternative Assessment 1
Graphic organizer Labeling diagram Computer game assessment with visuals | Alternative Assessment 2
Retake original test but assist student with reading as needed. Explanations were given to imbedded vocabulary the student did not understand. Student also had word bank cards with vocabulary written ion them and was allowed to select the correct card for each answer. | Alternative Assessment 3
Oral discussion of material in ESL classroom after reteaching has taken place. Focus/rubric on getting the gist. |
Test 1 Types of Plants and Parts of a Plant | 30 | 100 | 80 | 90 |
Test 2 Interaction Between Plants and Animals | 40 | 90 | 90 | 95 |
Test 3 AnimalTraits/Heredity | 40 | 90 | 90 | 85 |
Response to Survey Questions
Which test was the most fair/effective assessment of the material?
| Test 1 | Test 2 | Test 3 |
Classroom teacher | X |
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ESL teacher | X |
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Student | X |
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Additional Comments on survey:
The classroom teacher stated she would feel comfortable using any of the alternative assessment scores when giving grades to the student.
The student enjoyed the first assessment because of the visuals involved, but was happy with the the scores on the other tests.
The ESL teacher (me) liked the first assessment but would like to continue using the other assessment as practice in order to prepare for the TCAP. Assessment 2 also helped me see what imbedded vocabulary needs to be reviewed. Example: The student did not know what support meant which was used in one of the questions. When It was explained, she immediately knew the correct answer was stem.
Conclusions:
There was a significant difference between the scores of the regular classroom assessment and all of the alternative tests given to this student. The differnece in the scores would be F's as compared to A's and B's as given on a 9 weeks report card. Tha assesment which included many visuals'graphic organizers was considered to be the best assessment by all parties surveyed.
The classroom teacher was surprised at the huge difference in scores between the test she administered and the alternative assessments given by the eSL teacher. she was particularly surprised at how much better the scores were on alternative test 2 since this was closely aligned with the original test with the exception of explaining some of the vocabulary in the questions and of using cards with the word bank vocabuary. The student was very pleased with the scores received on the alternative assessments.
With this particular student, I will continue administering alternative assessments in science this year. I will also go over the tests with the student to see what areas need to be re-taught. My goal will be that the scores on the regular assessment will come closer in line with the alternative assessments this school year.
Additional Thoughts:
When I first examined the content and vocabulary which would be assessed, I thought that this would be an extremely difficult task because the content was so difficult. After I developed alternative assessments and discussed the material with the student, I was surprised to learn how much of the material the student understood. It became very clear that the original assessments were not an accurate measurement of the student's understanding of the material. This experience made me wonder how many of the native English students would also benefit from alternative assessments.
After completing this research, I would suggest that all ESL teachers work closely with the regular classroom teachers in understanding the importance of alternative assessments for ESL students. Since regular teachers are overwhelmed with the many responsibilities they have in the classroom, any assistance the Esl teacher can provide would be appreciaited. In my situation, it is not difficult to develop the assessments, but for many ESL teachers this would be difficult due to the caseloads. The willingness to accept alternative assessments varies from teacher to teacher and grade level. In the case of the subject of this study, I explained to the teacher that if this student was a native English speaker, the student would be considered an exceptioanlly advanced student. The scores on the alternative tests supported this statement.
This assignment/assessment was solely written by me. In no way have I plagiarized or otherwise violated the copyright laws and academic conventions of fair use. I know that violations of this policy may result in being dismissed from Middle Tennessee State University and/or appropriate legal action being taken against me.
Kathleen B. Jones
10/13/2010
The information I gathered through the observations, case study and ethnographic narrative will be shared with next year's teachers. This should assist them in knowing more about the background of this student, her family interactions, and family values. This will help the teacher engage in conversation with this student and know how to communicate effectively with the family. The case study will also help the teacher know more about how this student learns and what strategies should be implemented in order to maximize learning.
