Assessment Accommodations for Classroom Teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

Dr. Socorro Herrera currently serves as a Professor of Elementary Education at Kansas State and is Director of the Collaborative Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy (CIMA) Center. Certified in Elementary Education, Bilingual Education, and School Counseling, Dr. Herrera's recent publications have appeared in the Bilingual Research Journal and the Journal of Latinos and Education. Her recent research and teaching in education has emphasized emergent biliteracy, reading strategies, the differential learning needs of second language learners, and mutual accommodation for language learning students. Dr. Herrera has written texts for Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, as well as text chapters for Erlbaum & Associates and ATE/ACEI.   Dr. Kevin Murry is currently an Associate Professor of Secondary Education at Kansas State University and is the Director of Research and Development for the CIMA Center. His work in research and development has focused on ESL/dual language programming in secondary public schools and teachers’ accommodation readiness for transnational students. Dr. Murry's recent research has emphasized advocacy frameworks for culturally and linguistically diverse students, the linguistic and cross-cultural dynamics of ESL instruction, portfolio-based practicum experiences, and school restructuring for linguistic diversity. His recent publications have appeared in the Journal of Continuing Higher Education, AACTE Briefs, and the Bilingual Research Journal. Dr. Murry has written texts for Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, as well as text chapters for Erlbaum & Associates and ATE/ACEI.   Robin Morales Cabral currently serves as an instructional coordinator for the CIMA Center in the College of Education at Kansas State University.  Ms. Cabral prepares school educators to professionally address the social, emotional and learning needs of students in highly diverse K-12 schools. She has a background in communicative disorders and sciences, school leadership, bilingual special education, and assessment for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. Ms. Cabral’s years of experience as a bilingual speech language pathologist, parent/teacher liaison, intervention coordinator, and assessment specialist, have led to advisory roles with classroom teachers, special educators, and school administrators dedicated to best school and classroom practices necessary to target the individual and collective needs of CLD students.

<>Preface

About the Authors

 

C h a p t e r 1

Classroom Assessment amidst Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

What’s Different about Today’s Classroom?

Immigration Fallacies and Facts

Immigration Trends and Dynamics in the United States

What’s Changed about the Readiness of Classroom Teachers for Student Diversity?

What’s Evolved about Appropriate Assessment Practices for CLD Students?

 

C h a p t e r 2

Authentic Assessment

Rationale for the Use of Authentic Assessments

Reliability and Validity of Authentic Assessments

Types of Authentic Assessment

Performance-Based Assessments

Portfolios

Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment

Interview-Based Assessment

Play-Based Assessment

Cooperative Group Assessment

Dialogue Journals and Scaffolded Essays

Scoring and Related Issues of Authentic Assessment

Rubrics

Checklists and Questionnaires

Additional Considerations

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C h a p t e r 3

Preinstructional Assessment and the CLD Student

Formal and Informal Preassessment

History/Herstory: What the CLD Student Brings to the Classroom

Biopsychosocial History of the CLD Student

Education History of the CLD Student

Language History of the CLD Student

Preassessment Resources: Home Visits and School Conferences

 

C h a p t e r 4

Assessment of Acculturation

Acculturation and Enculturation Processes

When What Used to Work No Longer Works

Acculturation Dynamics

Relationship between Cultural Identity and Acculturation

The Role of Acculturation and Emotions in Learning

Assessing Level of Acculturation

Informal Assessment of Acculturation

Formal Assessment of Acculturation

Impact of Acculturation on Appropriate Methods of Assessment

Using Acculturation Information to Inform Instruction

Cultural Differences as Learning Assets

Programming-Related Issues: Assessment of Acculturation

Identification

Placement

Monitoring

Exit

 

C h a p t e r 5

Assessment of Language Proficiency

Rationale for Language Proficiency Assessment

Rationale for Assessing Primary Language Proficiency

Rationale for Assessing English as a Second Language

Key Elements of Language Acquisition and Proficiency

Syntax

Morphology

Phonology

Semantics

Pragmatics

Informal Assessment of Language Proficiency

Key Issues in Informal Assessment

Home Language Surveys

Parent Interviews

Informal Assessment of Academic Language Proficiency

Formal Assessment of Language Proficiency

Standardized Formal Assessments

of Language Proficiency

Further Considerations

Programming-Related Issues: Language Proficiency

Assessment

Identification

Placement

Monitoring

Exit

 

C h a p t e r 6

Assessment of Content-Area Learning

Formative Content-Area Assessment

Informal Formative Assessment

Formal Formative Assessment

Summative Content-Area Assessment

Informal Summative Assessment: Portfolios

as Authentic Assessments

Formal Summative Assessment: High-Stakes Tests

The Role of Language in Content-Area Assessment

Bias in Classroom-Based Content-Area Assessments

Programming-Related Issues: Content-Area Assessment

Identification

Placement

Monitoring

Exit

 

C h a p t e r 7

Special Education Issues in the Assessment of CLD Students

What Is Special Education?

Is Disproportionality Really an Issue?

Why Should We Be Concerned?

Implications for Classroom Teachers

The Importance of Information: Review and Request

Preassessment for Special Education

Attention to the Assessment Process

Reevaluation Considerations

 

C h a p t e r 8

Postinstructional Assessment

Teacher-Driven Postinstructional Assessment

Linguistic Postinstructional Assessment

Academic Postinstructional Assessment

Cognitive Postinstructional Assessment

Sociocultural Postinstructional Assessment

But What about the Grade?

Conclusion

 

Appendix: Resource List

 

Glossary

 

References

 

Index