Assessment

Identify How to Access the Assessment Data for English

Determine where the MCAS ELA, ACCESS, WL or partner language proficiency data is housed in your district and/or school, and whether the information will be provided by a district/school leader or the student.

Identify How to Access and Maintain Partner Language Proficiency Data

Investigate the timing for ordering and receiving assessments. For example, the AAPPL and STAMP tests should be ordered at least two weeks before testing. Determine where WL or partner language proficiency data is housed in your district and/or school, and whether the information will be provided by a district/school leader or the student.

Identify Whether to Implement a Portfolio with Optional CriteriaA

A portfolio can be used to demonstrate proficiency for languages for which there is no approved test instrument. In addition, some districts and schools in the pilot decided to use an optional portfolio (along with the required proficiency testing) to document proficiency development over time or to enhance the acquisition of a target proficiency level. We share the results of the pilot experience here.

The portfolio should contain evidence in the four domains (speaking, writing, listening, and reading) or three modes (Interpersonal Communication, Presentational Speaking and Writing, and Interpretive Listening and Reading) at the designated level of proficiency for the Biliteracy Award level. The NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements and/or the WIDA Can-Do Descriptors can serve as an inspiration for the variety of tasks in all the domains or modes. You can also use the language-specific examples of “Sample Performance Indicators” in the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages for ideas on activities in the various modes. The district should create or adopt rubrics to be used to determine whether or not the evidence presented by the student documents the designated level of proficiency. The district can also use Linguafolio or create optional portfolio elements.

Sample Optional Portfolio Elements Identified in the Pilot

Districts may elect to add additional elements, such as use of biliteracy skills during community service activities, a district writing assessment, an oral interview or oral presentation assessment, use of the LinguaFolio, or other district-developed performance criteria. Specific examples include:

  • Completion of a set number of hours of community service, internship or tutoring using primary language skills in service to the school, other schools in the district, or community and/or demonstrating the ability to use translation in social situations;
  • Reading logs signed by their teachers of a certain number of books (at grade level) read independently in English and in a language other than English;
  • A written response to a task in two languages (translation) using a rubric for scoring proficiency level;
  • A written essay on why bilingualism is important to them personally, to their community, and to the world;
  • A video or podcast of an unrehearsed, spontaneous interaction between the student and another speaker responding to the prompt in the target language;
  • A summary of or some other response to a prompt about a news report, article, program in the target language;
  • A written or oral presentation about a specific cultural topic related to the language;
  • An oral presentation about career(s) where bilingualism is important and why and how bilingualism is a benefit in those careers;
  • A personal response essay after attending cultural event(s) from the second language/ culture they are studying.

Decide How and When Partner Language Assessments Will Be Administered

Partner language assessment tests are delivered through the computer and involve listening to audio and recording speech. A system check must be conducted on the computer and may include headphones with a microphone. Demo tests are available and are useful for informing students on the format and expectations of the test. Keep in mind that the AAPPL, STAMP, and ALIRA assessments can each take from two to four hours to administer.

Collect data to ensure the program is reaching all students at whatever award level they are eligible for

Data analysis should take place to document the number and type of biliteracy awards given, including data on the proficiency levels, partner languages, and language program types. Develop a departmental, school, and district system to look at the student work and analyze the trends in the data. The trends can point to areas of focus for the coming year as well as areas in which students are excelling. Determine a process to share the individual results with students (and decide whether parents will also be informed) and provide feedback to students on how to improve. Effective programs use data analysis as part of an ongoing discussion with students about proficiency development and how they can improve their own performance.

The Language Opportunity Coalition requests that school districts report data on the LOC Biliteracy Pathway Awards (in addition to the statewide data collected by DESE on the State Seal of Biliteracy) so that we may monitor and evaluate the program statewide.

COMING SOON: Report your data to the Language Opportunity Coalition.  (For the State Seal of Biliteracy, see DESE reporting requirements at http://www.doe.mass.edu/ell/biliteracy.)

Exemplars on Assessment from the Pilot Experience: