Communicating Assessment with English Language Learners (ELLs)

Communicating Assessment with English Language Learners (ELLs)
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Communicating Assessment with English Language Learners (ELLs)
English Language Learners (ELL) families are a fundamental component of the learning process. As a result, educators must find creative approaches to keeping them engaged through appropriate information about their children’s progress. Hettiarachchi and Huertas (2013) note that assessment is the progressive technique for demonstrating the learners’ milestones and determining the needed support. Thus, informing the parents about the diverse use of assessment data for monitoring learners’ progress is fundamental for continued learning.
Types of Assessment and Their Uses for Supporting ELLs
ELL integrates three critical e-assessment approaches for offering the students, their parents, and the teachers interacting possibilities in a responsive educational setting. Hettiarachchi and Huertas (2013) outline these techniques as formative, diagnostic, and summative. Their timing makes them ideal for informing the learning process and providing constructive feedback that ensures the learners’ success. As a result, understanding each of these assessments is fundamental for English language instruction in any educational environment.
Diagnostic assessment. Hettiarachchi and Huertas (2013) consider this test the first one that educators should apply before beginning any learning process. The authors describe it as the initial evaluation at the beginning of a unit or a school year whose primary goal is determining the learners’ current knowledge or learning levels. The results present informative feedback for the educator to ensure that the learning activities and content of teaching materials match the needs of all learners. Thus, teachers must complete this assessment before commencing any education.
Formative assessment. Researchers describe this assessment type as executed during teaching (Hettiarachchi & Huertas, 2013). It is a constructive approach that allows educators to monitor the learning process and provide directive feedback to assist every individual in improving. It also informs any adjustments in the instructional methods for the benefit of the students. Thus, its primary purpose is to enhance the teaching and learning process before the end of the course.
Summative assessment. This testing represents the final one for determining the level of skill development and knowledge gain of the learners throughout a course or a year (Hettiarachchi & Huertas, 2013). It integrates comprehensive examinations that determine a student’s overall grade or certification.
Assessments Alignment to Content Standards, ELP, and Data Use for Determining Students’ Progress
Non-English-speaking families should understand that the assessments are not arbitrary. Instead, they rely on existing English Language Proficiency (ELP) and other content standards. These tools ensure that the learners improve their skills to the extent that they meet the desirable cognitive and academic requirements for diverse areas other than the English language (Fenner & Segota, n.d.). As a result, ensuring that the assessment is consistent with the ELPs c...