Assessment In Multiple Languages

This book shows how superintendents, principals, directors, coaches, and other educational leaders can more accurately portray the academic, language, and social-emotional development of multilingual students. This book illustrates how the assessment cycle unfolds at school and district levels and provides comprehensive guidance for enacting linguistically and culturally sustainable assessment in multiple languages in K-12 settings.

What if multilingual learners had the freedom to interact in more than one language with their peers during classroom assessment? What if multilingual learners and their teachers in dual language settings had opportunities to use assessment data in multiple languages to make decisions? Just imagine the rich linguistic, academic, and cultural reservoirs we could tap as we determine what our multilingual learners know and can do. Thankfully, Margo Gottlieb is here to provide concrete and actionable guidance on how to create assessment systems that enable understanding of the whole student, not just that fraction of the student who is only visible as an English learner. With Classroom Assessment in Multiple Languages as your guide, you’ll: Better understand the rationale for and evidence on the value and advantages of classroom assessment in multiple languages Add to your toolkit of classroom assessment practices in one or multiple languages Be more precise and effective in your assessment of multilingual learners by embedding assessment as, for, and of learning into your instructional repertoire Recognize how social-emotional, content, and language learning are all tied to classroom assessment Guide multilingual learners in having voice and choice in the assessment process Despite the urgent need, assessment for multilingual learners is generally tucked into a remote chapter, if touched upon at all in a book; the number of resources narrows even more when multiple languages are brought into play. Here at last is that single resource on how educators and multilingual learners can mutually value languages and cultures in instruction and assessment throughout the school day and over time. We encourage you to get started right away. “Margo Gottlieb has demonstrated why the field, particularly the field as it involves the teaching of multilingual learners, needs another assessment book, particularly a book like this. . . . Classroom Assessment in Multiple Languages quite likely could serve as a catalyst toward the beginning of an enlightened discourse around assessment that will benefit multilingual learners.” ~Kathy Escamilla

Comprehension of texts and understanding of questions is a cornerstone of successful human communication. Whilst reading comprehension has been thoroughly investigated in the last decade, there is surprisingly little research on children’s comprehension of picture stories, particularly for bilinguals. This can be partially explained by the lack of cross-culturally robust, cross-linguistic instruments targeting early narration. This book presents an inference-based model of narrative comprehension and a tool that grew out of a large-scale European project on multilingualism. Covering a range of language settings, the book uses the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives to answer the question which narrative comprehension skills (bilingual) children can be expected to master at a certain age, and explores how such comprehension is affected (or not affected) by linguistic and extra-linguistic factors. Linking theory to method, the book will appeal to researchers in linguistics and psychology and graduate students interested in narrative, multilingualism, and language acquisition.

Empowering multilingual learners, families, and teachers With its emphasis on relationship building as the backdrop for linguistically and culturally sustainable assessment, the bestselling second edition of Assessing Multilingual Learners significantly impacted the field of language education. Applying the groundbreaking assessment "as," "for," and "of" learning model to new contexts, this updated third edition offers educators welcoming and encouraging ways to support multilingual learners to succeed in school and beyond. Through eight thoroughly revised chapters, Dr. Margo Gottlieb ties assessment to teaching and learning to foster agency and empowerment for multilingual learners, families, and teachers. This book envisions assessment as a process integral to and embedded in curriculum and instruction through: Assets-based language Student-centered activities Classroom assessment tools Portraits of practice illustrating authentic assessment practices References and resources for stimulating discussion Deep questioning for thinking through processes, dilemmas, or challenges Assessing Multilingual Learners explores the realities and possibilities of classroom assessment as a road to inspire multilingual learners, their families, and teachers to reach great heights.

This book addresses how to assess and instruct students while also honoring their cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Many individuals want to support their multilingual learners but do not have the language skills to work in a bilingual or dual-language setting. The chapters in this book examine assessment in classrooms where English is the language of instruction; yet, students are also encouraged to communicate in multiple languages. The thesis of this book revolves around the idea that linguistically diverse learners may engage in critical thinking in ways that we may not anticipate. Students who are learning in an additional language do not need to “catch up.” Assessment should instead measure the new ways that students are interacting with the world. This book helps you discover the many ways to help students develop as critically thinking readers, writers and speakers. There is a scarcity of research addressing literacy among linguistically diverse learners within math and science. The information contained in this book will hopefully advance a dialogue between teachers and linguistically diverse students as they read and write multiple genres together. This book also encourages teachers, family, and community members to come together to form supportive environments where best practices are fostered. Some of the questions addressed by this book: 1. How do I determine a student’s strengths and needs if he or she is not talking in class in any language? 2. Do I teach monolingual and multilingual learners to read in similar ways? 3. How can I support my students as they read math word problems? 4. What do students need to know about the structures of science texts? 5. How should we develop math and science literacy assessments? 6. Should I have specific language goals for students as speakers?

This book addresses the needs of multilingual students who enter a new school and have to learn to adapt to a new country and a new language-and they must be assessed along with their peers. It presents the story of Ana, a newcomer to the United States and its school system and, in a month-by-month format, reveals how assessment affects students, teachers, families, and school leaders. It shows teachers how to collect, analyze, and act upon data about multilingual learners.

While students who enter a new school must learn to adapt to a new situation, multilingual students who enter a new school must often first learn to adapt to a new country and a new language—and they must be assessed along with their peers. In Assessing Multilingual Learners, author Margo Gottlieb presents the story of Ana, a newcomer to the United States and the American school system and, in a month-by-month format, reveals how assessment affects students, teachers, families, and school leaders. This book shows teachers how to collect, analyze, and act upon data about multilingual learners, with the goal of improving instruction for this large and growing population of students.

Build the bridges for English language learners to reach success! This thoroughly updated edition of Gottlieb’s classic delivers a complete set of tools, techniques, and ideas for planning and implementing instructional assessment of ELLs. The book includes: A focus on academic language use in every discipline, from mathematics to social studies, within and across language domains Emphasis on linguistically and culturally responsive assessment as a key driver for measuring academic achievement A reconceptualization of assessment “as,” “for,” and “of” learning Reflection questions to stimulate discussion around how students, teachers, and administrators can all have a voice in decision making

The United States is formally represented around the world by approximately 14,000 Foreign Service officers and other personnel in the U.S. Department of State. Roughly one-third of them are required to be proficient in the local languages of the countries to which they are posted. To achieve this language proficiency for its staff, the State Department's Foreign Service Institute (FSI) provides intensive language instruction and assesses the proficiency of personnel before they are posted to a foreign country. The requirement for language proficiency is established in law and is incorporated in personnel decisions related to job placement, promotion, retention, and pay. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute evaluates the different approaches that exist to assess foreign language proficiency that FSI could potentially use. This report considers the key assessment approaches in the research literature that are appropriate for language testing, including, but not limited to, assessments that use task-based or performance-based approaches, adaptive online test administration, and portfolios.

The volume unites research and practice on integrating language learning, teaching and assessment at preschool and early school age. It includes chapters written by experts in the field who have studied some of the very youngest (pre-primary) children through to those up to the age of 12, in a variety of private and state contexts across Europe. The collection makes a much-needed contribution to the subject of appropriate assessment for children with the focus of many chapters being classroom-based assessment, particularly formative assessment, or the case for developing assessment skills in relation to even the youngest children. As a whole, the book provides useful case study insights for policymakers, teacher educators, researchers and postgraduate students with interest in or responsibility for how children are assessed in their language learning. It also provides practical ideas for practitioners who wish to implement greater integration of assessment and learning in their own contexts.