In our data-driven focused world, assessments are always a hot topic of discussion, especially when they involve English Learners (ELs). Your school may have a specific policy on assessing and grading ELs, and I encourage you to reach out to your school's English Learner specialist or program coordinator before you begin putting in the work to modify your assessments.
Sometimes administrators push classroom teachers to test all students with the same conditions they will experience on the state exam at the end of the year, and there is a time and place for this type of assessment. Data is one of those words that we hate hearing, but if data is properly collected, analyzed, and used --emphasis on used-- then it truly can make a difference in student performance. Why? Because when you are studying for a test, it is better to identify the things you don't know and then focus on studying those things. That's what all of the assessing and data-analysis is all about: Identifying students' weaknesses.
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) only offers one translated state exam--math in Spanish. This is not meant for all English Learners who speak Spanish. It is meant for students who are in a bilingual program who are learning the content in Spanish. Could one make an argument that it would be beneficial for a Hispanic newcomer who has only been here a few months of the year? Probably, but it really is a case-by-case basis and the answer is usually no because the student is unlikely to know the math vocabulary in Spanish without having been taught in Spanish.
That means all of our English Learners are almost always taking the LEAP exams in English with only a Word-to-Word English/Home Language dictionary to assist with translation. As a result, administrators often care more about how the student will do under these testing conditions. For a newcomer, with proficiency levels of 1 or 2, that means they are likely just guessing on the entire assessment. While it can be useful to collect this type of data, it would be a violation of your EL's civil rights and federally illegal (see Lau v. Nichols) for schools and educators to give these students failing grades in the gradebook for these assessments if these testing conditions are used.
So...How do we effectively and ethically assess low proficiency level English Learners?
Assessing ELs, particularly those at lower proficiency levels, presents unique challenges. Without thoughtful modifications, assessments can fail to measure what students truly know and instead reflect their language limitations. In this blog post, we'll explore strategies to create equitable assessments that focus on content knowledge rather than English proficiency.
Understanding English Language Proficiency Levels
English Learners’ abilities vary widely depending on their proficiency level. Newcomers and beginners might have little to no ability to read or write in English, while intermediate and advanced students can engage more with language-rich tasks. Tailoring assessments to meet students where they are is essential for obtaining an accurate picture of their knowledge.
Principles of Effective Assessment Modifications
When assessing low proficiency ELs, consider the following principles:
Focus on Content Knowledge: Design tasks that measure understanding of concepts rather than fluency in English.
Ask yourself:
Is this question assessing my student's ability to read in English? To write in English?
Is this question assessing my student's knowledge of content-specific vocabulary? If yes, is that the point of the question or am I attempting to assess a skill?
Incorporate Visuals and Supports: Use pictures, diagrams, and graphic organizers to make assessments accessible.
Allow your students to use self-created picture bilingual dictionaries as a support.
Place pictures of important nouns in the question above each word.
Allow Alternative Responses: Let students demonstrate their knowledge through oral responses, drawings, or hands-on activities.
Let your students be creative! This is a great practice for all students. Unless it is one of those pesky benchmark assessments, if a student has an idea to demonstrate their understanding of the material, let them try it. They will likely have unique ideas that you haven't thought of.
Examples of Assessment Modifications
Newcomer/Beginner Level (E & P1)
Replace written instructions with visuals and demonstrations.
Use tasks like matching pictures to words or labeling diagrams.
Provide sentence stems (“The water cycle includes…”) and word banks to reduce the language load.
Permit students to respond orally or by pointing.
Classroom teachers are often most resistant to these types of modifications because it has been drilled into our heads for the past decade that it's bad to ask lower-order thinking questions. Unless the student has grade-level proficiency in their L1 (home language), it would be inappropriate to just translate the test you are giving to the rest of the students. These scaffolds and modifications are designed to be temporary supports while they are learning English, so we will gradually increase the difficulty throughout the year.
Intermediate Level (P2-P3)
Offer fill-in-the-blank (cloze) exercises using key vocabulary.
Please give your ELs a word bank. The content they are learning is challenging enough without trying to remember how to spell their Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary in their new language.
Use scaffolding for written responses, such as sentence frames or graphic organizers.
Allow bilingual dictionaries or glossaries to support understanding.
Often, students at this level may have access to an electronic translator but will no longer have the official testing accommodation for it. Still it may be appropriate to allow students to use their electronic translators because physical dictionaries may be limited in subject-specific vocabulary.
Advanced Level (P4)
Assign grade-level tasks but simplify instructions or break them into smaller steps.
Encourage peer collaboration during group assessments.
Scaffold complex tasks like essays by providing outlines or rubrics.
Provide explanations of idioms or culture-specific phrases in test items.
For example, in the U.S., the color green might be used in literature to represent a range of things depending on context, such as inexperience, greed, envy, or nature. Keep in mind that those color associations are not universal to all cultures.
The meaning of the color green in different cultures:
U.S. = inexperience
Mexico = independence
Ireland = luck
Germany = hope
India = nature
Japan = vitality
While some of these cultural associations may overlap between different cultures, some may just not exist in others.
Tools and Resources for Modified Assessments
Digital tools like Quizlet, Google Translate, and Kami can make assessments more accessible for ELs. Printable resources, such as graphic organizer templates, sentence stems, and word banks, are also invaluable. These tools not only help students succeed but also save teachers time in creating effective assessments. Kami has been purchased by the LDOE for all public K12 teachers in Louisiana, and is about to become an invaluable asset to teaching and assessing ELs with their new translation feature (currently in BETA).
Tips for Implementation
Collaborate: Work with ESL specialists or colleagues to share ideas and resources.
Use Data: Monitor students’ progress and adjust assessments as needed.
Supportive Environment: Create a safe space where students feel comfortable demonstrating their knowledge in non-traditional ways.
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Perhaps an Entirely Different Approach?
Recent research by Gretchen Oliver and Karen Gregory at Clarkson University and published in TESOL Quarterly Vol. 58, Number 4 suggests assessing English language learners (ELLs) and Multilingual language learners (MLLs) through Integrated Performance Assessments, which "allows learners to use the three modes of communication -- interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational--to communicate their learning and demonstrate language development in an integrated way" (G. Oliver & K. Gregory, 2024). They argue that research shows that traditional assessments do not always fully capture ELLs' and MLLs' learning (e.g., Gottlieb, 2016; Heritage, Walqui, & Linquanti, 2015), and that IPAs provide a more authentic language use and provide a window into ELLs'/MLLs' progress in ways that advance their content learning and language development through collaboration and interaction.
Performance-Based Assessments: These assessments require students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills by completing specific tasks, offering a more holistic and diverse approach to evaluating learning and language development.
Example of an Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA):
Task 1: Students read an authentic text related to the unit’s topic, showcasing their understanding of the content and their ability to interpret information through reading.
Task 2: Students engage in a conversation with a peer or teacher about the topic, demonstrating their speaking, listening, and ability to negotiate meaning.
Task 3: Students create a product, such as an essay, presentation, or another format, to communicate their comprehension of the academic content through writing and/or speaking.
Examples of Outputs: Messages, articles, flyers, brochures, short stories, scripts, storytelling, speeches, TV or radio broadcasts, puppet shows, comedic videos.
Practical Example:Mr. Bennett’s 8th Grade Math Unit on Volume
Setting: Suburban middle school with a large population of English Language Learners (ELLs) and Multilingual Learners (MLLs).
Duration: A 3-week unit on volume with real-world applications.
Daily Structure:
Warm-up activity
Direct instruction
Hands-on practice with interaction and group work
Scaffolding Strategies: Visuals, real-world objects (realia), simulations, sentence starters, and Frayer model vocabulary cards supported students in engaging with the content.
IPA Design:
Used the GRASPs tool (Heineke & McTighe, 2018) to design an IPA for students to apply their understanding of volume to a real-world task.
Developed a rubric for the presentational task and shared it with students to guide self-monitoring.
The final IPA project took place over the last four days, with four checkpoints to ensure progress.
Findings and Results:
The IPA provided equitable assessment opportunities for ELL/MLL students.
Its open-ended format allowed students to demonstrate their understanding using multiple linguistic and non-linguistic methods.
Students applied geometry and volume formulas creatively by designing and calculating the volume of cans within a structure.
The assessment fostered creativity and required students to read, write, speak, and listen while applying formulas.
Students used visuals to express their thinking and, with scaffolds and checkpoints, gained confidence in sharing their ideas orally and in writing.
Conclusion
Assessing low proficiency ELs, as well as all ELLs and MLLs, effectively requires creativity and a commitment to equity. By focusing on content knowledge, providing appropriate supports, and providing students with opportunities to collaborate and present their understanding teachers can ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed. Do you have favorite strategies or tools for modifying assessments? Share them in the comments below—let’s learn from each other!
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