Language Proficiency Levels

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Language Proficiency Levels Formative Assessment

• To Improve Student Achievement

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TOP Proficiency Level Descriptors

• T
• - Texas
• O
• - Observation
• P
• - Protocol

• Used to determine language proficiency in
• English
• Language Arts

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Linguistic Domains and Language Proficiency
Levels
Texas Education Agency Student Assessment
Division, 2006
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Linguistic Domains

• Listening the ability to understand spoken
  language, comprehend and extract information, and
  follow social and instructional discourse through
  which information is provided
• Speaking the ability to use language
  appropriately and effectively in learning
  activities and social interactions
• Reading the ability to comprehend and interpret
  written text at the grade-appropriate level
• Writing the ability to produce written text with
  content and format, fulfilling classroom
  assignments at the grade-appropriate level

Texas Education Agency Student Assessment
Division, 2006
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Language Functions

• Language functions refer to how individuals use
  language to accomplish specific tasks. Language
  functions have been identified for both
  social/communicative and academic purposes
  (Chamot Pierce, 1996).
• Communicative language functions are those used
  to express meaning in a routine social context
  that is not cognitively demanding (Chamot
  OMalley, 1994).
• Academic language functions are those that are
  critical for success in grade-level classrooms
  (Cummins, 1982 and 1984).

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Domains

• Grades K12 Listening
• Grades K12 Speaking
• Grades K1 Writing
• Grades 212 Writing
• Grades K1 Reading
• Grade 2 Reading

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Proficiency Levels
8
Proficiency Levels

• With a partner
• Highlight the differences among the four
  proficiency levels

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High School Science Students

• Julio is sixteen years old and has lived in the
  U.S. for two years. He is quiet but is very
  proficient in social conversations.
• He is very frustrated with school. He comprehends
  portions of the science textbooks and attempts to
  use academic vocabulary. He is able to complete
  some of the written assignments, usually writing
  in the present tense. He doesnt believe he needs
  any assistance because he can speak English very
  well with his friends. However, he doesnt
  understand why he is having difficulties in
  Chemistry.

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Where is Julio?
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High School Science Students

• In your table group, determine the proficiency
  level for each of the other three students
  described on the cards provided.

• Angelica
• Su Yen
• Miguel

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6 Minutes Left
"Schools are made of four walls and tomorrow
inside."
13
5 Minutes Left
"Let us train our minds to desire what the
situation demands." Seneca
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4 Minutes Left
"Opportunities are usually disguised as hard
work, so most people don't recognize them."
Ann Landers 
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3 Minutes Left

• "Motivation is everything. You can do the work
  of two people, but you can't be two people.
  Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down
  the line and get him to inspire his people."
• Lee Iacocca

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2 Minutes Left
"Knowledge is the food of the soul." Plato
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1 Minute Left
Nothing endures but change. Heraclitus
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Time Is Up!
Prepare to share your decisions on the
proficiency levels of the three students.
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Student Proficiency Levels

• Select the spokesperson for your group by
  determining who has been in his or her current
  job assignment the longest.

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Proficiency Levels
(For the Writing Domain)
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Proficiency Levels

• Examine the proficiency levels on page 39 in the
  Making Science Accessible, by John Carr.
• Note some of the differences between the TOP
  levels and those in the Carr book.

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Proficiency Levels

• TOP
• Beginning
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Advanced High

• Carr
• Beginning
• Early Intermediate
• Intermediate
• Early Advanced
• Advanced

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Language Objectives

• Reflect on the model lesson and develop an
  appropriate language objective for the student
  of your choice using
• the description of one of the students provided,
• the language objective formula, and
• the TOP proficiency levels.
• Dong, Y.R. (2004/2005), Okhee, L (2005)

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WHAT DO HOW

• WHAT
• DO
• HOW

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5 Minutes Left

• Reflect on the model lesson and develop an
  appropriate language objective for the student
  of your choice using
• the description of one of the students provided,
• the language objective formula, and
• the TOP Proficiency Levels

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4 Minutes Left
Language Objective Formula WHAT DO HOW
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3 Minutes Left
Forever is composed of nows. Emily Dickinson
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2 Minutes Left
Write your Language Objective on the chart paper
provided, then post it on the wall near your
table.
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1 Minute Left
Write your Language Objective on the chart paper
provided, then post it on the wall near your
table.
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Time Is Up!
Write your Language Objective on the chart paper
provided, then post it on the wall near your
table.
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Is It Working?

• How do you know?

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Formative Assessment

• What it is

• What it is not

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Implications for Assessment

• Teachers need to use assessment tasks that are as
  authentic as possible in a classroom setting.
  This means
• 1) using authentic language in
  listening/speaking activities
• 2) setting real-world tasks, such as getting the
  gist of a message, listening selectively,
  describing, giving directions, and giving
  opinions and
• 3) giving students opportunities to use language
  in situations based on everyday life.

OMalley Pierce (1996)
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Effective Use of Formative Assessment. . .

• provides just-in-time feedback to the student and
  teacher
• increases student achievement from 50 to 84
  and
• is the difference between a physical exam with
  your doctor and an autopsy with the coroner.
• Bloom, B (1984)

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Effective Use of Formative Assessment
Student Achievement

• Success in
• Science
• Targeted Teaching
• to Student Need
• On-Going Assessment
• Teaching is Targeted to
• Identified Student Need
• On-Going Assessment
• Teaching

Short Boyson (2004), August Shanahan (2006),
Stecker, P. M., Fuchs, L. S. (2000), Okhee
(2005)
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Kinds of Formative Assessment

• Making Science Accessible
• (pg. 8384)

• Science for English Language Learners
• (pg. 69)

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Activity Formative Assessment

• Read and list the types of formative assessments
  provided in each of the books (pages listed on
  the handout provided).
• Add any other formative assessments not included
  in the lists.
• Share instances in which you have seen formative
  assessments used effectively.

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Keeping TrackNucleic Acids
Center on Instruction (2006), Blake Sickle
(2001), Cleghorn (1992), Setati, Adler, Reed
Bapoo (2002)
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Learning Log

• Response to what was taught
• An interesting detail is
• I think/feel/ believe
• This reminds me of
• Questions still unanswered

• What I learned
• Just the facts

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References

• Carr, J., Sexton, U., Lagunoff, R. (2006).
  Making science accessible to English learners A
  guidebook for teachers. San Francisco, CA
  WestEd.
• Fathman, A. Crowther, D. (2006). Science for
  English language learners. Arlington, VA
  National Science Teachers Association.
• OMalley, J. Pierce, L. V. (1996). Authentic
  assessment for English language learners
  Practical approaches for teachers. New York
  Longman Publishing.
• Texas Education Agency. (2006). Texas observation
  protocol Overview. Retrieved February 20, 2007
  from http//www.region10.org/BilingualESL/documen
  ts/37.Fall2006TOPRaterQualificationProcess63006.pp
  t
• See facilitator guide for a complete list of
  references

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Learning Log

• Silently reflect on this session
• What are your thoughts about
• Language objectives
• Proficiency levels
• Formative assessments