Please Check

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Please Check
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Todays Topic

• Assessment models

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Announcements
Dont forget to e-mail your suggestions of tests
you might like to review to Chris and Julia by
next week. Note this is not optional if we
dont hear from you, we will assign one of our
own choosing.
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Small Group Activity

• In last weeks reading, Ellis and Raju (2004)
  provided a technical definition of test bias. In
  what ways does this definition vary from common
  use of the term? Referring to the technical
  definition, what does it mean when we say a test
  is unbiased? Does that guarantee that a test is
  appropriate for students from culturally and
  linguistically diverse backgrounds? Why or why
  not? Provide evidence from this weeks readings
  to support your arguments.

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Considerations when Assessing Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Individuals

• Test bias
• Compatibility of normative population
• Representation of target population in normative
  group ethnicity, SES, language background,
  educational history
• Dialectal differences
• Influences of bilingualism on test performance
• Experiential differences
• Testing setting as a language genre
• Intended vs. actual purpose of instrument

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Normative Population

• Were individuals from minority groups included in
  percentage similar to their representation in the
  general population?
• Were individuals from minority groups included in
  sufficient NUMBER to represent the variety within
  that population?
• Were individuals from minority groups included in
  sufficient NUMBER to be represented at each age
  range and for there to be sufficient statistical
  power?

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Normative Population

• How was the diversity of the normative sample
  described and categorized?
• What additional diversities were considered?
• Rural vs. urban?
• Immigration/migration?
• Language background?
• Educational experiences?
• Regional variety?
• SES (and how was this operationalized?)
• Diversity within ethnic/cultural groups?
• Level of acculturation/assimilation?

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Dialectal Differences

• Does performance on this assessment depend on
  competence in STANDARD English? (i.e. Is it
  really a test of Standard English, rather than
  generic language development?)
• In general, is there a correlation with dialect
  use and average performance?
• If there is a correlation between SES and average
  performance, could SES be a proxy for dialect use
  and/or other factors?

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Influence of Bilingualism

• From a psychometric perspectives, the testing of
  these individuals bilinguals represents a
  thorny problem.
• (Geisiner, 2004, p.149)

If we test in only one language, irrespective of
which, we will only be partially tapping a
bilingual individuals competence.
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Experiential Differences

• Experience with testing context and unspoken
  expectations (i.e. speed)
• Experience with testing activities and materials
  (i.e. puzzles)
• Experience with testing content
• Experience with culturally diverse individuals,
  if tester is not from students natal
  ethnic/cultural group.
• Experience with tests communication language,
  dialect, speech style.

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Testing as a Genre

• Language socialization we are taught from birth
  how to act and communicate appropriately within
  different contexts (i.e. home, with friends, at
  religious ceremonies, with elders, at school,
  etc.). Testing situations are also a unique
  language genre, one that middle class, White
  children know the rules and expectations for and
  minority children, especially those from low-SES
  backgrounds, may not.

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Intended vs. Actual Purposes

• What was the instrument actually designed for?
• Are the results of the instrument being
  interpreted outside of the tests original
  purposes?
• Was the test intended to be used with the
  population(s) with which it is being used?
• Does the manner of administration violate the
  standardization protocol?

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Caution!

• Dynamic assessment is not intended as a
  substitute for existing approaches. Dynamic
  assessment is presented as a unique and important
  addition to the diagnosticians repertory.
  Dynamic assessment responds to questions that are
  not addressed by other procedures
• (Lidz, 1991, p. xi).

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Small Group Discussion

• Using the information from the following slides
  and Lunt (1993), decide
• What are the most important characteristics of
  dynamic assessment?
• How is it different from other forms of
  assessment?
• How could you use dynamic assessment to assess
  ELLs?
• What might be some concerns about using dynamic
  assessment with ELLs?

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Want to compare a student with his/her peers?

• Use norm-referenced assessment.

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Want to compare a students skills with a
pre-determined developmental hierarchy?

• Use a developmentally-referenced assessment (i.e.
  milestones).

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Want to specify a students current level of
performance? (i.e. What the student knows,
understands, or is able to do.)

• Use criterion-referenced assessment.

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Want to monitor a students progress within a
curricular sequence? (i.e. math, spelling)

• Use a curriculum-based assessment or measurement
  (CBA or CBM).

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Want to assess a students response to
intervention, problem-solving skills, or the most
effective means to facilitate that students
learning?

• Use dynamic assessment.

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Dynamic Assessment

• Is based on a different concept of intelligence
  from traditional IQ tests it is based on
  students learning ability.
• Provides information on the students learning
  processes (why they might not be learning and
  what supports their learning).
• Provides a direct connection with intervention.

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Key Characteristics of DA

• Test teach re-test format.
• Focus on learner modifiability.
• Goal of developing learner-specific and effective
  interventions what helps this student learn
  best?

(Lidz,1991)
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Dynamic assessment was never intended to offer
an alternative basis either for classifying
children or for placing them in special education
programs.
(Lidz, 1991, p. 5)
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The intent of dynamic assessment is to improve
understanding of the learner within any
educational setting, as well as inform
interventions within any setting.
(Lidz, 1991, p. 5)
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