Assessment & Evaluation

Testing: An Introduction for Parents

By: Colorín Colorado (2009)

As a parent, there are many ways you can support your child's academic success, which will in turn help your child with test-taking throughout the school year. The following articles offer a number of suggestions of ways that you can help your child prepare for tests, and support your child's learning habits.

Writing a Winning Essay

By: Kristina Robertson (2008)

As part of assessments and/or high school graduation requirements in many states, students must pass a writing test. For ELL students, the writing test often poses one of the biggest challenges in testing and in meeting graduation requirements. In this month's Bright Ideas article, we offer a strategy for overcoming those obstacles and writing a strong five-paragraph essay. The article outlines the process from start to finish, starting with helping students develop a deeper understanding of writing test requirements to planning, organizing, and editing the essay's final draft.

Assessing Fluency

By: Colorín Colorado (2007)

Assess the fluency skills in your ELL students by finding the right reading level, tracking reading rate, and paying attention to expression and comprehension.

Using Informal Assessments for English Language Learners

By: Colorín Colorado (2007)

Informal assessments provide continual snapshots of student progress throughout the school year. By using informal assessments, teachers can target students' specific problem areas, adapt instruction, and intervene earlier rather than later.

Placing English Language Learners in a Program of Instruction

By: Colorín Colorado (2007)

After gathering information on a student's level of English proficiency, educational background, and academic content knowledge, your next step is to come up with a plan for placing the student in an instructional program that meets his or her language and academic needs.

Identifying Language Proficiency for Program Placement

By: Colorín Colorado (2007)

The purpose of assessment for program placement is to identify those English language learners (ELLs) who need special instructional services such as sheltered English, ESL, or bilingual education.

The Next Step: Assessment and the English Language Learner

By: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2006)

A new battery of assessments, which are steeped in academic rather than conversational English, give a clearer picture of students' proficiency, and because the tests are aligned to state standards, they'll also help teachers tailor classroom instruction to each child's needs.

Screening, Diagnosing and Progress Monitoring for Fluency

By: Jan Hasbrouck (2006)

Early and frequent screening can go a long way in preventing reading difficulties. Fluency norms for grades 1-8 are listed here, as well as details on how to find and fix problems to keep kids on track for reading success.

What's 'Normal,' What's Not: Acquiring English as a Second Language

By: Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin and Alejandro Brice (2005)

How can you tell when a student has a language-learning disability and when he or she is merely in the normal process of acquiring a second language?

Beyond Conventional Testing to Ensure Academic Success for Students and Improve Accountability for Educators

By: Ramona Horton-Ikard and Theresa Rheams (2005)

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has upped the ante in determining accountability for school districts across the country. This article reveals ways to move beyond conventional testing methods to provide the best possible learning environment or students.

Seeking Help for a Struggling Reader: 8 Steps for Parents

By: Reading Rockets (2004)

What should you do if you think your child is having trouble with reading? Sometimes children just need more time, but sometimes they need extra help. Trust your instincts! You know your child best. If you think there's a problem, there probably is.

Parents' Guide to Standardized Testing

By: Carolyn B. Bagin and Lawrence M. Rudner (2004)

Standardized testing is one form of assessment used in schools. Find out about standardized tests, how and why schools use them, and how you can support your child in this article for parents.

Informal Reading Assessments: Examples

By: Reading Rockets (2004)

These sample charts explain how to assess students informally in the classroom. Most of the assessments here should be given one-on-one.

Bilingual Students With Disabilities Get Special Help

By: Mary Ann Zehr (2001)

There are many children who are eligible for both special education and English as a Second Language instruction, but few models for how to serve these children well. Learn about a program in Clark County, Nevada in which dually trained teachers provide overlapping instruction to meet both these needs.

Your Child's Evaluation

By: National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) (1999)

Evaluation is used to identify the children who are eligible for special education and the type of help they need. Find out four steps in the evaluation process, from analyzing known information to developing a program.

English Language Learners and Reading Difficulties

By: Catherine Snow, Susan Burns, and Peg Griffin (1998)

English language learners are at risk for future reading difficulties for a number of reasons. Here are some factors all teachers of ELLs should know.

A Guide to Learning Disabilities for the ESL Classroom Practitioner

By: Christine Root (1994)

It is estimated that in the United States, 15% of the general population has a learning disability. It is possible that many of the ESL students whom we view as poor language learners are struggling because they too have a learning disability.