Posted: April 29th, 2020

Edu 659 testing & assessment for english language learners – complete

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Week 1 – Discussion 1

Major Trends in Immigration

Read Immigrants in the United States, 2010: A Profile of America’s Foreign-Born Population.  Use this article and the rest of the website to research major trends in immigration and its implications for classroom teachers of ELL students.   How have these trends changed the assessment challenges for classroom teachers?  In addition, give at least five examples of authentic assessment that could be used in a classroom based on your state’s demographics.  Include ideas from the video, Assessment of English Language Learners by Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce.

Guided Response:  Review your classmate’s posts and respond to at least three.  After reviewing the trends listed by your classmates, research your local school district’s demographics. For example, San Diego Unified School District‘s demographics can be located on the district website. How do they compare? Using the examples of authentic assessment listed, do you believe they would be useful considering your district’s population? Why or why not?

Week 1 – Discussion 2

Read case study #5 from ESL case studies. For the last several years, the administrators and the teaching staff at Smith Elementary School have been happy to report their school’s high achievement test scores. The school district has spent countless dollars on professional development workshops for teachers. Assessment experts have presented valuable information on test taking strategies that bring positive results. Mrs. Madison, who teaches second grade, has faithfully attended all of the information packed presentations. She can now reap the benefits of her new approach to standardized testing. Her students’ scores last year far exceeded her expectations as a classroom teacher. Mrs. Madison was very pleased with the level of academic performance her students displayed on the end of year exams. Ironically, these latest scores arrived on the same day Mrs. Madison received her student list for the upcoming school year. After reviewing the names of her new second graders, Mrs. Madison became quite concerned. The list of students revealed two last names that were obviously not typical American names. After a brief conversation with the principal of her school, she learned that an expanding business in the area had hired employees from other countries to join their corporation. As a result, new families were moving into the local community to work at this prestigious business. These specialized employees were moving their families into an unfamiliar country and culture in order to take advantage of an opportunity to work in the United States. The principal informed Mrs. Madison that these new students coming to Smith Elementary would be hearing the English language for the first time. The determined principal also relayed to Mrs. Madison the importance of maintaining their school’s reputation of producing high test scores. Mrs. Madison was now facing an unfamiliar task of teaching ELL (English as a Second Language) students and upholding high standardized assessment scores.

1. What issues, related to the standardized assessments and real-classroom assessments can Mrs. Madison expect to encounter?
2. Considering Mrs. Madison’s level of experience with ELL, the level of language proficiency she expects to encounter in her students, and the school’s expectations – compare and contrast three language proficiency instruments you would use to determine your student’s current academic and language level.
3. How can Mrs. Madison prepare herself, as a professional educator, for her new ELL students?

Guided Response: Review your classmates’ posts and respond to at least three of them. Take the standpoint of the school principal when replying to posts and address the issues that Mrs. Madison can expect to encounter from an administrative perspective, her choice of language proficiency instruments and reflect on her professional growth needs.

 

Week 1 – Assignment

Who is living in your backyard?

Nine year old Maria and her eleven year old brother, along with their mother, father and maternal grandmother moved to California from Mexico three months ago, but her mother just enrolled them in school last month. Both parents work full time outside the home; her father is a mechanic and mother works at a daycare center. After school both children walk home where their grandmother, who doesn’t speak English, cares for them. Maria’s mother is home every evening by about 5:30pm. Her father does not usually get home until after both children are in bed.

Both parents are able to carry on a limited conversation in English and her mother can also read basic English words. The family is not poor, but they do not have access to a home computer and do not own many books. Maria loves school and is never late. Her favorite subjects are reading and art but she does not like to write. When asked why not, she says, “Writing makes her hands hurt.”

Explain at least three informal language proficiency instruments you can use in your classroom to determine Maria’s level of expressive and receptive language comprehension, analyze how the content and purpose of each one is different, and describe what each purports to measure. Finally, describe how you can use these three instruments to guide your instruction.

You can use the article Using informal assessments for English Language Learners as a starting point for your research. You must have at least one source in addition to your text and the required article. Your paper must be two- to four- pages in length, excluding the title and reference pages.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2 – Discussion 1

“To have another language is to possess a second soul”
‒Charlemagne

Before a student can master writing, there has to first be some level of oral language proficiency. Therefore, teaching and assessing English Language Learners on oral language is the first step in assimilating into the traditional American classroom. Review the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM) article as well as the assigned textbook reading, then explain how you would use this information to drive instruction and continual informal, formative assessment  in your current language arts classroom or a language arts classroom you can see yourself teaching in the near future.

Guided Response: Review your classmates’ posts and respond to at least three. After reading their responses, do your own independent research and include two additional suggestions for incorporating oral language development and informal, formative assessment into the classroom environment posted. Be sure to include the APA citation where you found this information for your classmate to use for future reference.

Week 2 – Discussion 2

Nine year old Anton recently moved to the United States from Russia where he learned to speak Russian and English; however, his family shared with the teacher and school principal that they are unfamiliar the “American way” of life. They are very proud of their heritage and cultural traditions, and have opted to continue speaking only Russian at home.

Anton has always struggled with learning to read and write English while in Russia and is hoping that now being in a traditional American classroom, it will become easier, but is concerned that being unable to fully understand his classmates will make it difficult to make friends.  His classroom teacher, Ms. Cantu, believes it best to ignore his fears and insecurities and continues to teach class without any accommodations for Anton using the “total language immersion’ approach.

After a few weeks in his new school Anton is feeling completely lost and depressed with his inability to keep up in class and make friends. His teacher gives up and decides to refer Anton for special education services because, in her words, “Anton is simply not picking up anything I’m trying to teach him. He sits in the back of the class with his head on his desk, refusing to even try.”

1. Was total language immersion what Anton needed? Why or why not?
2. What interventions could Anton’s teacher implement before talking with the special educator?
3. Using your textbook as a reference tool, what assessments could have been used to help Ms. Cantu make informed educational decisions for Anton?

Guided Response: Review your classmates posts and respond to at least three. Take the standpoint of the ELL teacher when replying to posts to address how the listed assessment tools and interventions are, or are not, appropriate for Anton. Finally justify your response by citing one source in addition to your textbook to support your post.

 

Week 2 – Assignment

ELL Director

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2005) only 29% of English Language Learners (ELL) scored at or above the basic level in reading, compared with 75% of non-ELLs (as cited in NEA, 2008). The National Education Association (NEA) further explains that there is no continuity in assessment or accommodation procedures when determining ELL language proficiency.

Assuming the role of “Director of ELL” for your school’s district read the article English Language Learners Face Unique Challenges. Then, in an action plan that you create for your school’s district (see below), you will address the challenges noted in the article relating to assessing the language domains before and during content-based instruction.

The purpose of the action plan is to assess the language proficiency of ELLs in order to build academic proficiency and content accountability. Your action plan must contain the following:

1. Identify and describes at least three goals addressing different content areas.

• Example: ELL students will be able to solve basic multiplication and division equations that are either written in symbols or written in words.

Explain your rationale for each goal. Your rational must be supported with at least one research-based strategy.

• Example: This skill will be used as a foundation for more advanced math skills with content-specific terminology.

A statement describing how each goal will be accomplished. You must include a detailed explanation of how each goal will be accomplished as well as an approximate time frame for goal completion.

• Example: Teaching specific math skills and terminology- each skill will be scaffolded, beginning with math manipulatives, and building to more challenging levels as students master each skill set and necessary vocabulary.

A description of the necessary resources for achieving each goal.

• Example: Math manipulatives, vocabulary words written on Velcro strips, math worksheets,
• Multiplication & division bingo…

A statement regarding how each goal will be monitored (what on-going FORMATIVE evidence will be gathered to show this plan is improving language proficiency)? You must include at least three formative-based assessments that will provide evidence of improved language proficiency per goal.

• Example: Through peer tutoring, teacher observation, exit tickets, homework review, and traditional worksheet assessment

A statement describing how you will you know when the student has achieved the goal? What will be your evidence?

• Example: Student will complete word problems that require students to solve basic multiplication and division equations.

The “Action Plan” may be written in the format of your choosing including traditional paper, or PowerPoint, with APA standards being followed which included a title page or cover slide and concluding with references. A written paper must be three to five pages in length (not including title and reference pages) and a PowerPoint presentation must be 10-15 slides in length(not including title and reference slides).

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 

 

 

 

Week 3 – Discussion 1

“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery”
Mark Van Doren~ (American writer and poet)

While taking a break from teaching your 7th grade math class you overhear two teachers talking about a ‘failed experiment’.  Ms. Smith was explaining to Ms. Jones, the special educator, that she tried something she learned about in a recent workshop where she created cooperative, heterogeneous groups of four students that included children with learning disabilities, ELLs, and ‘typically developing’ children and assigned a ‘performance based assessment’ with the final outcome being a poster, report, and collaborative presentation.  She thought it was a great idea since the groups seemed to be working hard all week, but when each group presented their findings, poster, and report- she realized that they missed the mark entirely.  She can’t understand what she did wrong.

As the ELL teacher you can’t help but to interject at this point. What suggestions would you give to Ms. Smith to help her get better results next time she uses Performance Based Assessment. Keep in mind the terms: formative assessments, rubrics, and preparation for assessment.

Guided Response: Review your classmates posts and respond to at least three.  Assume the role of Ms. Jones; do you believe the suggestions given by the ELL teacher will also benefit the students who have special needs? Why or why not? What modifications could you make to the suggestions to make them more accessible and beneficial to all students?

 

Week 3 – Journal

Evaluation vs. Assessment

First define each term in your own words, then relate each term to students who are English Language Learners and provide an example of how you would use each in terms of language proficiency growth within your current classroom or a classroom you can see yourself teaching in the future.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your journal entries.

Week 3 – Assignment

Performance Based Assessment

Performance-Based assessments use authentic experiences and hands-on experiences to evaluate the student’s true knowledge, without impedance from a language barrier. When creating this type of assessment teachers must keep in mind:

• What content or skill is being evaluated
• What criteria will determine mastery
• How to create an authentic assessment that requires students to demonstrate their knowledge
• How feedback will be provided in the most objective manner
• How these results will guide future instruction

Some examples of Performance-Based Assessment are:

• Creating and presenting a collage
• Creating and presenting a PowerPoint
• Presenting a persuasive speech or one side of a debate
• Performing a dance, song or skit
• Guiding the class in a lesson
• Designing art, a garden, or other architecture

Your job will be to create a Performance-Based Assessment Plan that includes the following components. Each section should have its own sub-heading:

1. Class Demographics: In this section Include the Lesson Title, Grade Level, Subject Area, number of students (at least FOUR of whom are ELL-), and any other applicable information.
2. Common Core State Standards and English Language Development Standards: In this section provide a specific, measureable goal that addresses a Common Core State Standard and your state’s English Language Development Standards.
3. Performance Based Assessment: In this section you will write directions for a Performance Based Assessment that you will have students complete over a three-day (50 minutes per class period) timeframe. Imagine that you will have the students described in the demographics section working in groups of four (with at least one ELL student per group). You are welcome to use one of the examples listed above or another one specific to your content area. The directions should be written as they would be presented to the class. Your assessment can focus on any content area in grades 2 – 12.
4. Formative Assessment: Write a page paper – Describe at least four formative assessments, with visible criteria (Pierce, 2002) that will be provided throughout the lesson to ensure students are grasping content specific vocabulary and meeting the criteria for mastery.
5. Summative Assessment: Create both a summative visible criteria (Pierce, 2002) rubric and a self-assessment rubric to evaluate student’s final performance project using the information you learned from this week’s reading. You are strongly encouraged to create a rubric using an online program. Several options include:

Reflection: This section will include a brief reflection on how assessment will help inform you of your students’ achievement, as well as how it will inform your future instructional actions including possible differentiation strategies. Also, include what plan you will take if the students do not meet the mastery level.

The paper must be three- to five- pages in length, excluding the title and reference pages. You must use 5 references in addition to your text(s) for this assignment.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4 – Discussion 1

“If you find yourself saying ‘But I can’t speak English…’, try adding the word ‘…yet”
 Jane Revell & Susan Norman (Authors)

A typical ‘resource class’ (also known as a self-contained setting) may have 15 students in the class; nine who are native Spanish speakers, three who are Hmong, two from Russia. These students would normally have been placed in the 3rd grade, based upon their age; however, only the three Hmong students have any formal schooling.

Choose one of the specific teaching strategies that you think best meets the needs of these students from General Education and Special Education Teachers Collaborate to Support English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities. Once you have selected a teaching strategy, conduct your own independent, in-depth research.

In your discussion forum, please explain what kind of assessment you would use and why you feel the assessment ideally measures what the strategy is designed to do.

Guided Response:  Review your classmates’ posts and respond to at least three.  Make sure to choose teaching strategies that are different than the one you’ve chosen.  Add to the information your classmate has posted on that strategy and assessment, including additional ways the posted strategy and assessment may be helpful for students who are ELL and LD and what assistive technology might be incorporated into that strategy to make it more effective.

 

Week 4 – Discussion 2

Best Practices Discussion

After viewing English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities evaluate at least five best practices to support learning for ELL students who also have a learning disability including two additional resources to support your findings.

Guided Response: Read your classmates’ posts and respond to at least three. Assume the role of a special educator while reviewing the best practices evaluated; how can each be modified to better meet the needs of an inclusion classroom keeping in mind whole-class implementation of UDL?

Week 4 – Assignment

Assistive Technology

As the Department Chair of ELL you have been offered the opportunity to receive initial funding of $250,000 to begin an assistive technology pilot for ELL students. After a year, you will have to show how the assistive technology has improved learning and language development.

In this assignment you will choose an assistive technology and do the following:

FIRST: Research the unit cost of the technology, how much training is needed, how much maintenance and also look at recent articles, statistics. If possible, interview a business rep for the product or local education administrator who has this product in use.

SECOND: Select a school district from the School District Demographics System – Map Viewer and use the demographics of your chosen school district to address the following. Please provide a thorough description of the district you have chosen.  The paper must be three to five pages in length, excluding title and reference pages.

• Explain the type of assistive technology that will best meet the needs of your specific district’s demographics
• Identify how the assistive technology is sold (Individually for each student, licensed per computer, a package for one district, etc…)
• Address the individual cost as well as the total cost (support this information with citations and documentation)
• Identify who will receive the training. (all teachers  only ELL teachers, etc…)
• Explain how and when training will be provided for the teachers.  
• At the conclusion of the year, how will you measure student success?
• What are your ideal benchmarks and target goals throughout the year?

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 5 – Discussion 1

“Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.”
G.K. Chesterton (writer & philosopher)

Mr. Hicks has been a high school instructor in Spring Valley, California for nine years. He is used to meeting the student’s extended family at the time of school enrollment. Frequently, the family knows little to no English language. Mr. Hicks looks forward to the challenge of teaching new students each year as he welcomes them into his class. He took it upon himself to learn basic conversational Arabic phrases, vocabulary terms specific for school, and cultural practice, feeling confident and prepared to teach his students and communicate with their families.

Mr. Hicks has had many successful years of ELL teaching as measured by students’ academic and language growth over the school year, along with their personal growth with American culture. Most recently, however, he encountered Kaamla, a 15 year old girl who moved to Spring Valley with her two siblings a year ago.  Although Kaamla was very social and seemed to truly enjoy school, she simply did not show any interest in academics or learning English. During class, instead of paying attention, Kaamla would draw elaborate pictures of her house in Morocco. Although her art work was very realistic and quite impressive, Mr. Hicks truly wished that Kaamla would put the same effort into academics and learning English that she put into her drawings. Despite Mr. Hicks’ effort at creating differentiated curriculum that met the needs of all his learners, including those ELL and those with learning disabilities, Kaamla was the only one he felt he was not reaching.  

Now that the school year is ending and it is time to reenroll for the next year, what steps can Mr. Hicks take, based on the information you learned during this week’s class, to ensure Kaamla doesn’t become a high school dropout statistic? Write a word essay – Evaluate at least three strategies Mr. Hicks can implement in his classroom (make sure to cite where you found this information).

Guided Response: Review your classmates’ post and respond to at least three. Using the strategies shared by your classmates, explain for each one how an extension of this activity can incorporate Kaamla’s family to help her be more successful.

 

Week 5 – Journal

Best Practices Reflection

Reflect on the past five weeks of class including what you’ve learned about the population growth nation-wide and specific to your state and school district, also how to pre-assess, formatively assess, and summatively assess your ELL/ ESL students.  What advice would you give a new teacher who is thinking about becoming an ELL/ESL instructor?  Including the following in your response:

• General advice
• Any specific advice for a grade/ age/ content area
• Pre-assessment/ post assessment strategies
• English Language Learners who have learning disability

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your journal entries.

Week 5 – Assignment

Teaching ESL Adults

Unlike K – 12 ELLs, who attend school as part of either compulsory education laws or to earn a high school diploma, adults who are returning to Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes do so with the intention learning to speak and/or write English.  Some reasons for becoming English proficient include earning a GED (High School Equivalency Degree), seeking employment, career advancement, and socialization opportunities just to name a few.  

However, just like public education programs, Adult programs for ESL students also have State Standards and expected outcomes for their students. . There are several websites where you can find standards-based initiatives:

• English Language Proficiency Standards for Adult Education is a website that will provide you with information about English language standards and proficiencies for adult education.  The language standards are then presented in conjunction with College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards for higher education to align the language demands needed for Math, Science, Engineering, and English Language Arts.
• ESL New Teacher Resource Guide is a website that provides many resources to help understand adult ELLs, plan lessons based on proficiency levels or multi-level classes,  and contains a list of resources for teachers of adult ELLs.
• CAL Center for Applied Linguistics provides links to standards, ESL lesson plans, current research findings, and a host of other resources geared towards adults who are ESL.

Your assignment this week is to assume the role of an instructor for an ABE course that is offered for two-hours, twice a week for eight weeks. The class is titled, “Finding a Job:  An Introduction to Applying for Entry Level Positions”. Your class has 15 adult students of varying ages, origins and language proficiency who are interested in learning what it takes to find employment.

Referencing the web pages listed above or other resources included in this week’s lesson:

1. Create three measurable mastery goals that are expected at the conclusion of the 8-week course
2. Identify two content standards from your state (or another state you may be interested in researching) and explain their align with your mastery goals
3. Develop benchmark standards

• Two for each state content standard
• The weeks where the benchmarks will be measured (with an explanation of why that week was chosen)

Write a page paper – Describe at least five best teaching practices specific for Adult ESL learners you will implement to help them achieve mastery of the set goal. To help you start your research, visit:

Each of the best teaching practices listed must include:

• At least one webpage or peer-reviewed article cited (five in total)
• An explanation of how you will relate the teaching strategy to achieving mastery of your content standard and benchmarks?
• An explanation of how you will differentiate the practice to make it accessible to various learning styles (visual, kinesthetic, auditory, tactile…)?

The assignment must be two to four pages in length, excluding the title and reference pages. The paper should include an introduction to let the reader know the purpose of the paper and a conclusion. The paper should include at least 2 additional resources in addition to the course text)(s) and should be written in APA format throughout, with citations and references. Each part (Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D) should have it’s own subheading within the body of the paper.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 6 – Discussion 1

Mrs. Marcus had implemented the latest idea in educational assessment. She had studied and prepared for the introduction of portfolio assessment into her seventh grade classroom. The students, including her English Language Learner students (ELLs), were excited about collecting their work in their very own portfolios. Mrs. Marcus explained to her students that their portfolios would be evaluated and shared with parents during conferences. After a few weeks of working on important assignments, students were allowed to organize their portfolios and enter their work. Mrs. Marcus informed the students of her specific academic expectations on each assignment. Unfortunately, she encountered some difficulties when evaluating the students’ portfolios. She observed that her grading guidelines did not accommodate her ELL students. The second language learners were not meeting her expectations in the area of grammar and punctuation on the assignments. Mrs. Marcus realized that she had not taken into consideration the varied language acquisition stages of the ELL students.

1. Should Mrs. Marcus return to her conventional assessment methods?
2. How can portfolios meet the needs of all students?
3. Is it possible to set academic assessment expectations for ELL students who have not yet acquired their new language?
4. What formative assessments can Mrs. Marcus use to make sure her students were making progress toward the summative assessment?

Guided Response: Review your classmates’ posts and respond to at least three.  Using the information posted by your classmates, how can the formative assessments suggested involve parents (apart from gaining a signature)?  Also, specific to the formative assessments listed, what can Mrs. Marcus do if the students are not adequately progressing?

Week 6 – Discussion 2

Summative Assessment and Adults

“Teaching should be full of ideas instead of stuffed with facts.”
Unknown Author

Adult English language learners attend English as a second language (ESL) or Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes to improve their oral and written skills in English and to achieve goals similar to those of native English speakers who are looking to find job placement or advancement, stronger communication skills, or simply further their education.  

Consider that you are teaching a classroom of 10 ESL adults who have varying levels of language proficiency but all at a very remedial level. Although their intent for attending your classes varies, your goal at the conclusion of your 12-week class is for them to “Express themselves orally in English for a variety of purposes.”

With the following benchmarks:

• S1.3a (NRS high beginning level): “Produce simple statements, providing more detail without necessarily more complexity (e.g. a daily routine, a simple instruction, preferences, and opinions).”
• S1.6a (NRS advanced level): “Express themselves on unfamiliar topics and/or in problematic situations (e.g. giving information at the scene of an accident, talking to your child’s teacher).”

(Massachusetts Adult Basic Framework, 2005)

Create a document that will be saved and attached in the discussion board as a .pdf file (since that is universally accepted file of all operating systems).

Create a summative assessment to determine if your final goal was met using one of the techniques learned in this week’s class.  You are encouraged to use the web pages listed in the “recommended reading” section to guide your work. Your assessment must include:

1. What type of summative assessment you are choosing to use and why
2. Directions you would give to the students in order to complete the assessment in ‘student friendly’ language
3. A detailed rubric in student friendly language that will measure their mastery
4. A short reflection on how you will use this information to guide future instruction with the same students in a more advanced class

Guided Response: Review your classmates posts and reply to at least three. Identify the strength of the summative assessment, and areas where you see improvements can be made. Include comments relating to the rubric, evaluation method, cultural biases, and additional suggestion for future classes.

 

Week 6 – Final Paper

Assessing ELL students

OPTION 1:

Part 1: Interview – Set up an in-person or telephone interview with the ELL director or chairperson in your local school district. The interview should include answers to the following interview questions. You may also ask more questions for more clarity. Write down the answers to the questions as you will need them for part two of this assignment.

Remember, the more comprehensive your interview, the better understanding you’ll have of a ‘real-world’ view of assessments:

• The district’s demographics (who is the population they are serving- ages, grades, country of origin?)
• What are the current research-based and other types of assessments being used to determine language proficiency levels, how were those assessments chosen, and how long has the district been using that method of assessment?
• What goals does the district have specific to language proficiency and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) scores and how are they progressing?
• What challenges are associated with this method and what additional challenges can be predicted for 5 years out? 10 years out?
• How does the research address the challenges mentioned during your interview?
• What academic successes have been documented using this assessment process?
• How does the school use the assessment scores to guide instruction, and how often are ELL reassessed?

Part 2: Analysis & Research – Once the interview has been completed, analyze the information you gathered during the interview though a web-based search and Ashford’s online library. Specifically, find out and write down whether current research (2009 or later) supports the assessment being used by the district?  Using the information about how the district uses the assessment scores to guide instruction, determine if this aligns with what the current research determines as best practices for instruction ELL.

Part 3: Synthesis – Finally, using the knowledge gained during your independent research, formulate alternative assessment strategies including results based instruction to address the district’s challenges mentioned during the interview.  Your recommendation must include how your proposal will assist the district in meeting state and district ELL goals for language proficiency.

OPTION 2:

Most colleges and universities have programs designed for ESL students. For example, Oakland University permits admission to students who are academically qualified but do not meet the English language proficiency requirements, with enrollment conditional on successfully completing an intensive English program as outlined in Oakland Universities English Proficiency Policy.

Part 1: Interview – Identify at least three colleges in your hometown or state. Either interview the ESL directors or review the schools online to address how students who are academically qualified but who do not meet English standards are assessed for oral and written language proficiency along with any requirements that are conditional for college/university admission.

Part 2: Analysis & Research – Compare, contrast, and analyze your findings from the three colleges/universities including ESL and international student demographics, language proficiency assessment used, how enrollment qualifications are determined based on student scores, and additional resources offered to ESL  and international students.

Then, conduct your own web-based search using your choice of search engines and Ashford’s online library.  Which approach to assessment and subsequent instruction, according to research, most accurately assesses and teaches language proficiency at the post-high school level? Further, how do the assessment choices align with adult ESL standards?

Part 3: Synthesis – Finally, using the knowledge gained during your independent research, suggest additional assessment and teaching strategies for post-high school ESL and international students. Your recommendation must include how your proposal will assist the schools in meeting state ESL standards for language proficiency.

For each option, you must cite at least six scholarly resources in proper APA formatting.

Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper:

1. Must be seven to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
1. Title of paper
2. Student’s name
3. Course name and number
4. Instructor’s name
5. Date submitted
3. Must include an introduction stating the purpose and thesis of the paper
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must  include the outcomes of the interview and research you conducted
6. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
7. Must use at least six scholarly sources in addition to the course text(s). All sources must be used in citations and be included in the references page
8. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
9. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 

 

 

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