Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost.nifl.gov [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.8.7/8.8.5) with SMTP id NAA28562; Fri, 26 Sep 1997 13:25:58 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 13:25:58 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <81CAE71F61D4CF11A6DE00A0249640922D6CB9@EXCHANGE01> Errors-To: lmann@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Heide Wrigley <hwrigley@aiweb.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:1444] RE: assessment X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.0.1458.49) Status: RO Content-Length: 2567 Lines: 66 hi, A quick follow-up regarding Rachel's concerns about ESL tests that would work for both placement and progress, and it's really tough to find an assesment that let's you show gains over short periods of time - and even tougher to find out what those gains means (seems everybody's score on a standardized test goes up a few points, no matter what program they have been in or - worse - how long they have been in classes); so if you just want to show gains for the funding source, it really doesn't matter much which test you pick - they all have similar problems inasmuch as they don't tell us much about where students are in their language and literacy development. The A-LAS for example, has a nice writing piece, but in the reading component it jumps from simple words recognition (which is really a vocabulary test) to a discourse level that's hard for literacy students to deal with. As for placement, a lot of programs report good experiences with the BEST as a placement test (it is administered on a one-on-one basis), but the literacy portion is a bit difficult for beginning learners to handle (small print) - I'd be interested in other people's experiences, as well - > -----Original Message----- > From: Kalamansi@aol.com [SMTP:Kalamansi@aol.com] > Sent: Monday, September 15, 1997 8:04 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:1420] RE: assessment > > In a message dated 97-09-12 12:15:21 EDT, you write: > > << Have you looked at the A-LAS - (the Adult Language Assessment > Scales) by > McMillan/McGraw ? It is adapted from an ESL Test for bilingual > children. > > > I don't recommend it necessarily; I am just mentioning it as a > resource > for those who want (or have to) use a standardized test. > > Also, Rachel, are you looking for a test to help you in placement, to > tell you what your students do and don't know (diagnostic), to show > what > gains they have made in their English and their literacy skills, > (progress) or to demonstrate that they have learned what you have > taught > them (achievement) ? >> > > Heide, > > Thanks so much for the direction. I'll check it out. I'm looking for > an > assessment instrument to be used for placement as well as for securing > an > entrance and exit score. Without these two scores, students don't > really > exist in our record keeping system and that affects our funding for > the next > year. It would just be nice to have a test that serves both needs, > the > essential and the stupid. Thanks again for your help! > > Rachel
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