Note: I am cross-posting my reply to Mona Curtis regarding my search for new
assessment tools for my NNES learners with academic English goals.

 

Hi Mona,

 

Thanks for responding!

 

Yes, I know a little about the BEST Plus.  The issue I have with it is that
it taps into English listening and speaking skills, so that it provides but
a part of the proficiencies I need to tap into for CBI.  I am looking for
current norm- or criterion-referenced assessment tools that provide
meaningful information about my ESL students’ reading comprehension/reading
vocabulary, grammar (cover term for “all else”), computation, and applied
problem solving (mathematical word problems) skills.   This information
helps me inform where to start with those students who have academic goals
(typically either GED or college preparation programs).

 

I’d love to hear from teachers who may have used the TABE 9 with ESL
students as an initial assessment, and how the obtained scores in their
experience correlate with ESL measures such as TABE CLAS-E, BEST Plus, LAS,
Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency, etc.  I’m drawn to TABE 9,
and am curious whether practicing teachers who have used it consider it a
useful (and relatively unbiased) measure for ESL learners.

 

I’m also interested in studies/research that has examined the
appropriateness for ESL of  assessment tools such as TABE 9 (intended for
ABE/ASE).

 

Finally, I’m also considering replacing norm- with criterion-referenced
tests, because language and academic criteria reveal more (to me at least)
than a large norming population that is referenced in coming up with a score
(such as GLEs). 

 

Thanks again, 

 

Michael

 

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Mona Curtis
Sent: Monday, May 04, 2009 7:15 AM
To: Adult English Language Learners List; Assessment Discussion List; The
Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Cc: brownj at hawaii.edu; kathi.bailey at miis.edu; lfb at humnet.ucla.edu
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4196] Re: Question about assessment

 

Do you know anything about BEST-plus? 

 

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Michael A. Gyori
Sent: Saturday, May 02, 2009 6:49 PM
To: Adult English Language Learners List; Assessment Discussion List; The
Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Cc: brownj at hawaii.edu; kathi.bailey at miis.edu; lfb at humnet.ucla.edu
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4194] Question about assessment

 

Greetings to all,

 

I am cross-posting a question related to assessment and hope to benefit from
your expertise!

 

For the past 10 or so years, I have mainly been using the Adult Measure of
Essential Skills (AMES – published by Steck Vaughn) as a standardized
norm-referenced test for both L1 (mainly Hawaii Creole English) & L2
speakers of English.  This test is no longer being published or supported;
further, the NRS (National Reporting Service) recently dropped this as one
of the tests it accepts for reporting purposes.  I intend to stop using
AMES, the immediate (but by no means primary) reason being to maintain the
appearance of currency vis-à-vis third party student sponsors. 

 

At this time, the vast majority of my students are NNES adults with academic
English learning goals (either GED or college preparation).  My students
commonly have 6 to 9 years of formal education. The AMES is not a test
designed for NNES learners, but it provides a snapshot of English language
reading comprehension, communication, computation, and applied problem
solving skills (along with an array of sub-skills). The raw scores can be
converted to scaled scores, percentiles, stanines, and GLEs (however
measured against a norming population from ca. 12 years ago). 

 

I have encountered numerous instances in which the scores are clearly biased
towards L1 English speakers, not to mention a rather low correlation across
the five levels of the AMES.  The starkest example of the latter is a
student of mine who scored at 4.7 GLE in reading upon intake, and at 5.9+
GLE two months later as measured by Level B Form 1 and then alternate Form
2; when I administered the more difficult Level C after yet another two
months, she scored at 1.2 GLE in reading.   (I knew it wasn’t her “true”
score, re-administered the test two days later, at which time she scored at
3.1 GLE.  After doing an item response activity together with her, she
scored at 6.5 GLE when I added her self-corrected responses to her raw
score.)

 

This leads to my question:  given that I provide content-based instruction
(integrating language with academic subject development), which norm- or
criterion-referenced tests or combination of tests would you recommend I
explore to replace AMES that may be more suited for L2 English learners?  To
inform instruction, I need to continue to measure the four aforementioned
skills areas. I am considering TABE Online or TABE-PC 9&10.  I have in the
past also used TABE 8, the TerraNova CTBS Basic Battery (neither any longer
published) and CASAS, which I am certified to administer.  Although both
CASAS and TABE have ESL measures, when you purchase them together with
ABE/ASE measures, they are very costly. 

 

Finally, now that I am self-employed, I am free to choose any assessment
tool – I simply want as much demonstrated test validity and reliability as
only possible.

 

Thank you very kindly for any advice or recommendations you are willing to
share with me!

 

 

Michael

 

 

world10

 

Michael A. Gyori, M.A. TESOL

Owner-Teacher

Maui International Language School

Phone 808.205.2101 (U.S.A.)

Fax 808.891.2237 (U.S.A.)

E-mail mgyori at mauilanguage.com

Website www.mauilanguage.com

 

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