BEA - Bilingual Education Assessment Assessing Bilingual Learners Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 4th-grade Spanish-speaking student, who has been in a U.S. school for two years, scores significantly below grade level on a standardized reading test administered in English.
However, when assessed in Spanish, her reading skills are on par with her grade-level peers.
What is the most likely interpretation of these assessment results?

Accepted Answer

The student's low score in English is likely due to her stage of second language acquisition, not an intrinsic learning disability.

Answer

The Spanish assessment was not a valid measure of her abilities.

Answer

The student has a reading disability that affects both languages.

Answer

The English standardized test was too easy for the student.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes a primary advantage of using portfolio assessments for bilingual learners?

Accepted Answer

They offer a longitudinal view of a student's growth and progress in language and content learning over time.

Answer

They are the quickest and most efficient method for assessing large groups of students.

Answer

They provide a single, summative score that is easy to compare with other students.

Answer

They eliminate the need for any standardized testing required by the state.

Question 3

When an assessment is described as culturally biased, it most likely means that:

Accepted Answer

The assessment includes content, vocabulary, or contexts that are unfamiliar to students from diverse cultural backgrounds, potentially affecting their performance.

Answer

The assessment is administered by a person from a different culture than the student.

Answer

The assessment has been translated perfectly from English into the student's native language.

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The assessment is too long for the student to complete in the allotted time.

Question 4

An intermediate English language learner is taking a standardized science test that includes complex word problems. The student has strong science knowledge from their previous schooling but struggles with the academic English vocabulary. Which of the following accommodations would be most appropriate and effective to assess the student's science knowledge accurately?

Accepted Answer

Providing the student with a bilingual dictionary or a glossary of key science terms.

Answer

Removing all the word problems from the test.

Answer

Giving the student an entirely different test on a simpler topic.

Answer

Having the student answer the questions verbally in their native language.

Question 5

The primary purpose of an annual language proficiency assessment, such as the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs or TELPAS, is to:

Accepted Answer

determine a student's current level of skill and annual growth in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English.

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measure a student's mastery of grade-level content in subjects like math and history.

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diagnose a student with a specific learning disability.

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assign a final grade for a student's English Language Arts class.

Question 6

A school psychologist is assessing a bilingual student to distinguish a language difference from a potential learning disability. The psychologist uses a 'test-teach-retest' approach by first assessing a skill, providing a brief, targeted intervention, and then reassessing. This assessment method is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Dynamic assessment

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Summative assessment

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Criterion-referenced assessment

Answer

Norm-referenced assessment