CLAD Assessment for English Learners 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under ESSA, which accountability requirement specifically affects long-term English learners (LTELs)?
- LTELs must be assessed using only native language tests
- States must track ELs who have not attained proficiency within 5 years and report outcomes (Correct answer)
- LTELs are exempt from standardized content assessments
- LTELs must be placed in separate LTEL-designated classrooms
Correct answer: States must track ELs who have not attained proficiency within 5 years and report outcomes
ESSA requires states to identify and report on ELs who have been enrolled for more than 5 years without attaining proficiency, flagging them as a distinct subgroup.
Question 2: Which scenario best illustrates the difference between a student's 'can do' descriptors and a proficiency test score?
- A student scores Level 3 on ELPAC but a teacher observes the student leading discussions and writing detailed essays independently (Correct answer)
- A student scores Level 5 on a speaking test but refuses to speak in class
- A student who earns a high grade on homework but fails a quiz
- A student who reads fluently in Spanish but not in English
Correct answer: A student scores Level 3 on ELPAC but a teacher observes the student leading discussions and writing detailed essays independently
'Can do' descriptors capture observable classroom performance that may exceed what a single proficiency test score reflects.
Question 3: Which of the following is the strongest argument for using performance-based tasks to assess ELs in science?
- They eliminate all language demands from science assessment
- They allow students to demonstrate scientific understanding through hands-on tasks with reduced reliance on academic English (Correct answer)
- They are easier to score than multiple-choice tests
- They ensure ELs receive higher scores on science assessments
Correct answer: They allow students to demonstrate scientific understanding through hands-on tasks with reduced reliance on academic English
Performance tasks let ELs show content knowledge through doing rather than through language alone, providing more equitable evidence of science understanding.
Question 4: An EL student's IEP team must assess whether low academic performance is due to a disability or language acquisition. Which approach is most appropriate?
- Administer all assessments in English to ensure standardization
- Use only parent interviews to determine the cause
- Use non-verbal assessments and native language evaluation alongside English assessments (Correct answer)
- Wait until the student achieves English fluency before evaluating for a disability
Correct answer: Use non-verbal assessments and native language evaluation alongside English assessments
A comprehensive evaluation for special education must disentangle language acquisition from disability by using non-verbal measures and assessments in the native language.
Question 5: A teacher is designing a rubric to score EL student presentations. Which dimension should be scored separately to avoid bias?
- Eye contact and posture
- Language proficiency versus content knowledge (Correct answer)
- Length of the presentation
- Use of visual aids
Correct answer: Language proficiency versus content knowledge
Separating language proficiency from content knowledge in rubrics ensures that ELs are not penalized for language development when content understanding is the learning target.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of over-reliance on summative assessment for EL program evaluation?
- Using end-of-year test scores as the sole indicator of EL program effectiveness (Correct answer)
- Tracking monthly EL student progress using running records
- Observing classroom instruction quality quarterly
- Collecting student work samples each grading period
Correct answer: Using end-of-year test scores as the sole indicator of EL program effectiveness
Relying only on annual summative scores ignores the incremental language development that formative assessments could capture throughout the year.
Question 7: A bilingual assessment shows that a Spanish-English EL student has strong literacy in Spanish but limited literacy in English. What instructional implication does this assessment finding support?
- The student should focus exclusively on oral English before learning to read in English
- Literacy skills developed in Spanish can be leveraged to accelerate English literacy acquisition (Correct answer)
- The student must repeat a grade until English literacy matches Spanish literacy
- The student's Spanish literacy is irrelevant to English language development
Correct answer: Literacy skills developed in Spanish can be leveraged to accelerate English literacy acquisition
Cross-linguistic transfer theory supports that strong L1 literacy skills provide a foundation that accelerates L2 literacy acquisition.
CLAD Assessment for English Learners 5
Under ESSA, which accountability requirement specifically affects long-term English learners (LTELs)?