CTEL CTEL Assessment and Instruction 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which criterion is REQUIRED for reclassification of an EL student in California?
- English proficiency on ELPAC, teacher evaluation, parental opinion, and comparison to peers (Correct answer)
- ELPAC score alone
- Teacher recommendation alone
- Parental request only
Correct answer: English proficiency on ELPAC, teacher evaluation, parental opinion, and comparison to peers
California's four reclassification criteria include state assessment results, teacher evaluation, parent input, and comparison of performance to English-only peers.
Question 2: A teacher uses think-alouds while reading a complex text aloud to ELs. This strategy MOST directly models:
- Metacognitive reading strategies and academic language use in context (Correct answer)
- Phonics decoding for beginning readers only
- Silent reading stamina
- Spelling patterns
Correct answer: Metacognitive reading strategies and academic language use in context
Think-alouds externalize invisible cognitive processes and expose students to the academic language a proficient reader uses while constructing meaning.
Question 3: Which instructional approach is MOST aligned with Krashen's Input Hypothesis for EL instruction?
- Providing comprehensible input slightly above the student's current proficiency level (i+1) (Correct answer)
- Drilling grammar rules until mastered before exposure to authentic text
- Immersing students in grade-level text with no scaffolding
- Using only the home language for all instruction
Correct answer: Providing comprehensible input slightly above the student's current proficiency level (i+1)
Krashen's i+1 hypothesis holds that language acquisition occurs when input is just beyond the learner's current level but made comprehensible through context.
Question 4: A teacher assesses EL students using portfolio assessment. The PRIMARY advantage of this approach is that it:
- Documents growth over time and captures a range of authentic language and content performance (Correct answer)
- Produces a single standardized score for easy ranking
- Eliminates the need for any formal testing
- Is faster to score than multiple-choice tests
Correct answer: Documents growth over time and captures a range of authentic language and content performance
Portfolios capture developmental progress and the full range of student ability across multiple tasks and time points.
Question 5: Which of the following represents a language objective (as opposed to a content objective)?
- Students will use signal words such as 'however' and 'although' to compare two historical perspectives in writing (Correct answer)
- Students will identify the causes of World War I
- Students will solve two-step equations
- Students will label the parts of a plant cell
Correct answer: Students will use signal words such as 'however' and 'although' to compare two historical perspectives in writing
A language objective specifies the linguistic form or function students will use to demonstrate or develop content knowledge.
Question 6: When differentiating instruction for ELs at various proficiency levels during the same lesson, a teacher MOST effectively uses:
- Tiered tasks that address the same content standard with varied language supports (Correct answer)
- Completely different content for each proficiency level
- The same worksheet for all students with no modifications
- Separate rooms for each proficiency group
Correct answer: Tiered tasks that address the same content standard with varied language supports
Tiered tasks maintain high content expectations for all learners while varying the linguistic scaffolding based on proficiency level.
Question 7: A newcomer EL student becomes silent in class after an initial 'silent period.' According to second language acquisition theory, the teacher should MOST appropriately:
- Allow the silent period while providing comprehensible input and low-risk opportunities for response (Correct answer)
- Immediately refer the student for a speech evaluation
- Require the student to speak in English immediately to accelerate acquisition
- Seat the student away from the class to avoid disruption
Correct answer: Allow the silent period while providing comprehensible input and low-risk opportunities for response
The silent period is a recognized SLA stage during which learners absorb language input before producing output, and forcing speech prematurely can raise affective filter.
CTEL CTEL Assessment and Instruction 5
Which criterion is REQUIRED for reclassification of an EL student in California?