Ell Assessments

Assessments are a very valuable tool in measuring a student's learning abilities and achievements. They are a crucial in that they are used for teachers to look back on how and what they are teaching. Assessing a student means to prove that they are in fact learning. Teachers use this evidence to determine whether they need to change their lesson plans or the manner in which they are instructing, and the students use this feedback to find out their weak areas so that they can concentrate more on them, which is much the same use for the parents. The parents take the information provided by these assessments so that they can pursue their child's strengths and help them with the weaknesses. The data that these assessments provide is also used by the school administrators. It shows them the improvement of not only the students but also the teachers that is needed for state and federal levels, which determine if more funding is needed to aide students with their learning and achievements.

The majority of students born and raised in the United States can easily understand the English language. However, there are the select few that do not speak English because it is not their dominate language that they use at home, so these students require assessments that will enable them to pick up the English language. Getting these students to pick up the language can be an extremely hard task for teachers. In 2001 the No Child Left Behind Act states that students should be tested in many different subject areas no matter what their level of ability to speak or understand English. The state and school districts are held responsible for the information the students are learning and ensuring that they being taught the correct standards. There have since been assessments set to evaluate student achievements

and how they are doing when it comes to comprehending English. So what assessments are out there to be given to our ELL students?

The first assessment would be the W-APT, which stands for WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test. This test is an "English language proficiency, screener, test" (1) given to new students who are categorized as English language learners. This assessment aids teachers in decisions regarding placement of the ELLs. The W-APT serves several purposes: determines if the child requires language support services, indicates the student's language proficiency level on the WIDA scale, aids in determining the right amounts and level of instruction needed, and it is a guide for placement during the ACCESS for ELLs on their annual assessment. Second assessment is the ACCESS or Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners. It determines the measurement of English language proficiency of a child. And finally is the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs, which is an assessment of ELP students occupying grades first through twelfth, are classified as ELLs, and also possess disabilities that hinder them from taking the ACCESS assessment for ELLs. This exam is required to be given annually to test language proficiency.

Which of the prior assessments are implemented depends on state to state. Here in good old West Virginia there is a small county that goes by the