Introduction


 * Introduction**

This assessment portfolio is intended to be used by educators to expand and enhance their assessment practices in the classroom. Here you will find many resources and discussions about various types of assessment as they pertain to use with English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom environment. As you peruse each section you may ask yourself the following questions:
 * “How is this applicable to my own teaching practices?”
 * “How can I use this information or adapt it for use in my classroom?”
 * “What information here is new to me or a reminder of things I may have forgotten?”
 * “How does this inspire me to improve or expand my own teaching skills?”
 * “How can I share what I have learned to help improve and expand the skills of my colleagues?”

Within this portfolio you will find a brief summary and links to pertinent standards from various sources including the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) standards, The Illinois State English Language Proficiency Standards (IL ELPS), and the standards presented by Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). These standards should be reviewed and used by all teachers who work with English Language Learners.

You will also find a discussion of the implications of high stakes tests with ELLs, including how to best prepare the students to take these tests as well as a critique of the use of these tests with the ELL population. These include assessment at the National, State, and District level, such as the ACT and the ISAT exams. These tests will be critiqued for their relevance and use with ELL students.

You will then find a description of best practices for authentic assessment of ELLs within the classroom environment and several examples of such assessments. Authentic assessment practices are best for //all// students, but even more important when teaching students for whom English is not their first language. The examples provided are intended for use by all teachers and can be adapted for the needs and preferences of individual classes and teachers.

There is also an interview conducted with a bilingual teacher about her thoughts on the assessment of ELLs in her experience. This first hand account of Mrs. Cervantes’ experiences with various forms of testing, including high stakes as well as classroom assessments, is intended as one perspective of the positives and negatives involved in assessing students for whom English is not the first language.

Along with some of my colleagues I will create an outline of a professional development presentation on authentic assessment of ELLs. This is intended to be a source of inspiration and/or a jumping off point to teachers to create and seek out the type of real-world professional development that is most useful in classrooms with ELL students.

At the end you will find a reflection on the creation and potential uses of this portfolio. I will discuss the benefits and challenges I faced along the way as well as what I learned. I will also explain how I intend to use the information I have gained to further develop my own teaching practices.