Administering Assessments to ELL Students
Proficiency level 4– Having the students go to the testing center to listen to the test on computer is an appropriate accommodation for some students at higher proficiency levels.
Proficiency levels 1-3– Most ELLs need to have the test read to them by an ELL teacher, ELL paraprofessional, other paraprofessional, or classroom teacher. When the test is read it needs to be reworded. The ELL students may not be able to answer a question because they do not understand words like “scatter, or peek (meaning “quickly look”),” or cultural things like a petoskey stone. WHEN THERE WILL BE AN ASSESSMENT, PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH THE ELL TEACHER.
Assessment Accommodations
- Eliminate test items (as long as the test still meets the learning targets)
- Modify the test format (fewer multiple choice options, provide word banks for fill in the blank or short answer items, matching, changing a short answer or multiple choice item to drawing a diagram, etc.)
- Allow oral responses and scribe
- Fewer essay responses
- Allow open book exams and/or class notes
- Place page numbers on the test to correlate with the book
- Remove time constraints
- Allow retakes
- Use of bilingual dictionaries/translated texts