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Assessing ELL Students: Formative and Alternative Methods

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Abstract

This paper examines the range of assessment approaches available for English Language Learner (ELL) students in K–12 classrooms. It reviews standardized proficiency tools such as the Stanford English Language Proficiency Test, then contrasts these with formative and summative assessments that measure individual growth and curriculum mastery. The paper also explores alternative assessment techniques—including oral presentations, writing portfolios, observations, and role-plays—and argues that these methods benefit not only ELL students but all learners by accommodating diverse learning styles, surfacing different intelligences, and fostering a closer teacher–student relationship.

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What makes this paper effective

Moves logically from standardized testing to formative/summative assessments to alternative methods, building a coherent argument for flexible assessment practices.
Grounds claims in named, concrete examples—such as the Stanford English Language Proficiency Test and specific assignment types like writing portfolios and role-plays—making abstract principles tangible.
Considers multiple stakeholders: ELL students at varying proficiency levels, native English speakers, and classroom teachers, broadening the paper's relevance.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper uses definition-then-application structure throughout each section: it defines an assessment category (e.g., formative, summative, alternative), cites a source to establish criteria, and then immediately illustrates with classroom examples. This technique ensures that every claim is both supported and made concrete, which is especially effective in short analytical papers.

Structure breakdown

The paper is organized around three implicit questions that act as section prompts: what assessments exist for ELL students, how alternative assessments function for all students, and what the specific benefits are for ELL versus native speakers. The conclusion synthesizes benefits across learner types, including teacher–student relationship building and process-oriented observation, tying the paper's argument together neatly within a compact word count.

Introduction: Assessing ELL Language Proficiency

English language proficiency tests typically aim to assess a student's social and academic grasp of the language. In the era of No Child Left Behind, standardized test assessments are something every student must face. ELL students, depending on their level of fluency, may be given standardized tests specifically designed for ELL students so that their proficiency level is not compared against that of native English speakers. For example, the Stanford English Language Proficiency Test (Harcourt Assessment, 2003) tests functional academic English in three main areas—decoding, vocabulary and idioms, and comprehension—and ELP reading in three genres: literary, informational, and functional comprehension. These assessments are structured in ways parallel to the types of passages found in the assessment techniques for native speakers on the company's standard test.

Teachers must also decide what types of assessments are best suited to ELL learners on a more regular, ongoing basis. Formative assessments document individual learner growth over time, rather than comparing students to a larger pool of students as standardized tests do. These forms of assessment build confidence in social English usage and may be especially valuable for beginning learners, as they emphasize what ELL students already know and comprehend. Examples of formative assignments include self-directed oral presentations and assignments that incorporate both visual and verbal measurements.

Formative and Summative Assessments for ELL Learners

Another form of assessment is summative assessment, which includes criterion-referenced tests such as chapter and unit tests, as well as midterm and final exams. Criterion-referenced assessments are graded in terms of what has been covered in class rather than against a national, comparative norm like standardized tests. Unlike formative assignments, however, they are comparative in nature ("Document ELL Progress," 2008, ELL Website). These tests ensure that ELL learners are mastering basic language concepts, such as the difference between adverbs and adjectives or the tenses of irregular verbs.

Alternative assessments "have several advantages: they are flexible; representative of the curriculum; meaningful to learners; indicative of progress in acquisition of skills and knowledge; allow staff to identify what is to be assessed; allow instructors to tailor techniques to the specific goals and characteristics of the learner; identify learners' strengths and needs without comparison to an external standard or norm; and provide multi-dimensional views of individual progress in different contexts" ("Document ELL Progress," 2008, ELL Website).

Alternative Assessments in the Classroom

These alternative assessment techniques may include open-ended or closed survey questions, interviews, structured observations by the teacher in the learning environment, and performance-based assignments such as writing portfolios or role-plays ("Document ELL Progress," 2008, ELL Website).

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Benefits of Alternative Assessments for ELL and Native English Speakers · 130 words

"Confidence, learning styles, and teacher-student relationships"

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Key Concepts in This Paper

ELL Assessment Language Proficiency Formative Assessment Summative Assessment Alternative Assessment Standardized Testing Writing Portfolios Criterion-Referenced Tests Learning Styles Oral Proficiency