Measurement Theory
Language Proficiency
Law & Use
State & Alternative Assessments
Language Acquisition and Special Ed.
100
What do "validity" and "reliability" refer to?
Validity refers to the connection between what was taught and what is being tested, and reliability refers to the ability for the score to be repeated and show consistency.
100
Name at least 2 language proficiency test.
Some examples of language proficiency tests are the Woodcock-Munoz Language Survey, Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery, Bilingual Verbal Abilities Test, Language Assessment Scales, and the IDEA Proficiency Tests.
100
Name one common misuse of test scores.
One common misuse of test scores is making a decision based on one test score.
100
What does it mean if a test question is item-biased?
It means that the question favors people who live in a certain area, have had certain life experiences, speak a certain language, or other factor that is not part of what is being tested. An example would be a question on a grammar test that references something that only occurs in mountains, and the student has never visited the mountains, so can not understand what the question is asking, even though the student may know the grammar component.
100
As an ELL teacher, we need to know about linguistics because that is essentially what we teach. What are the 5 main areas of linguistics?
What is morphology, phonetics, phonology, syntax, and semantics.
200
What is the difference between and a norm-referenced and a criterion-referenced test?
A norm-referenced test is made to discriminate between people so that you can rank them with a percentage number. A criterion-referenced test has a certain score that must be met for passing. Everyone could pass. People are not being compared against each other.
200
What is the purpose of a diagnostic test?
The purpose of a diagnostic test is determine a student's current abilities and see what they need to learn next.
200
If you give an ELL student an intelligence test in English, what is it really measuring?
Instead of measuring the student's intelligence, it is actually measuring the student's English skills.
200
What are the three areas most commonly criticized in regard to standardized tests?
What is content, item format, and item bias.
200
What sorts of factors can influence language variation?
What is geography, social class, ethic group, age, sex, occupation, function, or style.
300
To show that you know what a proficiency exam is versus an achievement exam, give me an example of each.
An example of a proficiency exam is a driver's test. An example of an achievement exam is would be a weekly quiz in a Spanish class.
300
Name one benefit of Communicative language testing.
One benefit of communicative language testing is that the tester can see what someone can DO with the language in a conversational setting.
300
How does the Civil Rights Act of 1964 affect ELL education?
Since schools receive federal funding, they can not exclude students participation or deny them benefits based on race, origin, or color. For this reason, schools need to provide education services for ELL students.
300
Give 3 examples of different types of unstructured assessment techniques.
Three examples of unstructured assessment techniques are brainstorming, journals, and debates.
300
What are the names of the 2 language acquisition hypotheses and how do they work?
What is innateness hypothesis (learning language is a biologically innate part of being human) and behaviorist approach (learn language through imitation and positive rewards).
400
Doing the work to show that you know the material versus talking about the material are examples of what two types of testing?
Doing an actual example of what is being tested is an example of a direct testing method. Having someone talk about the material is an example of indirect testing.
400
What type of assessment is the best indicator if what you are trying to test is one's ability to create products.
In this case, the best form of assessment is a performance assessment.
400
What is the difference between equal and identical education?
Identical education is when students receive the exact same education and benefits regardless of their personal needs. Equal education is when all students are taught in a way that accommodates their own special needs.
400
What are some arguments in favor of standardized testing?
Some arguments in favor of standardized testing include keeping schools accountable for public funds spent and keeping parents involved about the performance of different schools.
400
What do you have to do before you refer an ELL student to Special Education services?
It is very important to make sure that the struggles that the student is facing is not a normal part of the language acquisition process or some other problem related to language.
500
What are the 3 distinguishing characteristics of measurement?
The three characteristics of measurement are quantification (need #'s assigned in order to be able to analyze data), characteristics (that you're specifically trying to quantify), and explicit rules and procedures for how you quantify (rubric).
500
If you just want to test a student's knowledge mastery, what kind of assessment do you not want to use.
In this case, you do not want to use a performance assessment.
500
Give an example of how the difference between identical and equal education would affect an ELL student.
In a situation that enforces identical education, an ELL student would have to sit in an all English classroom with their native English speaking peers and not learn any of the content or have direct English language instruction. In an equal education system, ELL students receive the support that they need to try and get up to speed with the rest of the English-speaking student body, and are able to continue to learn content and to grow cognitively.
500
What are 2 arguments against the use of statewide tests?
1- The tests focus on rote learning instead of performance tasks. 2 - Decisions are based on 1 test score.
500
What can a teacher do to find out if a student is struggling to do language or some other problem that may requier special education services?
A teacher can first make sure that the lessons are suitable for ELL students with extra enforcement, like visuals, reviews, and multi-modal teaching. Additionally, a teacher can check with the student's other teachers to compare observations and test the student in his/her primary language.
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