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Ell Assessment

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The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has left it to the individual state to more specifically define the general definition they have provided for English Language Learners and for states to determine procedures for identifying students needing Title III services (National Research Council of the National Academies, 2011). Due to the fact that I live and teach in Florida, I will be basing the information researched for this paper on the Florida State Standards, Laws and the Department of Education Procedures. As defined by the Florida Statutes an English Language Learner (ELL) is “an individual who was not born in the United States and whose native language is a language other than English; an individual who comes from a home environment where a language other than English is spoken in the home; or an individual who is an American Indian or Alaskan native and who comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on his or her level of English language proficiency; and who, by reason thereof, has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or listening to the English language to deny such individual the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English” (Florida Department of Education, 2007.Pp.1). Individual states have a process for initial identification in order to determine affiliation of linguistic minority students, assess their English language efficiency level using an English Language Proficiency assessment, screener, or placement test (National Research Council of the National Academies, 2011). Florida is one of four states to use and English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment as an initial identifier for ELLs (National Research Council of the National Academies, 2011). According to Florida State rule public school students are surveyed upon registration with questions such as “Is a language other than English used in the home?, Did the student have a first language other than English?, and Does the student most frequently speak a language other than English?” (Florida Department of State, 2012). Students whom affirm any of the questions on the home language survey will be assessed to further determine if the student has limited English proficient (Florida Department of State, 2012). I am currently employed by a Private Christian school; it is requirement upon application and initial screening that the students’ primary language be English. There are few exceptions to this requirement. Therefore the procedures for identifying English Language Learners at a Private School in comparison to a Public school differ due to enrollment qualifications. Public and Private schools also differ in which formal and informal assessments are conducted to determine student’s individual language proficiency levels and the process of monitoring English language development throughout the child's enrollment years. Through the conformation from one of the questions on homes language survey given to students upon enrollment in public schools, students are then assessed to determine if the student is limited English proficient based on one of the standards set forth in Florida Rule 6A-6.0902 subparagraphs (2)(a)1., 2. and 3 (Florida Department of State, 2012). For more information regarding the specifics of these subsections, please refer to the flrules.org website. Students identified by the home language survey and affirmed in one 6A-6.0902 subparagraphs are then classified as English Language Learners and therefore eligible for necessary funding and appropriate instruction (Florida Department of State, 2012). Private schools, such as the one I am currently employed with are do not participate in these particular procedures. According to the Florida Department of Education private school students are not required participate in statewide assessment programs due to the fact that they exists to meet Florida public schools federal and state assessment accountability requirements (Florida Department of Education). Our school participates in the Terra Nova Standardize test each year. We have a learning resource department that helps educators with limited ELLs, the majority of them coming from public schools through the McKay school choice scholarship program, to determine language proficiency and monitoring English language development. These assessments are more informal and recorded on a graph to show progress throughout each year. Educators are informed of English Language Learners proficiency status through collaborative meetings with our learning resources teacher at the beginning, throughout, and the end of the year. At the beginning and end of the year a collaborative meeting it schedule with the ELLs previous and current educator as well as the learning resource teacher and the students’ primary guardian. Educators, both public and private, make accommodations in daily assessments and instruction ensure students are provided with grade-level instruction and material while simultaneously working on language development. This is done through developmentally appropriate and meaningful learning. Cooperative learning activities can be used to help ELLs become comfortable with their peers and involved in their learning. Differentiated instruction which connects new learning to the student’s primary language helps the ELL to make learning meaningful. Educators may also use Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) to help student access language development and grade-level content concurrently. CALP is form listening, speaking, reading, and writing learning about subject area content material (Haynes, 2007).

Resources
Florida Department of Education. (2007). Florida information note: Education information & accountability services. English Language Learners, Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/eias/eiaspubs/pdf/ell0607.pdf
Florida Department of Education. (n.d.). Assessments and school performance. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/faq/default.asp?Dept=179&ID=1392
Florida Department of State. Florida Department of Education, (2012). Special programs (6A-6.0902). Retrieved from website: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=6A-6.0902 Haynes, J. (2007). Explaining bics and calp. Retrieved from http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/bics_calp.php
National Research Council of the National Academies. (2011). Allocating federal funds for state programs for english language learners. Washington, DC, USA : National Academies Press. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/lib/grandcanyon/docDetail.action?docID=10488612

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