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Trusting relationships and how it effects assessments 

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Trusting relationships and how it effects assessments 

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Many educators unintentionally make many mistakes when working with ELL families. Sometimes, we think that a one-size-fits-all approach is going to work with all parents regarding communication. It does not.

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At the start of the school year, there's so much to do. We're planning out the curriculum for the year, setting up class lists, and working with colleagues. The first post in this series asked you to consider how you use classroom space as a support for your language learners. Now we turn our attention to one of the most important items on our teacher to-do lists - getting to know our students and their families.

English language learners (ELLs) comprise the fastest growing group of students in our schools, yet many of us are underprepared to serve them. If this is you, you're not alone. Here we will explore how to get to know your ELL students and their families so you can start the school year building strong relationships where students - and you - are set up for success through three main strategies: 1) promoting true engagement; 2) employing multiple modalities of communication; and 3) enacting a whole school approach.

Involvement or Engagement?

We often refer to working with families as "parent involvement," but this term itself can be problematic to our work with ELLs and many other students we serve.

First, it connotes that a family has a parent present, when many families may be intergenerational, or even comprised of a foster parent or guardian for our unaccompanied minors. ELL students come from many different kinds of backgrounds.

Second, involvement doesn't mean the same thing as engagement. Engagement means a reciprocal, two-way relationship. Involvement, on the other hand, can mean a one-way, school-to-home connection, not a back-and-forth, more equitable exchange. Engagement, we hope, means that we involve families in designing a communication plan that works for them and isn't just on the school's terms. Engagement for families and students alike means we build on the assets of our English learners from the get-go.

Different cultures have different paradigms about schooling. We need to be sure we're considering what our families need, and not simply do what may have worked for us when we were in school, or what has been done at our school before. Taking the time to listen to students, as this video shows, can make a huge difference.

Multiple Modalities of Communication

Many educators unintentionally make many mistakes when working with ELL families. Sometimes, we think that a one-size-fits-all approach is going to work with all parents regarding communication. It does not. We need different strokes for different folks. For example, if a parent is not checking a child's folder, maybe sending a letter home about an event through the child's book bag isn't the right option for them.

There are other options for communication out there. Some involve technology. Don't underestimate the technology skills of your families. Other options are more low tech. Whatever form of communication you use, keep in mind that using a family's native language is important. Not providing this sends a message to families that their attendance at an event is not important to you. Whatever option you use, if you don't build a trusting relationship with families they won't show up at any school meeting or event. And it takes time to build that trust.

Seesaw is a great way to connect with parents of English learners. If a parent's device operates in the native language, Seesaw will adjust to that language. It's simple to use and there's a great community on social media that will support it. Follow #Seesaw4ELs on Twitter for more information.

Talking Points is an app that can send parents texts in their native language. You can link it to your school's student information system for support.

Try to stand outside to greet parents during drop off and pick up. Building a consistent relationship will engage parents more in communication.

Administer a survey to families on how they want to receive communication. It helps families understand that their voice is important, but they're also building a relationship with you.

A Proactive, Whole School Approach

True family engagement goes beyond holding a periodic multicultural event. Build trust over time by having a welcoming school and classroom environment, language supports available like interpreters and translated documents, and be sensitive to cultural issues you may not be aware of. Try building a school-wide and district-wide strategic approach for how you define and create strong relationships with all students and families, and reflect on it periodically with a task force of educators and families.

We've seen strong indicators of educators growing connections with culturally and linguistically diverse families, evident in how the traditional "parent-teacher conference" is turning into "family listening sessions" or "student-led conferences." We've been honored to be a part of home visits with interpreters and social workers if a family prefers being in the home as a way to strengthen the relationship with the school or learn more about home language issues.

We've also been honored to serve on a school board of trustees with student and family representatives, sharing student perspectives with the leadership in making decisions.

Guidance counselors with whom we've worked have created Family Advisory Groups, recruiting key parent liaisons from under-represented groups in the school. These groups help steer goings-on at the school - from looking at why ELLs aren't taking AP classes, for helping families understand key, large-scale assessments, to family literacy events, to exposing the barriers for engaging families at school.

Confianza offers an online mini-course and in-district professional development on this topic where we focus on creating student success plans and family engagement opportunities. Visit our site to learn more.
Sarah Ottow, founder of Confianza, has partnered with countless school districts and companies nationally and internationally. Her focus is on reinforcing relationship skills and value identification of the ever growing ELL population, while improving student outcomes and profitability within organizations. With Sarah's extensive and diverse background in identifying needs of faculty, students, and employees coupled with her education in curriculum and social justice, she creates programs and tools tailored to the exact needs of each organization and population of English learners. Connect with Sarah on Twitter: @SarahOttow and learn more about Confianza at www.ELLstudents.com. Sarah Said has fifteen years of experience working with English learners in the Chicagoland area from all parts of the world as a teacher, building administrator, and District Level Director of English Learner/Bilingual Programs. In her current role, Sarah is overseeing an English learner program that is driven by the Expeditionary Learning model. She has worked at every level in some capacity from ages Pre-Kindergarten to adult. In addition to her work in schools, Sarah is also a contributor for Confianza on topics from cultural responsiveness to family engagement. Sarah is an advocate for equity in schools and strives to give the best to all students. Connect with Sarah on Twitter: @MrsSaid17.

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Strong Home-School Connections for English Learners: A Proactive Approach

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Explore how to get to know your ELL students and their families so you can start the school year building strong relationships where students - and you - are set up for success through three main strategies: 1) promoting true engagement, 2) employing multiple modalities of communication, and 3) enacting a whole school approach.

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How do I know that the teaching strategies I am using are successful (computational input) on a daily basis? What resources can help me measure my students understanding?

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Computational Input for ELL - Tips and Strategies for classroom

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Computational Input for ELL - Tips and Strategies for classroom

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- Visual cues
- Relevant background
- Experiences
- Vocabulary
- Accuracy not rigidity
- Encourage interactivity

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What Is Comprehensible Input?

Comprehensible input is a critical concept for second-language development for students with and without learning difficulties. Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the essence of what is being said or presented to them. This does not mean, however, that teachers must use only words students understand. In fact, instruction can be incomprehensible even when students know all of the words. Students learn a new language best when they receive input that is just a bit more difficult than they can easily understand. In other words, students may understand most, but not all, words the teacher is using.

10 Tips and Strategies

More ELL Resources

Using context and visual cues

Making teacher talk comprehensible to students goes beyond the choice of vocabulary and involves presentation of background and context, explanation and rewording of unclear content, and the use of effective techniques such as graphic organizers. By using context or visual cues, or by asking for clarification, students enhance their knowledge of English. When input is comprehensible, students understand most aspects of what is required for learning, and the learning experience pushes them to greater understanding

Provide enough relevant background information

One way teachers can ensure that material is sufficiently comprehensible is to provide relevant background knowledge and content. Teachers should try to explain ideas or concepts several times using slight variations in terminology and examples.

Build context through relatable experiences

Comprehensible input is related to more than just language development and curriculum content. Appropriate context is crucial. One way for teachers to be sensitive to the language and cultural backgrounds of their English-language learners with learning difficulties is to provide instruction that draws on the experiences of their students. This does not mean that teachers have to be experts in their students' cultures, but they do have to understand how effective it can be to connect students' learning to their past experiences. Such understanding can often be gained by listening carefully and attentively to students.

Choose vocabulary, gestures, and visuals carefully

Many other techniques can be used to increase the likelihood that students will understand what is being said to them, such as the use of consistent language, frequent use of visuals, and providing frequent opportunities for students to express their ideas.Comprehensible instruction requires that teachers carefully control their vocabulary and use graphic organizers, concrete objects, and gestures when possible to enhance understanding. It is important to limit the length and number of lecture-type presentations.

Stress accuracy, not rigidity

During instructional dialogs, the focus should be primarily on accuracy of content, not rigid requirements associated with correct language use. Spending time defining, discussing, and clarifying vocabulary words unlikely to be familiar to the students prior to reading a passage has demonstrated consistently positive effects on reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension for students with learning, speech, and language disabilities.

Encourage interactivity through use of native languages

To continually modulate and clarify the language of instruction, teaching must also be highly interactive. Teachers must constantly involve students, ask many questions, and encourage students to express their ideas and thoughts in the new language. One strategy for motivating students is to give them opportunities to share their language, culture, country, and experiences. Opportunities to use language orally creates, in turn, opportunities to increase receptive language skills.

Sometimes, talking in class is okay!

Give ELL students more opportunities in the classroom to use oral language and to engage in cognitively challenging tasks.

Leverage peer tutors and group activities

Cooperative learning and peer tutoring strategies have the potential to effectively and rapidly increase English-language development, particularly when working with highly decontextualized and cognitively challenged language concepts.

Use journals to help with guidance and feedback

For older students, expressing ideas orally can be risky in some classrooms. The use of dialog journals, even computer journals, with feedback from the teacher, can become a more comfortable vehicle for English language development.

Progress, not perfection

In conclusion, it is important to realize that comprehensible input is as much an ideal as it is an achievable reality. In teaching English-language learners with learning difficulties, we can attempt to reach this ideal level of support and challenge, but in the context of complex and fast-paced classroom interactions, it may rarely be achieved as much as we would like. Nonetheless, this is a critical principle as you develop an instructional program for each English-language learner.

Excerpted from Teaching English-Language Learners with Learning Difficulties

More resources on Teaching English-Language Learners

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What Is Comprehensible Input for ELL Students?

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Comprehensible input is a critical concept for second-language development for students with and without learning difficulties. Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the essence of what is being said or presented to them. This does not mean, however, that teachers must use only words students understand.

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Instructional Strategies and assessment accommodations.

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Reading with partners

Retelling stories

Role playing

Giving descriptions or instructions using visual or written prompts

Oral reporting to the whole class

Telling a story by using a sequence of three or more pictures

Completing dialogue or conversation through written prompts

Debating, either one-on-one or taking turns in small groups

Brainstorming

Completing incomplete stories

Playing games

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Role-plays can be used to assess students individually or as a group. Some ideas include having students write a play and performing it or even having the students teach the teacher as part of a review class.

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Seeing growth and improvement can be a huge motivator for ELL students.

But you can't see growth if you don't measure it.

That's why no great class is complete without some way of assessing students.

Not only is it a fantastic way for both you and your students to see what they've learned, but you can also use the results to help you plan future lessons.

However, don't rely solely on tests to assess your students!

They're not always an accurate way to measure their skill levels. Instead, I have five alternative ways you can assess your ELL students, and examples of what each might look like. But first, let's take a closer look at the issue with tests.

Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Why Tests Aren't an Accurate Way to Measure Performance

One of the most common reasons why teachers shouldn't only use tests is because students may have test anxiety. What tends to happen is that students are so nervous when presented with a test that they don't do as well. You then aren't able to see what the student is really capable of. For ELL students, they can be extra nervous because not only do they have to recall information they've learned, but they may have to decipher what the test question is asking in the first place.

Also, tests really only measure what students can memorize or recall, not necessarily what work they can produce. For example, if you give a multiple choice test about vocabulary they learned, it really only tests if they understand one meaning of the word, and not necessarily whether they understand how to apply the same word in different contexts.

Another example would be oral skills. If students understand certain phrases you've taught them, they may not understand if another person outside the classroom says it, especially if that person has an accent.

If an ELL student is a little slower to read or decipher material (especially if they've had lots of support in their class), a time constraint on a test won't give them sufficient time to complete the test. Just because a student didn't finish a test, doesn't mean they don't understand the material. You then are left guessing as to whether or not your student actually understood what you were testing them on.

So how can you start assessing English language learners without tests?

5 Alternative Ways to Assess English Language Learners

1. Rubrics and Performance Criteria

Using rubrics and performance criteria is a great way to assess a variety of student work. It's usually based on language proficiency and academic progression through work such as presentations, written assignments and reading activities. You can not only use these to grade your students, but to chart their growth over a set period of time.

Both tools feature a list of criteria or standards that students know you're assessing. Rubrics show what is considered below level, at level and above level. A performance criteria can simply be a checklist of what to assess for each student. With either of these assessment tools, it's important to develop your own, as assessments are based on the teacher's judgment.

A tool like RubiStar is helpful, as it can show you sample rubrics other teachers have developed, and anyone can modify them for their own use.

When creating rubrics or performance criteria, make sure that what you're assessing is clear and fair from the beginning. As well, don't assess too much at once, as it'll not only overwhelm you but your students as well. If it helps, ask other teachers how they created their rubrics, or simply have someone look over yours to see if it looks okay.

You can even take it a step further by bringing FluentU into the classroom.

Using authentic content in the target language is a great way to let your students see the language used in context-and FluentU has a wide array of videos to choose from. From music videos and movie trailers to interesting talks, you can use these videos in your English lessons to help immerse your students in the language. You can even assign homework for your students to complete outside of the classroom and monitor their progress.

2. Oral Presentations or Performances

Many students who have test anxiety might get nervous because their reading or writing skills aren't very good. That doesn't mean, however, that they aren't proficient in oral skills.

Assessing oral presentations or performances typically include role-plays, interviews, oral reports and summarizing/paraphrasing pieces of text. When used on an ongoing basis, it's a great way to monitor a student's comprehension through a longer period of time.

Here are some ideas to incorporate oral presentations or performances as part of your assessments:

Role-plays: Role-plays can be used to assess students individually or as a group. Some ideas include having students write a play and performing it or even having the students teach the teacher as part of a review class.

Interviews: This type of assessment is very helpful if you have students that are early English learners. To help test students on content knowledge, try to use a lot of visual cues. For example, have students pick from a pile of pictures, and ask questions to elicit responses from them. You can assess the student based on vocabulary used or comparing concepts.

Describing/explaining/retelling/paraphrasing/summarizing texts: Instead of a written book report or summary of a piece of text, you can have your students retell the plot in front of the class or just to you. Other ideas can include asking the students to pick a character in the book and tell a story from their point of view, or even to describe their favorite part of the text.

When assessing oral work, it's helpful to use a checklist of things to look for, such as pronunciation, volume, pace and content. Use the same checklist for the same types of oral presentations to see the progression over time.

3. Non-verbal Assessments

For students who are shy or aren't as proficient in English, using non-verbal assessments is a great way to see a student's academic progress. What you're looking for in this type of assessment is their understanding of vocabulary.

Examples include:

Charades: Give a student vocabulary words you've taught, and have them act it out to see if they understand what the word or concept is. You could even have them summarize a text by miming it.

Pictures: You can ask students to draw or collect pictures to show their knowledge on a topic. For example, if you're assessing a student on their knowledge of nouns, ask students to pick out pictures of nouns in a magazine. Pictures can also be used to assess reading comprehension. Students can read a paragraph and then draw a picture to show their understanding of the text. If the picture is mostly accurate except for a few details, it could be a vocabulary issue.

4. Written Assessments

Written assessments are a nice way to see how students can apply their knowledge of English over a wide variety of concepts. For example, you can use assignments to see just how well they understand a text, or even different forms of writing.

Some different ways to incorporate written assessments in your class include:

Creative and structured writing assignments: Ask students to write a creative story, or even give them a writing prompt-where students read the beginning of a story and are asked to write the ending.

Editing writing: Give students a piece of text with grammatical mistakes and ask them to correct it, to test their knowledge of grammar.

Reading response logs: Give students a list of questions, such as how do they know a character is evil, or how would they change the ending of a story. When students are finished reading a book or article, have them write down the answers to these questions. Make sure to only assess for content, and not spelling or grammar, unless you specify to your students that you're doing so.

Content logs: Have students write down facts they learned about a text. You can also have them write what parts they didn't understand. This is helpful for you to see if there are concepts you may need to reteach or review, particularly if a lot of students are confused about similar parts of the same text.

With writing, don't assess too much at once. For a writing piece, you could assess just spelling, complete sentences or unity in paragraphs. Build it up to assess more than a few criteria once you see that your students have mastered what you have taught them.

5. Portfolios

Portfolios are powerful assessments and are used to gather various samples of student work to track their development over a period of time. In order to maximize the potential of using a portfolio as an assessment tool, you should regularly curate student work to include in them, and have scheduled conferences with students about their work.

You should also have a checklist of qualities that are important to showcase student achievement. Not only do you critique and assess the work, but so should the students. That way, they're responsible for their learning and take more ownership of making sure they improve.

Material you can include in a portfolio can include the following:

performance criteria or rubrics

recording of oral presentations

tests

writing samples, drafts and final copies

book reports

interview checklists

In order to best assess a student, you should include more than one kind of student work in the portfolio. The work does not have to be the best work they've done, rather a wide variety is best. Based on your judgment, you can even ask students for their opinion as to what types of work they should include.

In a portfolio, you are looking for any type of improvement in their work. For example, if you keep a couple of a student's writing pieces, look to see if their sentence or paragraph structure gets better. When looking at tests, see if their spelling tests, for example, have gotten higher scores over time. If you notice that they continually lack in certain skills, this would be the time to address it. You can either give the student extra support in class or find ways for them to practice with extra work at home.

Tests aren't bad, but they're not the only way to assess student achievement.

If you use a wide variety of assessments, you'll be able to portray an accurate picture of your student's English abilities.

In turn, you, your students and their parents will be able to see their progress, which can greatly motivate students!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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Measuring Growth: 5 Ways to Start Assessing English Language Learners Without Tests | FluentU English Educator Blog

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Assessing English language learners with a range of assessments will help demonstrate your students' abilities. From written assessments and portfolios to speaking assessments and activities, there are so many options available! Click here to see 5 simple alternatives to tests for assessing English language learners!