MONTANA ABE/ESL ASSESSMENT SURVEY
From Becky
Bird, Montana Adult Education State Director
Dear Colleague:
Thank you for taking the time to complete this online ABE/ESL
assessment survey. The information you and other ABE directors
provide will be integral to the formulation of new ABE/ESL
assessment policies and procedures in the State of Montana.
NAEPDC will share
the results with you when we complete our analysis.
Please
return this survey by August 6, 2004
Thank you very
much for your assistance. Your input is important to the success of
our project.
If you have
questions, please contact our project coordinator:
Terrence L Kelley
ESOL Policies Project Coordinator
937 South 5th Street West
Missoula MT 59801
kelleyterr@yahoo.com
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| 1.
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Please
list the following in the chart below:
All NRS approved assessment instruments used in your ESL program
(s), the corresponding competencies, or skills, each is used to
measure and the administrative purpose for which each is used.
Use the following codes to indicate competencies and administrative
purposes-
Competencies: K-12 Academic Knowledge (AK), General Language
Acquisition (LA), Literacy (LT) Life Skills (LS), Employment (EM),
E/L Civics (EL) and Health Literacy (HL).
Administrative Purposes: Diagnostic (D), Pre-test or Placement
(PP), Post-test or Achievement (PA). |
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| 2. |
If you use
more than one instrument to assess overall ESL student progress, how
is each assessment score weighted to yield a single, NRS-acceptable
SPL/EFL?
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| 3. |
If you are
currently using the original BEST, do you intend to continue using
it? |
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4.
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If you are
currently using the original BEST, do you intend to convert to the
BEST Plus? |
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| 5. |
If "Yes"
to number 4, what are the factors underlying your decision? |
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6.
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If "Yes"
to number 4, by what date do you intend to initiate a program-wide
implementation? |
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7.
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If you
intend to adopt the BEST Plus, will you continue to use the other
instruments you listed above in number 1? |
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| 8. |
If "Yes"
to number 7, will you continue to use the same weighting factors you
stated in number 2? |
| 9. |
If "No" to
number 8, what new weights will be assigned to each instrument?
Please indicate below all assessments and their corresponding new
weighting factors.
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10.
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Do you
intend to abandon BEST testing altogether in favor of (an) other ESL
instrument (s)? |
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| 11. |
If "Yes"
to number 10, what are the factors underlying this decision? |
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12.
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If "Yes"
to number 10, which new instrument (s) are you considering using for
your ABE ESL program (s)? |
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| 13. |
Do you
also assess student progress by using non-standardized methods? |
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14.
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If "Yes"
to number 13, please list them. |
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15.
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Do you
incorporate the results of these assessments (#14) into a holistic
picture of student progress? |
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16.
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If "Yes"
to number 15, are the results of these non-standardized assessments
considered 'reportable outcomes" at the state level of reporting? |
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17.
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If "Yes"
to number 15, are the results of these non-standardized assessments
reflected in your NRS federal reporting? |
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18.
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If "Yes"
to number 17, how are those outcomes incorporated into an NRS
SPL/EFL level for reporting purposes? |
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19.
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Do your
programs capture and report non-academically oriented outcomes such
as registering to vote, attainment of a driver's license, use of the
public library, helping children with homework, demonstrating better
citizenry skills, navigating the public and private medical systems,
dealing with children's teachers and the school system, the use of
public transportation, increased consumer awareness, navigating the
public housing and public assistance systems seeking an retraining
employment and other life/employment skills? |
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| 20. |
If "Yes"
to number 19, by what method (s) do you capture such gains?
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| 21. |
If "Yes"
to number 19, by what method (s) do you report such gains?
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22.
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If "Yes"
to number 19, to which audience (s) are these gains reported?
Please place an "X" beside each that is applicable:
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For 23 through 30 please
place an "X" in the box that most accurately represents your level
of disagreement or agreement
with each statement.
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23.
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The NRS
approved assessment instrument (s) used in your program (s) provide
(s) a holistic picture of student academic progress and life-skills
competencies. |
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| 24. |
The NRS
reporting system is based solely on quantitative data. |
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25.
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Spoken
language proficiency is often erroneously equated with academic
proficiency. |
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26.
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NRS
approved assessments may not be sensitive enough to capture
linguistically, or developmentally, significant language acquisition
gains. |
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| 27. |
Qualitative gains are as important as quantitative gains. |
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28.
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Only a
composite of qualitative and quantitative gains can present a
holistic picture of student progress. |
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29.
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It takes
approximately 6 to 9 years for ESL students to achieve the same
levels of academic proficiency as native speakers. |
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30.
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The TABE
is a suitable instrument for assessing L2 students' K-12 academic
knowledge. |
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