Reidy

Reidy, Virginia
Professor Debra Engers
Assessment of English Learners
UCSD
9 April 2016
Week #1 Reflection CELDT Released Questions

The fact that California State law requires the determination of what English language
learners (ELLs) need to learn in order to become proficient speakers of the English language
says to me that our state realizes the need for providing equal access to education for the states
immigrant population and places value on our student population as a human resource. For the
families and teachers of ELLs, the test generally gives a clearer picture of the students English
language proficiency level and the work that must be done to support that learner on their path to
proficiency. But standardizing language proficiency into levels also seems an ambiguous task
and can lead to misrepresenting what a student actually knows.

My first overall impression of the CELDT Released Test Questions document is that it is
a well-researched and thorough assessment tool for determining English language proficiency in
the four domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with the goal of providing the
attention and resources needed by a child to become proficient. I believe the task of formulating
this exam with its research-based and field-tested questions, assessment rubrics and performance
descriptors must have been monumental. However, in my opinion, a standardized test cannot
meet the individual needs of all students hailing from various socio-economic circumstances and

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geographic areas, and doesnt take into account the variability of time it takes to acquire a second
language. Each childs unique circumstances should be taken into account to get the most
accurate picture of their abilities and challenges. Language acquisition is a cognitive, social and
mechanical process that can vary widely by learner, yet the test attempts to measures skill levels
and guide learners toward proficiency as related to the California State Board of Educations
English Language Development standards (ELDs).

As a kindergarten/first grade educator, I question the developmental appropriateness of

the kindergarten portion of the CELDT. When considering the California Common Core
Standards, many of the questions do fit, however the CCSS are end-of-year benchmarks. On the
CELDT, a child must know his/her letters and sounds and be able to read simple words in order
to access the test and to score in the upper performance levels. Questions such Look at the
letters. What is this letter? or This says /ig/. Point to the letter you can add to /ig/ to make the
word big, are not early kindergarten expectations. So I wonder how the test can reveal if a child
is truly a beginning English language learner, or just a typical beginning language learner? I
would not expect any entering kindergarteners to know all their letters and sounds yet, and I
especially would not expect them to be able to read or recognize punctuation. I consider these
assumptions not to be age appropriate, and therefore putting the ELL child at a disadvantage for
accurately demonstrating what they know in English.
Another area where bias might exist is in the pictures chosen to support the questions. In
one of the Speaking questions, there are a series of four pictures showing a boy watching a
show about horses on TV. In the sequence, he then falls asleep and dreams about being in a
rodeo, and then his mother wakes him up. If a child doesnt own or watch a television or is

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unfamiliar with rodeos, they will be at a disadvantage in answering this question. They may be
skilled at retelling stories including plot, characters, and setting, but may not be able to do so
with this example.

In regards to preparing a child to take the exam, I think giving many examples of the
style of questions used would at least familiarize them with test format. However, putting myself
in the shoes of five-year-old coming to a new school, speaking a different language also gives me
concern about their ability to accurately demonstrate their knowledge. I think the variability in
who administers the exam, the environment in which it is administered and how it is delivered
could greatly affect the measurement validity of the test. The young learners state of mind is
also variable and can affect his/her ability to demonstrate facility with the English language. I am
familiar with new kindergarteners and know them to be anxious, requiring copious amounts of
reassurance, attention and guidance. I am very mindful of when and how I administer my own
assessments towards the beginning of the year, having learned from experience that too much too
soon can cause undue stress and yield inaccurate results.

In summary, though I understand and support the idea of discerning ELLs English
language proficiency, I can see how the CELDT might inadvertently place them incorrectly. It
would be frustrating and disheartening to have that happen, and prove to be a disservice to the
children we are trying to support.

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