The ELPAC is a test used to measure how students in kindergarten through twelfth grade understand English when it is not their first language. The ELPAC is a new test that is taking the place of California English Language Development Test (CELDT). Information from the ELPAC or CELDT can help the teacher provide student support within the right areas. Results from the tests can be used to ascertain the proficiency of the students. This paper discusses decisions that can be made by teachers or administrators given the results of CELDT or ELPAC.
The ELPAC consists of two types of assessments that include the initial assessment and the summative assessment. The initial assessment is given to a student that has a primary language other than the English language, has not undertaken CELDT or ELPAC, and has not been previously classified as an English learner (Hauck et al., 2017). Results from the initial assessment can be used to identify students either as an English learner that needs support to learn English or one that is proficient in English. A good score from the results would show that the student is good in English and does not need specialized assistance. A poor score from the initial assessment would show that the student requires specialized attention to learning the English language.
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The summative assessment is given to students that have been identified as an English learner after the Initial Assessment. Results from the Summative Assessment is used to measure the skills of English learners. Decisions to be made from the results can be used to tell the school or the district if the student is ready to be classified as being proficient in the English language. Students that are English learners are given the Summative Assessment every spring after which they are reclassified as English proficient or not. Every year students that take English are given the ELPAC to measure the progress in learning English. The major aim of the test is to identify students that need help in learning English. This is important so that students can get the extra help they require to do well in school and to be able to access the full curriculum.
The ELPAC is divided into four different areas to make better decisions after the assessment. The areas include listening, speaking, reading, and writing (DeFever, 2014). The listening assessment is given to students to note their ability in listening English. The test is carried out by students hearing a two-turn exchange between two or multiple speakers and answering questions about the exchange. The topic of discussion could be an argument of an opinion or simply an academic topic. Results from the listening test can be used to test whether a student needs specialized attention on their ability to listening English. For students that score poorly in the listening tests, the teacher should decide to include more listening exercises in the class. Listening exercises can involve listening to stories, having someone read out loud from a text, and listening to audio conversations and recordings.
Speaking tests are used to allow students to show their prowess in speaking English. The assessment is done by the student narrating a story through a series of pictures or describing a situation as stated by the examiner. The student can be prompted to summarize points in a presentation or an academic work. Students that score well on the speaking tests show a better understanding of speech functions (Cde.ca.gov, 2018). For students that do not score quite well in these tests, the teacher can make decisions to improve the speaking ability of the student. This can be achieved through speaking practices such as storytelling or discussing academic topics in class.
Reading tests are used to showcase the student’s ability in reading and understanding English. The student can read three words or sentences and chooses one which best describes a picture. The student can get informational text and answer multiple-choice questions that are related to the text (CELDT Bootcamp, 2018). Based on the results of the reading test, the educator can make an informed decision on improving reading skills and improving vocabulary. Reading skills can be improved through improvement of the student’s vocabulary or practice through the reading of English storybooks or novels.
After showing understanding in reading, students can show their ability in writing. This is an advanced form of testing as it shows the ability to understand and present their information orderly. At the lower level, students can take a look at the picture and provide a brief description. The student can compose literary text about a certain topic or compose an essay providing an appropriate position. Decisions from the results can be used to ascertain whether students need improvement in their writing skills. This can be achieved through more practice in composing various literary works.
From the above analysis, results of the ELP assessment can be used to show the proficiency of the English language by the student. The test can be used to identify students that are limited in English and determine the level of English language proficiency of students. The general aim of the test is to assess the progress of learning English and acquiring listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. The tests can be used to reclassify students according to their proficiency levels. The final step would be the provision of specialized help to students that do not perform adequately in written or academic language. Teachers can know where to provide specific support to students and enable faster growth.
References
Cde.ca.gov. (2018). Comparison of the CELDT to the ELPAC - English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) (CA Dept of Education) . [online] Available at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ep/celdtelpaccompare.asp [Accessed 24 Feb. 2018].
DeFever, R. V. (2014). Examining the Academic Achievement and Language Proficiency of English Learners in California . University of California, Davis.
Hauck, M. C., Pooler, E., Kim, M., Wolf, A. A. L., & Anderson, D. P. (2017). DESIGNING TASK TYPES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENTS FOR K–12 ENGLISH LEARNERS IN THE US. English Language Proficiency Assessments for Young Learners , 79.
CELDT Bootcamp -YouTube. (2018). CELDT Bootcamp . [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/UlNych4Sw4c [Accessed 24 Feb. 2018].
