Conceptualizing Accessibility for English Language Proficiency Assessments

Abstract

This paper is the second in a series from Educational Testing Service (ETS) that conceptualizes next‐generation English language proficiency (ELP) assessment systems for K‐12 English learners (ELs) in the United States. The first paper articulated a high‐level conceptualization of next‐generation ELP assessment systems (Hauck, Wolf, & Mislevy, 2016), the third paper addressed issues related to summative ELP assessments that emerged from the presentations and discussions at the English Language Proficiency Assessment Research working meeting (Wolf, Guzman‐Orth, & Hauck, 2016), and the fourth paper focused on a key concern within such systems—the initial identification and classification of ELs (Lopez, Pooler, & Linquanti, 2016). The goal of this paper is to address accessibility issues in the context of ELP assessments and to discuss critical considerations to improve the accessibility of ELP assessments for ELs and ELs with disabilities. Although accessibility for ELs and ELs with disabilities who are taking content assessments is also important, a discussion about content assessments is beyond the scope of the paper at this time. In this paper, we discuss challenges and areas of possible directions to pursue for ongoing and future ELP assessment development, policy implications, and research considerations to improve the ELP testing experience for all users.

Approaches to Automated Scoring of Speaking for K–12 English Language Proficiency Assessments

“…See also the earlier reports in this series (i.e., Guzman‐Orth et al, ; Hauck et al, ; Lopez et al, ; Wolf et al, ).…”

Key Issues and Opportunities in the Initial Identification and Classification of English Learners

“…Another challenge is that students with disabilities may have difficulty participating in the assessment of certain ELP domains (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) depending on their disability (Christensen et al, ; Guzman‐Orth et al, ). For example, a student who is deaf or hard of hearing may not be able to meaningfully participate in test items designed to measure listening skill in English.…”

“…We also recommend that universal design considerations and general test development guidelines can be implemented in designing and producing initial ELP assessments (Thompson, Johnstone, & Thurlow, ). It is also advisable that accessibility features and accommodations for students with disabilities be considered from the beginning in the assessment development process to ensure that they are appropriate for the targeted population of students (Guzman‐Orth et al, ). We suggest that states and test developers list all the accommodations that are offered on the initial ELP assessment and clearly state for which domain (e.g., listening, speaking, reading, and writing) the accommodations are appropriate (Albus & Thurlow, ).…”

“…The series is intended to provide theory‐ and evidence‐based principles and recommendations for improving next generation English language proficiency (ELP) assessment systems, policies, and practices and to stimulate discussion on better serving K–12 English learners (ELs). The first paper articulated a high‐level conceptualization of next‐generation ELP assessment systems (Hauck, Wolf, & Mislevy, ), the second paper addressed accessibility issues in the context of ELP assessments for ELs and ELs with disabilities (Guzman‐Orth, Laitusis, Thurlow, & Christensen, ), and the third paper addressed issues related to summative ELP assessments that emerged from the presentations and discussions at the English Language Proficiency Assessment Research working meeting (Wolf, Guzman‐Orth, & Hauck, ). The present paper focuses on a key concern within such systems—the initial identification and classification of ELs.…”

Next‐Generation Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for English Learners: Priorities for Policy and Research

“…The first paper articulated a high-level conceptualization of next-generation ELP assessment systems (Hauck, Wolf, & Mislevy, 2016). The second paper addressed accessibility issues in the context of ELP assessments for ELs and ELs with disabilities (GuzmanOrth, Laitusis, Thurlow, & Christensen, 2016). The fourth paper dealt with one of the major uses of ELP assessments-the initial identification and classification of ELs (Lopez, Pooler, & Linquanti, 2016).…”