Standardized Achievement Tests and English Language Learners: Psychometrics Issues

Abedi, Jamal

doi:10.1207/s15326977ea0803_02

Cited by 194 publications

(155 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

149

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Research has examined the reliability, validity, and fairness issues of assessing ELLs (Abedi, 2002;DiCerbo, 2000;Huang, 2008Huang, , 2011Huang, , 2012Huang & Foote, 2010;Rivera & Vincent, 1997;Wolf, Farnsworth, & Herman, 2008). Including ELLs in the HSTs, as argued by DiCerbo (2000) assessment raises many questions about whether or not the assessment tools are valid, reliable, and appropriate for the assessment of ELLs.…”

Section: Issues and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do High-Stakes Test Really Address English Language Learners’ Learning Needs? – A Discussion of Issues, Concerns, and Implications

Huang

Han

Schnapp

2012

IJLD

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has emphasized the role of high-stakes tests (HSTs) designed to increase accountability for schools and improve student achievement. Under NCLB, English language learners (ELLs) must be included in such tests. Educators must then make critical decisions concerning how to include ELLs in such HSTs in ways that the tests are fair and also address their learning needs. Factors to consider include the selection of appropriate testing accommodations and the accurate interpretation of test results. This paper discusses key issues and major concerns about ELLs and HSTs. It also proposes solutions to both expected and unexpected problems.

show abstract

Section: Issues and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do High-Stakes Test Really Address English Language Learners’ Learning Needs? – A Discussion of Issues, Concerns, and Implications

Huang

Han

Schnapp

2012

IJLD

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The critical issue that arises from these figures is why students with very low proficiency levels in English continue to be tested in English, a language they cannot read and comprehend. Abedi (2002) lamented that, generally, ELLs have low language achievement rates.…”

Section: English Tests In Non-native English Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Issues of Language Assessments for Non-native Speakers of English

Kuwornu¹

2017

SUET

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The paper reviews issues in language assessment, especially pertaining to the challenges faced in examining non-native speakers of English. The review revealed that low proficiency levels of well-established standard varieties of English affect the test achievement of non-native speakers across the world. Furthermore, the absence and improper evaluation of English tests, coupled with poor educational systems in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean lead to very low achievement in English. Based on the review, the paper recommends the use of accommodation, culture-specific designed tests, and more research as remedy for the problems. Areas of future research for Africa and specifically, Ghana are recommended. Keywords: language assessment, ESL, assessment evaluation, accommodation IntroductionThe status of English as the most widely used and important lingua franca for global and international communication is not in doubt. The international status of English as the language of global mobility also means there are a lot of people who speak English as their second language (L2). As a result of its international status, more and more countries are putting emphasis on an "English" education to gain acceptance and to create more opportunities for its people on a global market that thrives on English. However, language is not the only key to accessing these global opportunities-Knowledge and skills are equally important. One of the most conventional ways to acquire the knowledge and skills is through formal education. With formal education comes its key measuring tool-assessment. Assessment is conducted in a language that is "foreign" to L2 English speakers.The result is that L2 speakers do not enter the "global competition" with L1 English speakers on an equal footing partly because of the language factor in assessment. Thus, the crust of this paper is to present a review of the issues of language assessment confronting L2 speakers of English. The review also aims at bringing out some of the solution(s) used in dealing with L2 language assessment issues. Lastly, gaps in the literature are identified with the aim of encouraging language assessment research, especially in Ghana. The English Language LearnerThe English Language Learner (ELL) is defined as a learner who is "still developing proficiency in English" Hamp-Lyons, & Kemp, 2003). According to Arcuino (2013), there is no significant difference between final GPA (Grade Point Average) of students who are admitted to either of the two tests.According to Templer (2002), standardised test such as IELTS and TOEFL test used to determine English language achievement in language for admission to Western universities for ELLs in developing economies lacks equity. One of the reasons he argued accounts for the disparity in the use of the exams is that they are generally too expensive for ELLs in these economies to afford and, as a result, only favours the rich who can afford them.He also argued that the difference in the cultures of ELLs in these second language economies diffe...

show abstract

“…Researchers have also attempted to identify the language characteristics of mathematics test items that seem problematic for students learning in a second language because there is evidence that linguistic complexity increases the performance gap between them and first-language students (Abedi, 2002;Abedi, Hofstetter & Lord, 2004). For example, Austin and Howson (1979) hypothesized that complicated sentence constructions, long sentences, infrequently used words and phrases, the passive voice, and conditional clauses (if-then statements) result in reading difficulties.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of language simplification and pictures on the ability of Emirati university students to comprehend and solve mathematics word problems

Causapin

Groombridge

2017

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper presents a study of Emirati university students learning mathematics in a second language (English). The study focused on students' responses to mathematical word problems in different versions: simpler/more complex versions of the problem in English; an Arabic translation of the problem; and the addition of a picture to support the text of the problem. Our findings suggest that neither language simplification nor pictures significantly affect students' comprehension and performance on word problem assessments; the lexical and syntactic features of the word problems have little effect on their understanding and ability to answer the questions presented to them. In addition, evidence suggests that there is no first-language (Arabic) advantage when answering these assessments. These findings are in line with previous studies that found no evidence that simplifying the language of mathematics tests had a significant positive effect on student performance. Implications on the appropriate theoretical perspectives to use when studying the relationship of language and mathematics learning are discussed. In addition, practical recommendations are presented for instructors and professors in 'globalist' multilingual classrooms (Barwell, 2003).

show abstract

Standardized Achievement Tests and English Language Learners: Psychometrics Issues

Cited by 194 publications

References 14 publications

Do High-Stakes Test Really Address English Language Learners’ Learning Needs? – A Discussion of Issues, Concerns, and Implications

Do High-Stakes Test Really Address English Language Learners’ Learning Needs? – A Discussion of Issues, Concerns, and Implications

Review of Issues of Language Assessments for Non-native Speakers of English

The effects of language simplification and pictures on the ability of Emirati university students to comprehend and solve mathematics word problems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About