O'Malley/Valdez ch. 5

Ch. 5 Reading Assessment
This information sounds like I can use it with my kindergarteners. I love the format these author’s used for this chapter. I feel like I can begin now to gather data, sources, and information.
I taught the reading class for ESL-8th grade levels at a Job Corps., back in the late nineties for a bout a year and a half. Within that time, I was sent to a couple of conferences/ workshops focusing on ELLs which I remember as being more politically focused than educationally focused, or else I just felt defensive (and didn’t know it then) about my own language loss, and/or the Native Americans’ whose land the job corp. is in. But still, within my classroom the 16-24 year olds worked hard and were all working toward bettering their lives. The curriculum was already laid out, as far as what books and tests needed to be completed in each level to work their way out of TABEing out (Test of Adult Basic Education) of reading after level 8. I remember that the tests for each assignment was taken on a computer program similar to the accelerated reader tests we use today. In this way the students got immediate feedback on their results. This system seemed to work well for the Native English speakers, whereas the others were hesitant to take the tests. I would do guided reading or reading conferences with each of these hesitant students before he/she took the assignment test, which seemed to work in an informal way.
Ok- the chapter was ….
p.95, it sounded like they were describing something like a Place Based Education model and Funds of Knowledge when they said: “Reading skills, therefore, should be taught in the context of reading and writing activities that build on students’ prior knowledge.”
On the same page the section What Works In Reading Instruction sounded like I’d need to have 4 blocks/ sections of reading a day in these ways- time, direct comprehension strategy instruction, collaboration, and reading responses. Right now I have 2 reading groups that focus on 1-letter names, sounds, sight words, writing, worksheets for word matching; 2- rhyming, word length, word work and manipulation, sentence forms, genres, and reading comprehension strategies, from our adopted curriculum. Thirty minutes a day in each group is spent, so I still need two more groups- I guess in the afternoons when I’m alone with the students if I teach them how to collaborate and respond to reading. But the afternoons are spent on math and science. So, it would have to be collaboration and responses on the content areas.
They mention that we should have a philosophy of assessment, and I think in our other class we had to mention something about this- before we had this class. I’d like relook at that sometime.
I want to begin these rubrics with the question- what do good readers do? I’ve asked this before of my students and I ended up giving them the vocabulary/words. Now, I’ll try it again- for this purpose. I believe I will use the examples provided in this chapter for the peer assessment stuff when I eventually get to it.
The information on the literature discussion groups was good to know, which I thought I already did especially after being in Joan’s class this past summer. The suggestion they gave about having weaker readers listen to a tape of the reading… to participate in the literature discussion groups. I skimmed over the stuff about the cloze tests, although I’m sure there’s a reason for having the students become familiar with those, if looked at in a different perspective - which can be done in small groups and orally, right?
I remember when we were required to use running records, and were trained on how to administer and record them, but we didn’t get trained on how to use the data the way it is described in this chapter. I liked the information on the anecdotal records section that I’ll most likely use sooner than later.
Then finally, the information on having a bilingual or language classroom teacher made me wonder if it violates any regulations for our LEP students.

Dynamic Assessment

Poehner & Lantoff Dynamic Assessment
Here are my notes on this wonderful chapter:
Dynamic assessment (DA) – an approach
To assessment & instruction in the language classroom (via the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) theory).
Sociocultural theory element that is not specifically called DA by Vygotsky but the description he gives about this element is similar
Formative Assessment (FA) I thought I knew what this was until I came to the end and realized that this doesn’t sound like the ones the State of Alaska provides on their EED website. Even though in the abstract of this article it says that compared to Summative Assessments (learning outcomes, high stakes and systematic, static), Formative assessments “feed back into the teaching and learning process….” These sound to me like activities in the subject addressing each standard with a scoring guide, which I see as practice tests, that the state provides for teacher use foe each testing grade.
DA is a procedure
***P235…”to convince testers to redirect their efforts from concerns with the current state of children’s development to prognosis of theory potential (i.e., future) development.”(!!!)- Vygotsky did this.
And on p. 238 where Leontiev is quoted to have said that “American researchers are constantly seeking to discover not how the child cane to be what he is, but how he can become what he not yet is.’”
Section III that “This is an irrelevant question.” About the amount of each – development and environment- concerning persons. I said- WHOA!
I thought of action research teaching in section IV p239.
On p. 241 last of section IV that, “…require the same kinds of adaptations that will be expected of them in daily life.”
Assessment by teaching p242- reminds me of MAORI ARTICLE
Pp 242 referred to Newman and Holzman about development which sounds like the ILPs we’re doing- and also sounds like a good resource
In section VI DA and L2 development seemed to describe my type of language (re) learning- with “mediation in the ZPD (p243).” And that development in the ZPD is …’revolutionary…’”
I liked that they said that assessing without mediation… leaves out part of the picture- the future…” – so I need to see Lantolf and Poehner 2004, as they said.
I still like the explanation and examples they gave for Formative assessment, in that it serves teachers in four ways (p251). I see there are types of FA and that those used in the classroom can be done in a hit and miss fashion- as an author said that the author quoted. Whereas training is critical.
It’s scary to think teachers are inadvertently creating whirlpools for their learners due to this lack ….me
After reading the part about using assessments for instruction, then I realized that ZI too do this with the adopted curriculum chapter’s tests.
I agree with the part that teachers may have good openings but lack the theoretical understanding…. Thus fails to accurately intervene in the developmental process…. And lack of understanding of the relationship of assessment to learning.
On page 255 section 3 From FA to DA- I feel like I’m here.
I also liked the point that the authors shared from other authors about deciding not guessing what was right/important, and that their answers needed to be supported with good reasons, which can be better when done through collaboration- p258.

Ochoa blog

I was wondering throughout the whole chapter about our state stuff like this- and where do we get it? Can we get it from our district office or even our SPED personnel? I wondered how come I never thought of all these fine points as these three guys did. Still, I am thankful again for this information laid out- since 2005!
This article came out after the NCLBA, but the sources cited are from research conducted before and seemingly tailored for it (NCLBA).
Now this article shows what I’ve seen growing up with pullouts for those needing extra help, or “slow” and, I remember there were specific Special Ed teachers who had their own classrooms. Then these labeled children were/are mainstreamed and were/are not pulled out anymore (which may be a factor here for the last of the older group who were identified and labeled SPED under this older pull-out system). Now I’ve only seen articulation sped services available now.
I was noticing how much the psychologists were referred to which has no bearing on us out here it seems. But am I wrong? Is having the lack of a school psychologist in each school a factor in mislabelment/ wrongful assessment also?
And finally, of course the new vocabulary was a pleasure to re-experience my brain getting refreshened, rewired & renewed. I hope it was for you as well.

portfolio assessment ch.3

Portfolio Assessment Ch. 3

I realized that I’ve heard of or saw portfolio’s in one form or another since high school and no one was exactly the same. I saw districts who used Xerox boxes for portfolios in schools that had no space to store them in that was also conveniently accessible for those needing access. More recently I see 3 ring binders (of assessments from the last 3 years for documentation, so I’ve been told). I saw “portfolios’’ in one stuffed manila folder held together with a thick rubber band. Now I finally read about them and feel like an ELL student myself in this class and subject. Fortunately, this chapter provided clear and explicit examples for new and old vocabulary and concepts that I desperately needed more of. (I wish I had another SLATEr to practice and play vocabulary card games with- (but of course those can be created on computers) just for this class alone in SLATE.)
I wish you could see all the underlines and notes just for this chapter my book right now and … I’ll just try to share some…
I found that the most amazing thing to read about what a portfolio is and isn’t was when the authors on page 35 shared from sources whom back in 1991 said that a portfolio ain’t a portfolio without a students’ self-assessments and reflections. That piece of information was an “aha!” for me; no wonder I felt like there was a reason I didn’t really do these in a systematic way in the first place and because I didn’t have a clear enough picture of, but this helps, then the other reason may have been that I know the follow-on teacher would not be interested in them if it’s “too much.”
The three different kinds of self-assessments information helped me to remember there’s kinds and types of everything.
The Clearly Stated Criteria section reminded me of the Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) we are working toward as a district, which we are getting more training on as needed. This too has been around as long as portfolios have been it seems.
Anyways, the Getting started with Portfolios section wore me out in a positive way. I am grateful for this stuff to already be written so that I don’t have to do that part at least, (which felt like I would need to do in order to start my own for this class,- which by the way should be part electronic and part paper, just to be on the safe side, you know- always need something tangible. Technology may not always be here. ☺)
Finally, the details provided by the authors make for easier beginnings in this process of portfolio creation, maintenance, and reflection. And last but not least, the list of nine 9 key points for using portfolios with ELLs provided at the end of the chapter was thoughtfully considerate of the authors to include for someone like me to feel more informed to begin to really begin to seriously think about using portfolios correctly.

validity-McNamara & Nelson-Barber

Validity: testing the test\McNamara Ch. 5
The topic of validity at first brings to mind my logics and ethics class I took as an undergraduate. The terminology seemed confusing and I felt like I was going to fail the class. I remembered that there are degrees of validity based on the logic and that’s what threw mw off. Now, in this reading- the subject is easier to understand in this context of assessment. There are definitely a lot of things to consider and I wonder how a teacher can remember all of it when creating assessments for their class. Of course having a critical pedagogy most likely would help.
The example given of content validity being that tests don’t capture the whole person was delight to see in text, because it is a fact that there are people do not do well with paper-pencil tests but have the oral fluency in the language. This is definitely the case out here in our area. I believe this is one of the reasons why many of our students who graduate just stay home, because the tests they’ve taken label them negatively, to where they do not have the confidence to go out into the world on their own. So what could work then for our students here is what I would like to be on a quest for.
It was surprising to see that, “the more complex the content of performance, the more there is to jeopardize the validity of the ratings (52).”
Speculation and empiricism were a surprise to brought up finally in the conclusion of the chapter. Speculation- “reasoning and logical analysis about the nature of languages and language use, and of the nature of performance,” (as outlined in chapter 2.?hmmmm.) “Empiricism means subjectinbg such theorizing and specific implications of particular twesting practices to examination in the light of data from test trials and operational test administrations (54).”


Nelson-Barber, S. & Trumbull, E. (2007). Making assessment practices valid for indigenous American students. Journal of American Indian Education (3, 4), 132-147.
This article reminded me of the fact that there is a lot of research done on indigenous people, but nothing is done about it. In fact sometimes I think they do it just to degrade us and highlight the negatives instead of the positives. And it seems like they don't get real informed consents like the IRB has us doing for our research. Anyways, this article luckily came from an insider (technical name temporarily forgotten at this time) who proved to be well informed and has the ability to reinforce what the indigenous people's awareness of these standardized testing situations effects on the children and their communities to the public in this medium. I wonder if the author read the Maori articles?
I liked that they shared a school’s assessment procedures of using two scoring guides- one for the funds of knowledge and one for the academic knowledge. I definitely would love to have time to create those kind, especially now, since I’m doing my research on this topic, and I am supposed to be doing action research to compare the effects but this way sounds better- to incorporate both kinds of knowledge into the assessment.! Why didn’t I think of that????
Oh- when I read about the executive orders I got so frusterated and blamed the state of Alaska. When I was living on a reservation in Washington state, I learned that the tribe didn’t have to answer to the state, only to the feds, but that the state would find ways to impede or interfere with the tribes progress toward self-sufficiency- so this reminds me of the word hegemony. I think or wouldn’t be surprised if Alaska does the same thing as Washington state did and does when it comes to indigenous rights.
Besides asking if the test developers know who they’re dealing with, the other question is whether or not the state education departments really know and understand what the tests are about that they are requiring our students to take- besides it’s economic cost, let alone it’s emotional costs. Here I am concerned about others when I should be relating this stuff to me.... and I will need to work on that.