Performance Based Assessment - Essay Example

This assessment will focus on students from grade 2-12. The subject area will include Mathematics and English and the number of students involved will be 20, five of which will be ELLs. Nationally, people have the No Child Left Behind rule that was signed into law in December, 2001. Local and state areas have other regulations, and learners have to take standardized examinations to decide if they are meeting those regulations. Almost every state needs some type of examination (Kuhlman, 2002).

In Florida, schools have the Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). People coaching English to students who speak other languages consider that a single gauge on one kind of test cannot precisely echo student learning. Standardized tests determine, to a large extent, learners’ knowledge of the English language. Therefore, if the learner’s level of understanding is low, then he or she will not do well on the test albeit being at the right grade level of his or her native language (Valdez & O'Malley, 2010).

English Language Learners take 5 to 7 years to study academic language that is often typified as multifaceted, abstract and content specific. It is suggested that teachers make decisions rooted in numerous measures and not trust in a single test score (Kuhlman, 2002). People consider that numerous measures offer a more precise image of what learners recognize and what they should work on, that is their strengths and weaknesses. Hence, the goal of this plan is to create a performance-based assessment that will include ELLs plus regular students in any classroom.

Performance-based assessment comprises of the use of alternative techniques, for instance writing samples, portfolios, presentations, oral report and projects among others (Stiggins, 2005). This makes it more reliable since the tools differ and the assessment occurs over a period of time. It is vital when assessment is not done through the use of multiple-choice questions just when there is normally one right possible answer. Some guiding principles for testing English Language Learners (ELLs) include: avoiding difficult questions; using direct speech because indirect speech confuses non-advanced students; testing what is taught; varying the complexity level (go from easy to difficult); providing learners with clear instructions; explaining to the learners, in easy language, what is needed of them; being aware of cultural prejudice in creating the test, as well as in grading; providing instances and using visuals to explain directions; giving credit for what the learner recognizes; and permitting more time than is naturally permitted for native English speakers.

It is, at all times, useful when working with language learners to produce a test-checklist that a person can refer prior to administering a test (Kuhlman, 2002). Students will be required to sit in groups of four and one student must be an ELL. The lesson will run for 50 minutes for a three-day period. When integrated into the classroom events, formative assessment grants information required to amend learning and teaching while they are still taking place (Stiggins, 2005). Formative assessment serves as way for a learner to check for understanding throughout the learning procedure.

Formative assessments guide educators in making decisions concerning future instruction (Valdez & O'Malley, 2010). Here are some examples, which might be used in