Criterion Referenced Measureable Objectives for English Language Testing
Bi-Monthly Exam Model
ESL 4, Unit 1
Draft, For Discussion Only
20111019
WorldView
and NorthStar Scope and Sequence
Correlations:
WorldView
and NorthStar Scope and Sequence
Learning Outcomes Objectives:
WorldView
and NorthStar Scope and Sequence
Basis for Testing and Assessment:
Assessing
Listening and Speaking Using Publisher’s Tests
Teacher
Bi-Monthly Exam Model and Guidelines
At the September, 2011 faculty meeting, we reviewed and discussed the correlation between various learning taxonomies and the ESL profession’s criteria for determining and assessing measureable objectives for different ESL levels. The following description of ESL 4 correlations is excerpted for ESL 4 from the faculty meeting handout. Please ask Dr. Prager if you need a copy of the handout.
|
ESL
4/Intermediate Level Correlations |
|||
|
Bloom’s
Taxonomy of Educational Objectives |
TOEFL iBT
Independent Writing Rubrics (6 levels) |
NorthStar-
TOEFL Correlations* ( after course completion) (paper test
/iBT**) |
TESOL sets
standards for 5 levels K-12
students TESOL does
not set explicit Postsecondary standards which |
|
Analysis: able to use language to break down information into component parts, to understand its
organizational structure, to develop divergent conclusions, to make
inferences, and/or find information to support generalizations. Analyzes, categorizes, compares, contrasts,
correlates, differentiates, illustrates, infers, etc. |
3=somewhat developed
explanations and/or details; displays unity, progressions, and coherence
though connections of ideas may be sometimes obscured; inconsistent sentence
formation and word choice that results in lack of clarity and obscures
meaning; accurate BUT limited range of syntactic structures and
vocabulary. |
Intermediate: 360-440/ 22-42 (scores too low for
most college admissions, including CUNY community colleges) |
TESOL Level 3-Developing: Students understand more complex speech but still may require some
repetition. They use English spontaneously but may have difficulty expressing
all their thoughts due to a restricted vocabulary and a limited command of
language structure. Students at this level speak in simple sentences, which
are comprehensible and appropriate, but which are frequently marked by
grammatical errors. Proficiency in reading may vary considerably. Students
are most successful constructing meaning from texts for which they have
background knowledge upon which to build. TESOL Level 4-Expanding: Students’ language skills are adequate for most day-to-day communication
needs. They communicate in English in new or unfamiliar settings but have
occasional difficulty with complex structures and abstract academic
concepts.L4 students may read with considerable fluency and are able to
locate and identify the specific facts within the text. However, they may
not understand texts in which the concepts are presented in a
decontextualized manner, the sentence structure is complex, or the vocabulary
is abstract or has multiple meanings |
WorldView and NorthStar’s Scope and Sequence define the English language learning objectives
for each textbook unit. The Scope and Sequence parallels the
criterion referenced outcomes criteria in the table above:
·
in Bloom’s
taxonomy,
·
on the TOEFL iBT,
in NorthStar-TOEFL correlations, and
·
in TESOL
standards for ESL learning.
The Institute’s ESL 4 uses NorthStar’s Intermediate level
texts. ESL 4 students are at Bloom’s “analysis” and TESOL’s “expanding” levels of
language learning. While they use language
for mainly concrete situations, they now also use English for more abstract and
academic discussions. Because of this
transition from lower to higher critical thinking and higher order language
skills, ESL 4 or Intermediate is the
most important in the ESL spectrum. Students who skip this level will progress
with difficulty if at all at the High Intermediate or Advanced levels.
For example, while lower ESL
levels use language to describe, define, collect,inform,
instruct, relate, etc something concrete, the ESL 4 Intermediate level asks
students to use language to also analyze,
categorize, compare, contrast, correlate, infer, etc. ESL 4/Intermediate levels students are
expected to use language to break down information into its component parts, to
understand its organizational structure, to develop divergent conclusions, to
find support information, etc. In other
words, the Intermediate ESL level asks students to use language at a higher
level of critical thinking which, in turn, demands a higher level of language
skills. This is reflected in the NorthStar
Intermediate’s emphases upon comparing and contrasting, inferring,
supporting opinions, evaluating, predicting, hypothesizing, etc. These are the language skills objectives for
the course!
For these reasons, WorldView and NorthStar’s Scope and Sequence provide the Institute’s objective criterion referenced basis for Bi-monthly exams and course exit placement. The Institute expects teachers to develop Bi-monthly exams based on the Scope and Sequence for each unit. .
|
Scope and Sequence NorthStar
Intermediate, Unit 1 “Advertising
on the Air” |
Assessment
Objectives |
|
Critical Thinking Skills: ·
to critique, ·
to identify
salient features, ·
to propose
something based on information, ·
to infer word
meaning from context, ·
to compare and
contrast, ·
to correlate
examples with abstract principles |
Critical Thinking Skills: ·
to critique, ·
to identify
salient features, ·
to propose
something based on information, ·
to infer word
meaning from context, ·
to compare and
contrast, ·
to correlate
examples with abstract principles |
|
Vocabulary ·
context clues ·
synonyms ·
definitions |
Vocabulary ·
context clues ·
synonyms ·
definitions |
|
Grammar ·
imperatives |
Grammar ·
imperatives |
Teachers should not use the publisher’s ESL
tests for Bi-monthly exams. However,
they should use publisher’s tests to intermittently assess students’ skills
during the normal conduct of the course.
For example, teachers should use shorter or longer selections from Listening
tests as quizzes, to help students’ self-assess, and to otherwise help in
teaching course material. Please record grades from publishers’ tests
since these scores will provide evidence of student listening and other
language skills achievement for exit assessment before students can continue to
the next ESL level.
An outside reviewer should be
able to pick up a Bi-Monthly exam and identify it as a test that correlates to
a specific WorldView or NorthStar unit. The
following is a model for Bi-Monthly exams correlated to the textbook’s Scope and Sequence. While specific to NorthStar Intermediate’s
(ESL 4) unit 1, it provides a model for other ESL testing.
Note that the model below
progressively measures skills from easier and less independent to more
difficult and more independent.
It is only a model. Teachers may also adapt other testing
strategies such as dictations so long as they follow the following guidelines:
1.
Grammar (optional) short-answer questions account for no more than 10% of the exam
and correlate directly to the unit’s grammar focus.
2.
Vocabulary (optional) short-answer questions account for no more than
20% of the exam and correlate
directly to the unit’s vocabulary focus.
3.
Vocabulary
questions, if used, must correlate to ESL 4/Intermediate level
expectation. Therefore, they must test
comprehension based on inferred meaning.
4.
Integrated reading and writing must be included.
It must correlate to unit material followed by integrated writing
questions correlated to the unit’s theme and critical thinking objectives in
the Scope and Sequence.
5.
At least one guided writing question(s) must be
included. It must correlate to the
unit’s theme and critical thinking objectives in the Scope and Sequence.
6. At least one independent writing question must be included, preferably one based on a reading passage that correlates to the unit’s theme and critical thinking objectives in the Scope and Sequence.