Introduction

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My name is Patrisa and my goal is to obtain an English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement to teach middle school Language Arts and Reading. I am also interested in being the computer / media resource teacher since I have experience in computer science. The purpose of this assessment portfolio is to display my knowledge, skills, and abilities that I have learned while completing the ESL endorsement curriculum. I have learned about two sets of standards specifically for English Language Learners (ELLs): the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) and the Illinois English Language Proficiency (IL ELP) standards. I have learned about two valuable communities of resources related to ELLs called Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL) and National Association of bilingual Education (NABE). I have studied the best practices for classroom assessments and the importance of teacher-led professional development. Also, you will find an interview that I conducted with an experienced bilingual teacher along with the pros/cons of authentic assessments. The intended audience for my assessment portfolio includes pre- and in-service teachers interested in knowing more about assessment issues and strategies when working with ELLs in monolingual and in dual language classrooms.

The various standards are available to help meet the needs of ELLs in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The standards serve as a basis for instruction in which goals and objectives are met. The WIDA standards are currently being used in twenty-three states and were created to provide a baseline for appropriate instruction. They consist of Spanish language arts standards to help educators determine ELP levels categorized by subjects and grades. The IL ELP standards reflect an important component of English language proficiency. They address the social and academic dimensions of acquiring a second language. The ELPs are divided into four grade clusters and four large domains, including: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. TESOL provides resources for the English language educators’ community globally. TESOL is a great starting place for ESL resources since they develop and maintain professional expertise in English language teaching and learning for speakers of other languages worldwide. Both TESOL and NABE offer professional development and a wealth of information on issues regarding ELLs. With the wide range of standards and resources available through various websites, valid and reliable authentic assessments are easier to create.

My portfolio includes samples along with annotations of some authentic assessments and best practices that I plan to use for ELLs including. Those assessments include some of the following examples: teacher observations, peer assessments, retelling, and portfolios. I have defined authentic assessments based on my research and the research of others. I learned about various types’ authentic assessments and how to implement them in my lesson plans. I am excited about all of the options available to use the formal and informal assessments to: activate students’ prior knowledge, increase vocabulary, meet the students needs, and encourage them to challenge themselves. Also, I have included the outline of a teacher-led professional development seminar on authentic assessment for ELLs. These types of seminars are vital to staying up-to-date on new resources regarding authentic assessments for ELLs. The seminars will allow me to showcase my expertise on authentic assessments for ELLs. Also, I can share ideas with colleagues, parents, and administrators on the validity and reliability of assessments. Authentic assessments in writing, literacy, and content area are the most effective because they offer variety, progress monitoring, and guidelines for instruction. Professional development is beneficial because the students, administrators, parents, and teachers gain knowledge through the wisdom of others. I conducted an interview with an experienced bilingual teacher. The teacher shared many positive experiences with being a teacher and some negative experiences that come with being a bilingual teacher. She enjoyed the Dibels program because it created progress monitoring reports but the technology part of it could sometimes be challenging with deletions and the loss of data. Also, the students are distracted by the electronic gadget the first couple of months in use. She prefers to use it in the middle and at the end of the school year. the teacher does receive in-person support from the Dibels which is really helpful in the beginning stages of using Dibels The teacher talked the constant contact with parents and how that created a recipe for success for everyone involved. The teacher loves being a bilingual teacher and hopes require parental involvement in the student’s curriculum to help create a community within the classroom. I hope you enjoy my personal portfolio on authentic assessment.

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