Page 26 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 2007

THEONTARIOCURRICULUM,GRADES9–12 | ESLandELD
All students entering a new school require an accurate assessment of their needs, but the process takes longer when the students are recent arrivals from other countries or are beginning learners of English. The purpose of the initial assessment is to gather further information about each student’s educational background and level of proficiency in English in order to select a suitable program. Assessment covers two key areas: profi- ciency in English and mathematical knowledge and skills.
Language assessment begins with the reception interview. Where possible, at least part of the assessment may be conducted in the student’s first or dominant language to allow a broader view of his or her linguistic and cognitive development. For example, level of performance in reading and writing in English is seldom an indication of the student’s level of literacy development. Students who are functioning at or above grade level in their own language may not be able to perform nearly as well in English. At the same time, there is a need to find out how proficient the student is in the language of instruc- tion. With the help of these assessments, schools can make informed decisions about the student’s academic and linguistic needs.
If appropriate resource personnel are available, an assessment of the student’s oral and written skills in the first language may assist placement. A student’s writing in the first language may provide some useful information, even to teachers who do not read that language, if they use the following questions as guidelines: Does letter or character for- mation appear to be appropriately developed for the student’s age? How long does it take for the student to produce the piece? Does the student check and edit the piece? How simple or complex does the writing appear?
The assessment of the student’s oral skills in English begins with the initial interview. The interview is appropriate as an assessment vehicle because it demonstrates the stu- dent’s ability to meet the demands of everyday oral communication. The student may also be asked to participate in a conversation, describe or discuss pictures, listen to and retell a story, or explain a diagram or concept from a familiar subject area. The specific course expectations for Listening and Speaking may be used as criteria in assessing stu- dent performance and placing students in ESL or ELD courses.
The most informative tool for assessing reading comprehension in English is an informal reading inventory, which consists of a graduated series of reading passages that assess reading comprehension. Each passage is accompanied by questions designed to focus on specific aspects of reading comprehension, such as understanding specific words and main ideas, finding details, following sequence, relating cause and effect, or making inferences. It may be necessary, however, to adapt some passages that contain culturally unfamiliar concepts. Also, caution is required in interpreting results. Results of a reading assessment in English reflect reading performance in the student’s second language, not the student’s level of first-language literacy development. The specific course expecta- tions for Reading may be used as criteria in assessing student performance and placing
students in ESL or ELD courses.
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