| Collaborating on testing materials between ESL | | | | Teachers will also want to consider how much |
| and general education teachers is most effective | | | | classroom time they plan to devote to teaching |
| when there is a need to provide some kind of | | | | various skills on which students will eventually be |
| instructional support specific to English language | | | | assessed including: |
| learners either in an ESL support or in a general | | | | * Productive (speaking and writing) and receptive |
| education setting. Although some teachers may | | | | skills (listening and reading) |
| work more collaboratively than others, each | | | | * Incorporating emerging and transitional language |
| instructional group requires different assessment | | | | learning skills (what English know and what they |
| practices which are contingent on ESL and ELL | | | | are learning) |
| learning needs. | | | | When preparing their own tests, teachers can |
| Collaboration takes the form of preparing | | | | consider some or all of the following issues: |
| materials and resource pages together as well as | | | | grading the material from easy to difficult, using a |
| setting up planning meetings to discuss in-depth | | | | grading scale including point allotment for each |
| issues of particular students and potential | | | | section, and considering the length and amount of |
| methods of instructional support and early | | | | students' previous exposure to learning English. |
| intervention. | | | | Implications for Diversified Instruction |
| Teachers can discuss and prepare necessary | | | | Coping with differences through test tasks does |
| testing materials, keeping the language learning | | | | not necessarily mean allowing each student to do |
| needs of their own students in mind. In some | | | | the same task. Heterogeneity can be regarded as |
| scenarios, ESL teachers may need to consult a | | | | an asset, as a source of enriching both the |
| general education teacher on a variety of issues | | | | learning and testing environment. Since English |
| including providing the right kinds of instructional | | | | language learners from both ESL and general |
| support for their students and especially at later | | | | education settings use and apply different skills |
| stages when they are ready to take a required | | | | due to the differing instructional levels, teachers |
| exit exam for entering general education classes. | | | | from both groups can decide which areas of |
| Collaborating on Assessment and Instructional | | | | fluency and early reading would be most |
| Issues | | | | meaningful to assess based on the skills they |
| When deciding on assessment and curriculum | | | | have already taught. |
| issues with their own students, teachers should | | | | English language learners will ultimately benefit |
| first decide who should prepare specific required | | | | from teacher collaboration since teachers will |
| documents needed for an effective assessment | | | | focus on areas of instruction and assessment that |
| in terms of table of specifications, mapping pages, | | | | specifically cater to their learning needs. Teachers |
| formal assessment and reflection pages. Other | | | | can then retest their students using the |
| instructional issues teachers may collaborate on | | | | collaborated materials to evaluate if any learning |
| include: assessment, curriculum, and method of | | | | progress has been made. By collaborating, |
| instruction. | | | | teachers will also feel less isolated in the |
| What Teachers Can Discuss Before a Formal | | | | classroom as they try to effectively cater to |
| Assessment | | | | their students. |