landlstandards.html

HOWARD R. SWEARER CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE LANGUAGE & LITERACY PROGRAMS

Rubrics for Placement and Assessment

The materials within this document provide a consistent structure for the placement and assessment of the learners in our programs. The rubrics are based on Federal Educational Functioning Level Descriptors for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL).*

What's in this document?

ïThe Outcome Measures Definitions of the Federal ABE and ESL Levels.
ïAssessment and placement forms for the following skill/literacy areas:
-Reading
-Writing
-Speaking
-Listening
-Math
ïInformation on learning disabilities that may be helpful to you.

How to use this document:

ïCarefully read over the Federal Outcome Measures Definitions for either ABE or ESL .
ïReview the assessment and placement forms for the five skill/literacy areas.
ïDesign some assessment and placement activities using the suggested materials or others.
ïAfter meeting with your learner (s) and carrying out the lesson plan/ activity, complete each form FOR EACH LEARNER.
ïIdeally, this should be an ongoing process. Try filling out each form a few times during the semester or year to measure progress for each learner.

By examining how we assess and place our learners, we hope to make our programs more effective. The documentation of assessment and placement across programs provides not only consistency, but continuity from semester to semester as well.

* The federal guidelines use the acronym ESL (English as a Second Language). Language and Literacy programs at the Swearer Center prefer to use ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages). However, for purposes of clarity and continuity, 'ESL' is used in this document.

Rubrics for Placement and Assessment: READING

Program:_______________________________________________
Learner name: ___________________________________________
Date:________________________
Level:_________________________________________________

Materials Used
____ registration form
____ ask them what they read ( in any language)
____ learner generated material
____ newspaper
____ trade books
____ bills, other real life materials (realia)
____ material brought in by the learner
____ present several items to read and let the learner chose.
____ other:

Performance Focus

Comprehension:

Pronunciation:

Fluency:

Ability to sounds out words:

Knowledge of punctuation:

Comments:

Placement:

ABE ESL

_ Beginning ABE Literacy _ Beginning ESL Literacy

_ Beginning Basic Education _ Beginning ESL

_ Low Intermediate Basic Education _ Low Intermediate ESL

_ High Intermediate Basic Education _ High Intermediate ESL

_ Low Adult Secondary Education _ Low Advanced ESL

_ High Adult Secondary Education _ High Advanced ESL

Rubrics for Placement and Assessment: WRITING

Program:_______________________________________________
Learner name: ___________________________________________
Date:________________________
Level:_________________________________________________

Materials Used
____ registration form
____ ask them what they write ( in any language)
____ take a writing sample
____ material brought in by learner
____ other:

Performance Focus
Content

Clarity:
Sentence Construction:
Main Ideas with Support:
Passage Organization:

Creativity:
Rich Language:
Imagination:
Personal Connections:

Mechanics
Grammar:
Spelling:
Punctuation:
Neatness:
Computer Use (word processing skills):

Comments:

Rubrics for Placement and Assessment: SPEAKING

Program:_______________________________________________
Learner name: ___________________________________________
Date:________________________
Level:_________________________________________________

Materials Used
____ registration form
____ ask them when they use English
____ monitor activities
____ one-to-one
____ small group
____ large group
____ other:

Performance Focus
Ability to express thoughts and ideas:

Fluency:

Vocabulary:

Pronunciation:

Grammar:

Comments:

Rubrics for Placement and Assessment: LISTENING

Program:_______________________________________________
Learner name: ___________________________________________
Date:________________________
Level:_________________________________________________

Materials Used
____ registration form
____ ask them when they listen to material in English
____ monitor ability to follow directions
____ monitor levels of performance (listen with no response; listen and respond briefly; engage in conversation)
____ other:

Performance Focus
Following Directions:

Responding Appropriately:

Ability to use corrective mechanisms ( 'I don't understand, could you repeat that?'):

Comments:

Rubrics for Placement and Assessment: MATH

Program:_______________________________________________
Learner name: ___________________________________________
Date:________________________
Level:_________________________________________________

Materials Used
____ ask them when they use Math
____ telling time
____ using money
____ cooking
____ driving
____ decorating
____ worksheets
____ other types of daily math:

Performance Focus
Add:

Subtract:

Multiply:

Divide:

Estimating:

Spatial Ability:

Using a calculator:

Using money:

Word Problems:

Daily Math:

Comments:

Learning Disabilities:

[National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities 1994 revised definition]

- is a general term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders;
- are manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematics;
- are intrinsic to the individual;
- (presumed) to be due to central nervous system dysfunction;
- may be discovered across the life span;
- may occur with problems in self-regulatory behavior, social perception, and social interaction (but these are NOT themselves the disability);
- are NOT the result of other handicapping conditions such as loss of sight or hearing, mental retardation, inadequate schooling or instruction.

Some common signs of Learning Disabilities :

http://www.ldonline.com/ccldinfo/2.html

High School Students and Adults:
- continues to spell incorrectly, frequently the same word differently in a single piece of writing
- avoids reading and writing tasks
- trouble summarizing
- trouble with open-ended questions on tests
- weak memory skills
- difficulty adjusting to new settings
- works slowly
- poor grasp of abstract concepts
- either pays too little attention to details or focuses on them too much
- misreads information

back to standards

ABE	ESL
_ Beginning ABE Literacy	_ Beginning ESL Literacy
_ Beginning Basic Education	_ Beginning ESL
_ Low Intermediate Basic Education	_ Low Intermediate ESL
_ High Intermediate Basic Education	_ High Intermediate ESL
_ Low Adult Secondary Education	_ Low Advanced ESL
_ High Adult Secondary Education	_ High Advanced ESL