Assessment

This online course is designed for teachers, program administrators, and professional development providers who want to understand the present landscape of assessment in Adult Basic Education. In this course, participants will learn about the differences between and uses of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment; identify stakeholders; and consider which assessment type might best suit their needs. The course explores the importance of having students establish their own goals and the alignment of assessments and instruction with student goals to meet students’ needs.

This self-paced online course introduces, demonstrates, and provides practice in using the Assessment Strategies & Reading Profiles (ASRP) website. Participants learn how to navigate the website and use the Match-an-ASRP-Profile feature to access reading profiles that they can use to assess their individual students' reading strengths and weaknesses and target instructional needs. Participants review the research and assessment tools and learn how to use the site and the profiles to plan reading instruction for individuals and groups of students in the classroom setting.

Formative assessment focuses on student learning and the notion that instruction and assessment are reciprocal in nature. In this study circle, participants will explore ways to plan instruction with the end in mind to help adult English language learners demonstrate their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Practitioners will examine formative assessment processes and tools for their potential usefulness. They will also examine student work together and generate ideas for providing effective descriptive feedback as well as determining appropriate next steps in teaching.

In this self-paced online course, participants will define formative assessment and explain its integral role in systematically planning and delivering adult English as a second language instruction, select and design a variety of formative assessment activities that engage learners in setting their own goals and monitoring their own progress, and will use appropriate oral and written feedback techniques that inform learners of their progress.

This one-session study circle will provide users who have completed the online course Formative Assessment to Inform Quality Adult ESL Instruction with additional opportunities to explore the course content, engage in faculty and peer discussions, and continue to gain knowledge and implementation strategies related to topics in the course. Participants should bring their questions and comments from the course to participate in a Question & Answer session with the study circle facilitator.