Title of product: Valid, Reliable, and Appropriate Assessments for Adult English Language Learners

Author(s): D. Kenyon, & C. Van Duzer

Institutional affiliation/Agency/Program: Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL); National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE)

Publication date or date of most recent update: 2003

Number of pages: 6

Website URL: http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/digests/langassessQA.html

Type of product: informational/training

Key words: English as a Second Language (ESL), assessment, adults, immigrants

Targets: Instructors, Administrators

Training required: None

Abstract: This introductory article covers the basics on what should be considered when an assessment for English language learners. The authors use principles from the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) to guide their discussion. Topics covered are the NRS standards, proficiency versus achievement, aligning goals with appropriate assessments, types of assessments, roles of those involved in the assessment process, and definitions and importance of validity and reliability. This article serves as an excellent introductory guide for anyone planning or reviewing assessments.

What the experts say: NOTE: This article has been reviewed by the Assessment Collection and the English Language Acquisition Collection. Reviewer comments from both collections are included below.

Summary of Assessment Review Comments:
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This resource poses some excellent questions and considerations for developing performance-based assessments, and for determining what is valid, reliable and appropriate assessment for adult ELLs.  It not only raises the underlying issues that challenge assessment development, but offers some guidance in making decisions on what to choose. 

Note:  If you print out a copy of the material for review, you should also make sure to click on the link to Figure 1 in the second paragraph of page 3 to also print out the diagram.

Summary of English Language Acquisition Review Comments:

Valid, Reliable, and Appropriate Assessments for Adult English Language Learners (2003) has been and continues to be of value to the field of adult education. Since the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, administrators, programs, and states have struggled to understand and follow accountability requirements of the National Reporting System (NRS). The article’s succinct and authoritative responses to four questions help explain assessment issues to the many in the field who are unfamiliar with the underlying concepts. This digest is one attempt to help program administrators, state staff and others understand basic concepts—such as achievement, proficiency, validity, and reliability—in order to develop or enhance assessment policies.

Because some in the field of adult education may be only familiar with achievement testing, the discussion of achievement and proficiency is particularly useful.  This digest explains that learning English is not about whether or not a person can answer questions on a test, but how effectively that person can use English in real life. The discussions of validity and reliability are similarly useful. These can guide program administrators and others so that they can make appropriate decisions about what assessments to use—for the purposes of the NRS and to inform practice within programs.

In the years since Valid, Reliable, and Appropriate Assessments for Adult English Language Learners was written some changes have occurred (e.g., the adult ESL educational functioning levels have changed, more states are working on content standards, new assessments have been developed), but it remains an important digest of foundational information about assessment and adult ESL.