Considerations for English Language Learners K-9

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English Language Learners
K-9
Considerations for English Language Learners K-9
Reporting and communicating student achievement
Together, assessment and reporting are part of a comprehensive
communication system between teachers, students and families.
Comprehensive communication of student learning in the CBE is comprised
of ongoing, informal dialogue as well as more formal aspects that support
teachers, families and students in building and enriching positive learning
partnerships. Effective communication practices ensure that parents are
informed about how their child is doing at school.
Communicating about student learning takes several forms. Student-specific
communication about events in day-to-day learning, issues that arise or
accomplishments to celebrate occur on an ongoing basis through multiple
means such as e-mails, notes in agendas, phone calls, after school
conversations etc. As part of a school-based communication plan, families
also have opportunities to attend conferences, celebrations, open houses, or
other school events that help them to better understand what learning looks
like for their child.
Report cards formally communicate student achievement of learning
outcomes to students and families at specific points in the year. The report
card is one part of a comprehensive communication system about student
learning. It is the formal communication and documentation of a student’s
overall achievement at a specific point in time. The report card provides
teachers the opportunity to communicate to families and students the most
significant aspects of the child’s achievement.
The following information provides a synopsis of considerations for reporting
the progress of English Language Learners.
Considerations for English Language Learners K-9
Report Card Expectations for English Language Learners in
Kindergarten to Grade 9
For the 2014-2015 school year, the expectation for reporting Language
Proficiency Levels (LP1-5) on the report cards is that all K-9 coded ESL
students (301-foreign born, 303-Canadian born, 302-unfunded) will receive:
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language proficiency levels for all strands of language acquisition
(speaking, listening, reading and writing; kindergarten only listening
and speaking),
an overall language proficiency level, and
comments on each report card.
Reporting Language Proficiency
On the K-9 report card, Language Proficiency is reported and communicated
through the course called “English Language Learning (ELL) Language
Proficiency”. The indicators used are Language Proficiency Levels - LP1,
LP2, LP3, LP4 or LP5.
For kindergarten students, Language Proficiency (LP) Levels are provided in
speaking, listening and overall proficiency. After kindergarten, students
receive Language Proficiency Levels in reading and writing as well. The
characteristics of the learner profile at each of the different levels is
described in the attachment, Reporting English Language Learning
Proficiency, that accompanies the report card. A student’s Language
Proficiency Level is based on the Alberta ESL Proficiency Benchmarks.
More information about Benchmarks can be found here:
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/ and information about each of the
Language Proficiency Levels can be found here: Language Proficiency
Levels and Comments for English Language Learners.
Reporting Achievement of Subject-Specific Learning
Outcomes for Students at LP1, LP2 or LP3
It is expected that, as much as possible, English Language Learners be
assessed on their achievement of outcomes in the Alberta Programs of
Study. However, there may be linguistically-based outcomes with which
students with lower proficiency levels cannot engage. Teachers use
evidence of student learning and professional judgment to determine
whether a student’s language proficiency level impacts the evaluation of
achievement of a report card outcome.
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Considerations for English Language Learners K-9
When a student’s Language Proficiency Level impacts the evaluation of a
student’s achievement of a report card outcome, the indicator “ELL” is used
in place of a numerical (1-4) achievement indicator. A comment should then
be included in comment section for that Program of Studies which reads:
“Progress and achievement is communicated through the use of Language
Proficiency Levels (LP1-3) in the course “ELL Language Proficiency Levels.”
For more information about writing effective report card comments for
English Language Learners, please refer to: Language Proficiency Levels
and Comments for English Language Learners.
Reporting Achievement of Subject-Specific Learning
Outcomes for Students at LP3, LP4 or LP5
English Language Learners whose Language Proficiency is LP3, LP4 or
LP5 are assessed in relation to the outcomes of Programs of Study.
Teachers should use a numerical (1-4) achievement indicator to describe a
student’s achievement against each report card outcome. With appropriate
differentiated instruction, ELL students at proficiency levels LP3, LP4 and
LP5 should be able to access the concepts and understandings of the
Programs of Study.
Reporting Citizenship, Personal Development and Character
in and through Learning
Results 3, 4 and 5 are assessed and reported for all learners. Descriptive
feedback about each of the three Results is provided for students on at least one
report card each year. In June, the summative scale indicators (EX, EV, EM or
SR) are used against each report card outcome for Citizenship, Personal
Development and Character. Evidence of these important aspects of learning is
gathered through a variety of language-based and non-language-based
experiences, so a student’s Language Proficiency Level should not preclude the
use of the summative scale.
Writing Effective Comments
Effective report card comments K-12 are specific, descriptive and
contextualized; they offer parents a glimpse into the progress and
achievement a student has made over the course of a term at school. In the
CBE’s Guiding Principles of Assessment, six key characteristics are
described for effective report card comments: student-specific, strengthbased and growth-oriented, aligned with the Programs of Study or
appropriate program goals, clear and unambiguous, and working in tandem
with Individual Program Plans. For details about each of these
characteristics, please refer to: Guiding Principles of Assessment.
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Considerations for English Language Learners K-9
In the course called “English Language Learning (ELL) Language
Proficiency”, linguistic comments for English Language Learners should
detail what the student is able to do linguistically:
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a specific goal that has been achieved or mastered,
the specific language goals the student is working on, and
an explanation of how the student is being supported to achieve the
language goals.
For examples of linguistic commenting refer to the document Language
Proficiency Levels and Comments for English Language Learners.
Further Considerations for Report Card Comments
Comments do not need to cover the full range of assessment evidence
gathered over the course of the term, and duplication of information already
described when reporting and communicating Language Proficiency Levels
(LP Levels L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) should be avoided. In general, there are a few
questions that can guide decision-making around what to report to parents:
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What was the most significant progress made in this area this term?
What supports or strategies were effective?
What obstacles or setbacks were encountered? How were they
resolved?
What next?
When writing comments on report cards for English Language Learners
please also consider the audience:
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the English language proficiency of the parents/guardians and
the English language proficiency of the student
The Alberta Education/Learn Alberta site provides additional resources to
support ELL benchmarking including exemplars of writing, videos of student
speech with commentary, a glossary of ESL terms and additional
explanations of language structures. This information can be found at
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/
If you are interested in learning more about language acquisition, you may
contact the English Language Learning Team at [email protected].
For more information regarding reporting achievement of learning for
English Language Learners ELLs please contact Learning Services.
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Considerations for English Language Learners K-9
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Decision Making Chart:
English Language Learners K-9
The English Language
Learner has an Alberta
Education special
education code and is
on an IPP.
Programming for this student is related to
their Alberta Education special education
code. Refer to Decision Making Chart:
Students with Alberta Education Special
Education Coding.
Programming for this student is related to
their language learning needs. Refer to
Language Proficiency Levels (LP1-5) in
this chart.
The student is an
English Language
Learner
(ELL)
The student has a Language Proficiency
Level of LP1, LP2.
All ELLs Language
Proficiency Levels
(LP1-5) and descriptive
comments should be
reported in the course
“English Language
Learning (ELL)
Language Proficiency”
on the report card.
Use the ELL indicator against the
Program of Studies report card
outcome for LP1, LP2, and when
appropriate LP3. The comment
“Progress and achievement is
communicated through the use of
Language Proficiency Levels (LP1-3)”
in the course “English Language
Learning (ELL) Language Proficiency”
can be used to indicate where
information regarding the student’s
English language development is
reported.
The student has a Language Proficiency
Level of LP3. Teachers use professional
judgement when reviewing evidence of
achievement to determine whether the
student’s language proficiency level
impacts the evaluation of achievement.
The student has a Language Proficiency
Level of LP4, LP5.
Use a numerical (1-4) achievement
indicator and descriptive comments,
where appropriate, against the report
card outcome to communicate
achievement of the Program of
Studies outcomes for LP3 (where
appropriate), LP4 and LP5.

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