Assessment Literacy for Language Teachers by Peggy Garza Partner Language Training Center Europe Associate BILC Secretary for Testing Programs

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Assessment Literacyfor Language
TeachersbyPeggy GarzaPartner Language
Training Center EuropeAssociate BILC Secretary
for Testing Programs
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What is assessment literacy?

• Knowledge, skills, and understanding of
  assessment principles and practice (Taylor, 2009)

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Why is it important?

• So teachers can provide fair and accurate
  assessments of their students
• To improve alignment between classroom
  instruction and desired final learning outcomes
• To support increasing accountability for
  classroom instruction
• For professional development purposes

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Fundamental Concepts

• Test purpose
• Test types
• Item formats and scoring
• Objective vs subjective
• Measurement principles
• Validity, reliability, practicality
• Basic statistical concepts
• Mean, median, mode, dispersion, correlations

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Classroom Assessment

• Placement tests
• Achievement tests
• Performance tests
• Teacher/peer feedback
• Portfolio assessments

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Proficiency Testing IAW STANAG 6001

• Proficiency testing
• Not based on any specific curriculum
• Separate testing of the four skills
• Listening, speaking, reading, and writing
• Criterion-referenced test
• Descriptors for each level
• Not military-specific special purposes testing

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Washback

• Washback is the term that is used when students
  and teachers do things they would not necessarily
  otherwise do because of the test. (Alderson and
  Wall, 1993)
• Positive and negative washback
• Positive improvements in classroom instruction
  to better align it with STANAG 6001 testing
• Negative test prep courses, such as those
  focusing on memorized or rehearsed language

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Positive Washback STANAG 6001 Testing

• Familiarization with the descriptors
• Content, tasks and accuracy
• Reading
• Tasks
• Variety of topical domains
• Listening
• Tasks
• Authenticity
• Different NS accents
• Pace, passage length

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Positive Washback STANAG 6001 Testing

• Speaking
• Tasks
• Role play
• Unrehearsed speech
• Writing
• Tasks
• Timed writing
• Scoring rubrics
• Plus levels

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Hallmarks of Level 3 Proficiency

• Professional level language
• Abstract concepts and complex topics
• Low frequency vocabulary
• Understanding the authors tone
• Argumentation, analysis, hypothesis
• Extended discourse
• Errors almost never interfere

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2013 Calendar of STANAG 6001 Testing Events

• Language Testing Seminar (LTS)
• February and September in Garmisch, Germany
• Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)
• June and October/November in Garmisch, Germany
• Annual STANAG 6001 Testing Conference
• Early September at SHAPE in Mons, Belgium
• New Is there interest in an item development
  workshop?
• POCs Peggy Garza and Jana Vasilj-Begovic