Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Assessment Dilemma For the last several years, the administrators and the teaching staff at Smith Elementary School have been happy to report their school's high achievement test scores. The school district has spent countless dollars on professional development workshops for teachers. Assessment experts have presented valuable information on test taking strategies that bring positive results. Mrs. Madison, who teaches second grade, has faithfully attended all of the information packed presentations. She can now reap the benefits of her new approach to standardized testing. Her students' scores last year far exceeded her expectations as a classroom teacher. Mrs. Madison was very pleased with the level of academic performance her students displayed on the end of year exams. Ironically, these latest scores arrived on the same day Mrs. Madison received her student list for the upcoming school year. After reviewing the names of her new second graders, Mrs. Madison became quite concerned. The list of students revealed two last names that were obviously not typical American names. After a brief conversation with the principal of her school, she learned that an expanding business in the area had hired employees from other countries to join their corporation. As a result, new families were moving into the local community to work at this prestigious business. These specialized employees were moving their families into an unfamiliar country and culture in order to take advantage of an opportunity to work in the United States. The principal informed Mrs. Madison that these new students coming to Smith Elementary would be hearing the English language for the first time. The determined principal also relayed to Mrs. Madison the importance of maintaining their school's reputation of producing high test scores. Mrs. Madison was now facing an unfamiliar task of teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) students and upholding high standardized assessment scores. Questions: 1. Is Mrs. Madison's assessment dilemma an unfamiliar situation in today's educational system? 2. Was the principal of Smith Elementary School asking too much of Mrs.? Madison? 3. How could Mrs. Madison prepare for her new ESL students? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) 1. Mrs. Madison's change classroom composition is not unfamiliar in today's educational system. Even if all the students were the same race and spoke the same language, there is never a guarantee that the test scores will remain the same. 2. Yes, because there will be a language barrier between Mrs. Madison and her new second grade students and it takes several years for ELL students to become fluent in their new language, teaching will not remain the same for Mrs. Madison. She will have to adapt her lessons and teaching style for her students. 3. Mrs. Madison will need to learn some basic vocabulary of the language her new students speak. Second, she can still utilize her approaches to standardized testing however, she will need to adapt them to what her new students will need.                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I agree to a certain extent. I believe that is also unfair of the principal to hold high expectations still has now Mrs. Madison will have to teach differently. She will now have to change her teaching style base off the needs of the new students, which will prove to be a slow transition. I would suggest instead of just using basic vocabulary to also incorporate pictures. Seeing how these children may have never heard the English language before, pictures are pretty universal. Rated On: October 19, 2014 11:59 pm Rated By: dePyja                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I would use this in my classroom Rated On: October 17, 2022 3:19 am Rated By: NyXaze