How are they determining the participation of English learners in statewide testing programs?

The concern for educators to be effective for their ELL students is the relationship “101”. We have to build relationships and learn about them as individuals. We have to support and encourage them to build their self-identity as a student but as an individual. Lumbrears (2019) discusses that we have to on every level, i.e., states, districts, and educators develop the capacity of expertise to teach and deal with this infusion of ELL students. We affect our students on so many levels to ask them questions throughout every process of assessment, may it be informal and formal, so we can assist them to be successful in their learning environment. The relationship between student performance and teaching skills is interlocked because that achievement is based upon on us to appropriately implement any task academically and pedagogically is crucial to what students learn and master (Lumbrears, 2019). I have learned through this class and the assignments that I have to be intentional in my approach for my ELL students to make milestone changes and successes in their educational career. We have to have a clear consensus by educators that teacher expectation contributes to ELL academic success (Lumbrears, 20190. These expectations are not only obtainable but aggressive in their success in mastering the dominant language. There are no perfect instructional and questioning strategy approaches, we have to address the specifics of that particular learning environment. Lumbrears, R.,Jr, & Rupley, W. H. (2019). Educational experiences of ELL educators: Searching for instructional insights to promote ELL students’ learning. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 18(1), 17-38. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10671-017-9225-z The questions that are pertinent to placing students in the correct classrooms and providing the assistance they need are the following: What assessment policies are states using? How are they identifying and reclassifying English learners from special language programs? How are they determining the participation of English learners in statewide testing programs? The best way to gather this data would be to very simple and easy to take surveys that students can complete electronically. No more than twenty questions will be asked in each survey and the questions will be as simple as clicking a button. This way the data is accounted for and gathered in a way which would be accurate and not compromised in any way. In his research of the Irish School System, and that European Policies concerning the needs of ELs, Patrick Farren found that, “These findings are a cause for concern as inequality has a negative impact on social cohesion as well as on economic development. Inequality in education ‘implies that human potential is being wasted’, and this is leading to ‘lower levels of political participation and a general inability to participate in the richness of society” (2016). Inequity and failure to assess the needs of EL students, and to accommodate them accordingly, has a tremendous ripple effect into their lives and productivity. When inequality is found to be the norm in any educational setting, it becomes an issue of unfairness in all other aspects of life and how people function within a society. When states require EL students to take State Mandated Exams in order to determine their level of intelligence and awareness of certain concepts within a given language, namely English, it is important to consider several factors. Will the student understand the questions on the exam? How can we ensure that the questions are simplified? This can be done very easily and simply. Re-writing the questions on an exam does not take too much time or resources. A committee of instructors can be formed and the questions can be completed and submitted for Board and State approval. Once approved, a group of EL students may take the survey or exam as a practice run and give their honest feedback on the questions and overall difficulty of the exam. We have the necessary resources to help our EL students succeed in school and become well-accomplished individuals on an academic level. It comes down to our desire to want to do so and persevere for the sake of our students. References
Farren, P. patrick. fatten@nuigahvay. i. (2016). Addressing Needs of English Language Learners in Mainstream Classes: Lessons for Teacher Education in Ireland. Irish Journal of Education, 41, 21–38.