Adult ESL Resources from CAL

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Adult ESL Resources from CAL

• Presented by
• Dorry Kenyon, Director, Language Testing Division
• Miriam Burt, Associate Director, Center for Adult
  English Language Acquisition (CAELA)

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Goal of the Session

• To acquaint you with adult ESL resources from CAL
• for instruction
• for assessment

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Introduction

• U.S. Census Bureau data from 2000 show that many
  states have experienced an over 90 increase in
  their immigrant population since 1990.
• Since 1989 CAL has served the needs of
  practitioners and programs working with adults
  learning English with the
• National Center for ESL Literacy Education
  (NCLE), 1989-2004
• Center for Adult English Language Acquisition
  (CAELA), established 2004

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Introduction

• CAL's staff provide a variety of resources to
  meet the needs of those who work with adult
  English language learners, including
• Creating effective professional staff
  development models and processes that improve
  instruction
• Preparing teachers to work with adult English
  language learners
• Synthesizing research and theory on how adult
  English language learners develop oral
  proficiency and English literacy skills and
  disseminating this information to practitioners
  and all who work with this population
• Developing, disseminating, and supporting
  appropriate assessments for adults learning
  English as a second language in the United States

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About CAELA

• CAL has established the Center for Adult English
  Language Acquisition (CAELA) to assist states
  with adult populations learning English as a
  second language (ESL).
• CAELA is funded by the U.S. Department of
  Education, Office of Vocational and Adult
  Education (OVAE).
• CAELA staff work with state representatives to
  build the capacity to promote English language
  learning and academic achievement among adults.
• CAELA offers free publications and technical
  assistance to federal, state, local, and
  community-based providers seeking information
  about teaching adult English language learners

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About CAELA (continued)

• CAELA activities
• Holding regional capacity-building workshops for
  state teams of ESL professionals
• Developing a toolkit of training materials for
  state trainers
• Disseminating research-based information and
  resources to all states regarding effective
  English language instruction for adults,
  including curricula, program standards, reports,
  and findings from research
• Providing ongoing technical assistance to states,
  programs, and practitioners by answering
  questions related to adult ESL instruction and
  research, providing trainings on adult ESL
  topics, and disseminating the quarterly
  newsletter, CAELA Currents

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About CAELA (continued)

• CAELA activities (continued)
• Maintaining a Web site where briefs, digests, a
  searchable adult ESL database, online
  collections, and other resources provide
  information for practitioners and where
  professional development activities and
  opportunities, training materials, and links to
  other useful Web sites assist practitioners as
  they seek to improve their practice
• Moderating an electronic discussion list for
  adult ESL practitioners

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CAELA Resources

• You can download a variety of free resources from
  the CAELA Web site including
• Practitioner Toolkit Working with Adult English
  Language Learners
• How Should Adult ESL Reading Instruction Differ
  From ABE Reading Instruction?
• Using the ESL Program Standards to Evaluate and
  Improve Adult ESL Programs
• Applying Research Findings to Instruction for
  Adult English Language Students
• Online Professional Development for Adult ESL
  Educators
• Adolescent Learners in Adult ESL Classrooms

www.cal.org/caela
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CAELA Web site

• Visit CAELA online for information and to
  download free resources.
• Ask CAELA if you have questions about adult ESL
  at caela_at_cal.org
• Join the adult ESL electronic discussion list by
  contacting lterrill_at_cal.org
• Subscribe to CAELA Currents at caela_at_cal.org

www.cal.org/caela
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Assessments for Adult English Language Learners

• Why assess?
• Placement
• Progress
• Program Evaluation
• Accountability (NRS)

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Adult ESL assessments from CAL
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Current BEST

• The oral interview section provides scores for
  communication, fluency, pronunciation, and
  listening comprehension skills.
• The literary skills section provides scores for
  reading and writing.
• Two parallel forms (Form B and Form C) are
  available for pre- and posttesting.

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Important update about the BEST

• The oral interview section of the BEST has been
  replaced by BEST Plus and will be retired
  effective September 30, 2006.
• The current literacy skills section, which will
  continue to be available through September 30,
  2006, is undergoing revision.
• As of October 1, 2006, the revised literacy
  section will be available from CAL as BEST
  Literacy.

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Changes to the BEST
BEST Oral Interview Section
BEST Plus (Listening and Speaking)
BEST Literacy Skills Section
BEST Literacy (Reading and Writing)
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About the updated BEST Literacy

• Retains all important elements of the current
  BEST literacy skills section
• Assesses reading and writing skills
• Survival level
• Real-life tasks
• Scores interpreted by Student Performance Levels
  (SPLs 0 to 7)
• Aligned to NRS levels
• May be used as a posttest for the current
  literacy skills section

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About the updated BEST Literacy (continued)

• Updates content of the current BEST literacy
  skills section
• Current calendars, salaries, prices, and so on
• Improved photos and graphics
• Improved user-friendliness
• More user-friendly look and feel
• More support for users (e.g., additional samples
  for scoring writing)
• Additional technical information (e.g.,
  comparability to the current BEST literacy skills
  section)
• Three forms will be available for pre- and
  posttesting

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About BEST Plus

• BEST Plus assesses the oral proficiency of adult
  English language learners
• BEST Plus provides the flexibility of
  administering the test in two ways
• Computer-adaptive version on CD
• Semi-adaptive print-based version
• BEST Plus is adaptive never the same test
  twice.
• BEST Plus can be used for pre- and posttesting.

BEST Plus is administered as a face-to-face
oral interview.
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BEST Plus scores three components of proficiency
Listening Comprehension

• How well does the examinee understand the test
  question?

Language Complexity
How well does the examinee organize and elaborate
the response?
Communication
How clearly does the examinee communicate meaning?
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About the computer-adaptive version

• BEST Plus software customizes the test based on
  each examinees language ability.
• The test takes 5-20 minutes to administer,
  depending on the language proficiency of the
  examinee.

Scores are entered directly into the computer.
The computer then updates its
estimate of the examinees ability and chooses
the next folder and questions based on this
estimate.
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BEST Plus generates informative score reports

• Each score report expresses completed test scores
  in terms of a BEST Plus scale score and an SPL.
• BEST Plus scores align with the NRS ESL
  Functioning Levels.
• Each score report includes a subscore for
  listening comprehension, language complexity, and
  communication.

The Score Management Software provided with the
test allows administrators to view and print
score reports and transfer test data between
databases.
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BEST Plus starts with training

• To ensure the accurate use of BEST Plus, training
  of test administrators is required.
• Training can be scheduled for up to 25 test
  administrators. Regional trainings are also
  available in selected locations.
• For more details or to get started, contact
• Michelle Ueland
• BEST Plus Client Relations
• Toll-free 1-866-845-BEST (2378)
• Direct 202-355-1581
• Email mueland_at_cal.org

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BEST Plus Demo

• Visit our TESOL booth 504 for a demonstration

Wednesday, March 15 300 pm Thursday, March
16 1100 am Friday, March 17 100 pm
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About CAL

• The Center for Applied Linguistics is a private
  nonprofit organization working to improve
  communication through better understanding of
  language and culture.
• Established in 1959, CAL has earned a national
  and international reputation for its
  contributions to the fields of foreign language
  education, bilingual education, English as a
  second language, literacy, dialect studies,
  language policy, refugee orientation, and the
  education of linguistically and culturally
  diverse adults and children.

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Contact CAL

• Center for Applied Linguistics
• 4646 40th Street, NW
• Washington, DC 20016-1859
• Telephone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email info_at_cal.org
• www.cal.org