Module 2: Practicality
Scenario - Elementary Education

Summer teaches an after-school French class to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students in her elementary school and is in charge of selecting an end-of-year listening and speaking test.  The test will be administered to all students in all grades.  She has some concerns about timing and available staff for test administration for her 45 students, since the classes only run twice a week for 2 hours each day and she only has 3 assistant teachers.  However, she does have a network of parents who have volunteered to help manage the class while she and the assistant teachers administer the tests.  She has a set budget each year to cover test expenses.

Get out a sheet of paper.  Using the chart below, guide Summer in test selection.  Then click to reveal sample answers with rationale.

 

Considerations for Test Administration
1.  Giving the test

            Individually-administered?
            Group-administered?
2.  Directions, examples, questions, and prompts

            In English?
            In the target language?
            Spoken?
            Written?
3.  Student answers and responses

            In English?
            In the target language?
            Spoken?
            Written?

Considerations for Scoring Tests
4.  Method of scoring

            Counting the number correct?
            A holistic approach (one overall score)?
            An analytic approach (separate scores for             separate aspects of the performance)?
5.  People and steps involved in scoring

            Hand-scored?
            Machine or computer-scored?
6.  Location for scoring

            Local/On-site?
            Central/Off-site?

 

 

 

 


Positive Washback

The results from this test can be used to inform the curriculum.  Are students performing poorly on the spoken portion?  If so, teachers can include more speaking activities.  The results empower teachers to take an evidence-based approach to lesson planning.