Sample Response – Heritage

Considerations for Test Administration

            1.  Giving the test.  Is it…

  ___   Individually-administered?
  _X    Group-administered?

Because Ms. Mehra doesn’t have a lot of staff at her disposal, she should orient towards a test that can be group-administered. This way, she can have multiple test sessions to accommodate students, with one instructor at each session.

            2.  Directions, examples, questions, and prompts.  Are they…

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

 Ms. Mehra will have to consult with the other instructors about the skill levels of the other groups before making a decision about the format. Because the assessment is formative, the content and format should accurately represent what the students are able to do, including prompts and examples.

            3.  Student answers and responses.  Are they…

  _X_   In English?
  _X_   In the target language?
  __   Spoken?
    X     Written?

Again, Ms. Mehra will have to consult with the other instructors about the skill levels of the other groups before making a decision about the format. However, because the assessment is group-administered, students will need to write down their answers to prevent sharing.

Considerations for Scoring Tests

             4.  Method of scoring.  Does it involve…

  _X_   Counting the number correct?
  _X_   A holistic approach (one overall score)?
           An analytic approach (separate scores for separate aspects of the performance)?

The test should allow for the quickest scoring by a small number of proctors. Because Ms. Mehra and the other staff teach at a community center, in addition to being outnumbered by students, they need something that will save time. 

The score should be holistic, in order to give both students and instructors a better overall idea of students’ proficiencies. 

            5.  People and steps involved in scoring.  Is the test…

  __   Hand-scored?
    X     Machine or computer-scored?

 The community center has a newly-built library space, including a computer lab, which Ms. Mehra and the other instructors can take advantage of. 

            6.  Location for scoring.  Is it…

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

Scoring the test locally and with the help of the lab’s technology will save both time and money. 

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For more heritage learner scenarios, see the Heritage Language Assessment Module