Standards-Based Education and ESL Assessment

Global Implementation of Standards-Based Education

  • National Education Standards and Improvement Council Report (1993):

    • Documented the global adoption and implementation of standards-based educational systems across multiple nations.

  • China:

    • Educational standards are established uniformly across the entire nation and apply to all levels of the school system.
    • National policy and standards are set directly by the State Education Commission located in Beijing.

  • England:

    • Historical Context: Standards-setting was originally viewed as the responsibility of individual local schools.
    • Education Reform Act (1988): Mandated a centralized system and formally outlined the process for establishing a standardized national curriculum.

  • Japan:

    • Established national standards through the Ministry of Education's official curriculum (www.mext.go.jp/english/).
    • Defines detailed content standards for school instruction nationwide.
    • Administers large-scale national examinations to assess student achievement against established standards (Akiyama, 2004).

Language Learning Standards and European Frameworks

  • Communicative Focus in Europe:

    • Language standards were developed specifically to transition foreign language instruction toward a more communicative framework across European educational systems.

  • Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages:

    • Formulated by the Council of Europe (2001; www.coe.int).
    • Original Purpose: Facilitated the transfer and recognition of language proficiency credentials across European national borders, serving individuals needing proof of language skill such as immigrant workers and professionals.
    • Current Educational Role: CEFR policy goals are fully integrated into all levels of European education.
    • Systemic Accountability: Educational frameworks must align both curriculum and assessment practices with CEFR standards and report student achievement levels to supporting agencies to ensure structural accountability.

  • European Association for Language Testing and Assessment (EALTA):

    • Promotes quality standards and best practices in language testing and assessment throughout Europe (www.ealta.eu.org).

Standards Movement and Educational Equity in the United States

  • Demographics and Key Terminology:

    • Constructing educational standards over recent decades has presented unique challenges in language arts, driven by millions of nonnative English speakers enrolled in schools.
    • Key professional terms used widely across elementary and secondary education include:
    • English as a Second Language (ESL)
    • English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
    • English Language Learners (ELLs)
    • English Language Development (ELD)

  • Core Focus on Educational Equity:

    • The U.S. standards movement emphasizes equity as a fundamental priority.
    • Core Goals:
    1. Establishing clear, concrete, and measurable educational expectations.
    2. Setting high academic expectations for all students without exception, specifically including second language users.

TESOL ESL Standards Framework and Goals

  • Historical Background:

    • Despite significant growth in schoolchildren from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds, English as a Second Language was not designated as a federal content area for standards development for many years.
    • To guarantee that English Language Learners (ELLs) receive high-quality educational programming and opportunities to meet rigorous benchmarks, the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) organization created dedicated ESL educational standards (Gottlieb, Carnuccio, Ernst-Slavit, & Katz, 2006).

  • Purpose and Objectives of TESOL Standards:

    • Expresses explicitly what students must know and be able to demonstrate as a result of targeted ESL instruction.
    • Establishes growth targets across three primary areas:
    • Social language development
    • Academic language development
    • Sociocultural competence

  • Pedagogical Design:

    • Adopts a functional approach to language learning and language application.
    • Designed to provide maximum flexibility in curriculum development and program implementation.

  • Structure of ESL Content Standards (Short, 2000):

    • Comprises nine content standards grouped under three overarching educational goals.
    • Goal 1: To use English to communicate in social settings
    • Standard 1: Students will use English to participate in social interactions.
    • Standard 2: Students will interact in, through, and with spoken and written English for personal expression and enjoyment.
    • Standard 3: Students will use learning strategies to extend their communicative competence.