Annotated Bibliography

Abedi, J. (2009). Computer testing as a form of accommodation for English language learners.

Educational Assessment​, ​14​(3-4), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627190903448851

Abedi’s article describes the research he conducted to find out which accommodations

were most appropriate for language learners. He explains that often, accommodations are

given to language learners without thinking about which accommodations will actually

enhance their ability to access the test. His research was conducted on fourth and eighth

grade students, both language learners and non language learners in order to analyze how

often the accommodations were used and what impact they had on scores. He found that

one of the most effective strategies was a customized glossary that students could use to

help them understand each question. His findings are of great benefit to English language

teachers as they think about ways to better support their students.

Brown, H.D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2019). ​Language assessment: Principles and classroom

practices. ​(3rd ed.) Pearson Education Inc.

Brown and Abeywickrama provide a comprehensive analysis of assessment for language

learners. They explain the purpose of assessment, types of assessment and specifications

for creating assessments. Each chapter focuses on a component of assessment or a

language domain. The book is filled with assessment examples and practical advice. The

questions for application and reflection at the end of each chapter are helpful in
 processing the information provided. Educators will find this to be a resource they return

to as they plan assessments in their own classes.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D.J. (2016). ​Making content comprehensible for English
th​
learners: The SIOP model​ (5​ ed.). U ​ pper Saddle River, NJ: ​Pearson.

Echevarria, Vogt, and Short explain the eight components of their SIOP (​Sheltered

Instruction Observation Protocol®)​ model in this practitioner’s book. This model is

created to support language learners in accessing instruction in a more meaningful way.

The book is organized by component and is easily readable. Included at the end of the

book is an Appendix with pages that can be used to plan for instruction. Classroom

teachers and English language teachers alike will appreciate the practicality and

relevance of this book and the many strategies that it offers for supporting language

learners.

Fox, J., & Fairbairn, S. (2011). ACCESS for ELLs. ​Language Testing, 28​(3), 425–431.

Fox and Fairbairn’s journal article provides a comprehensive analysis of the ACCESS for

ELLs test. In it, they explain the purpose of the test, the components of the test, and the

development of the test. They explain the formatting of the ACCESS test, and they also

included a detailed description of the score reports produced at the completion of the

assessment. Although the writing of this journal article is more dense than typical
 educator reading, the information provided is valuable. Educators who are unfamiliar

with the ACCESS test and who need more specific information about the test itself will

find this information very useful.

Kenyon, D. M., MacGregor, D., Dongyang, L., & Cook, H.G. (2011). Issues in vertical scaling

of a K-12 English language proficiency test. ​Language Testing, 28​(3), 383–400.

These researchers delve into the topic of vertical scaling in relation to the ACCESS test.

They begin by explaining the details of the ACCESS test and also review literature

already written about vertical scoring. This portion of the journal article is readable and

provides a solid explanation which educators will find useful. The language gets very

technical as they explain how the vertical scoring process works. To support the

technicality of the writing, they provide several charts and graphics. Educators who want

to understand the nuts and bolts of the ACCESS test will find this article informative.

Kim, A. A., Chapman, M., Kondo, A., & Wilmes, C. (2019). Examining the assessment literacy

required for interpreting score reports: A focus on educators of K–12 English learners.

Language Testing,​ ​37​(1), 54-75. doi:10.1177/0265532219859881

The authors of this article explored the topic of interpreting score reports. They

conducted interviews with educators to analyze the assessment literacy levels and to

examine if teachers were able to understand the ACCESS score reports they were
 receiving. They found that many teachers did not feel competent to analyze the reports

and that they would have appreciated additional information about how to read and use

the reports. They also found that some teachers requested more information from the

reports such as student progress over time and more specific practical applications of the

report. The complexity and technicality of parts of the journal article might make it

difficult for some teachers to readily use, but the information would be very valuable for

English language teachers to know so that they can be prepared to support the teachers

they work through analysis of the score reports.

Solano-Flores, G., Wang, C., Kachchaf, R., Soltero-Gonzalez, L., & Nguyen-Le, K. (2014).

Developing testing accommodations for English language learners: Illustrations as visual

supports for item accessibility. ​Educational Assessment,​ ​19​(4), 267-283.

doi:10.1080/10627197.2014.964116

These authors studied accommodations that are frequently given to English language

learners. They noted that there is little research about developing accommodations or the

effectiveness of accommodations. Their research centered on accomodations in the form

of visual supports. They developed these supports according to the following procedure:

specification, design, production, evaluation and revision. The article concludes with the

explanation that the process for creating accommodations needs to be more through and

thought-out in order to ensure they are the most effective. Although the article itself may

not be directly applicable to English language teachers, its findings certainly have merit.