Running Head: SATs IN ESL LEARNING 1

Equity, Reliability, and Validity of SATs in ESL Learning

Student's Name

Institution's Name

Course Name

Instructor's Name

Date
Running Head: SATs IN ESL LEARNING 2

Equity, Reliability, and Validity of SATs in ESL Learning

Many language teaching and testing scholars have concluded that objective

assessments, such as Standardized Attainment Tests (SATs) in English as a Second Language

(ESL) learning do not accurately represent students' productive skills. SATs, in this opinion,

should take into account additional facts about a student's language proficiency (Yoo et al.,

2019). The SAT is a commonly employed and valuable tool for evaluating an international

student's capacity to manage training in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. The

ability to compose accurately is an essential aspect of English proficiency. Language

competence is one of the variables that influence educational success. It is widely assumed

that the more fluent student has a higher likelihood of succeeding in college coursework than

the student with poor English language skills. However, proficiency is a subjective concept

that may be influenced by various considerations that should be addressed while prescribing

SATs. This paper investigates some of the issues posed about the equity, reliability, and

validity of using SATs in ESL learning.

The most challenging situation with any language literacy examination is limiting

testing to language abilities while limiting intelligence testing. Any of the confounding

variables in language proficiency variability include cultural disparities and discrepancies in

human contact types. The SAT was created to assess language proficiency. This designation

appeared to be validated by a study conducted by Gatuka (2017), which compared native-

speaker and foreign-speaker productivity on the test. Based on these results, cognitive

abilities or a standardized accuracy level outside the reach of the ordinary native speaker

should be checked. SATs in ESL were used to assess the English proficiency of non-native

speakers applying to post-secondary academic institutions. As a result, the language standard

included must be suitable for all ESL classes. Understanding English learning could be the

basis of any of these inconsistencies (Ragchaa, 2019).

Running Head: SATs IN ESL LEARNING 3

The usage of time limitations in the administration of the SATs can often lead to

testing success intelligence. Assume, though, that an exam tests knowledge and language

proficiency. In such a scenario, While SATs in ESL may assess academic preparation, one of

the factors influencing SAT comprehension is the difficulty in distinguishing between

language proficiency and cognitive ability. Specific speech styles affect test results as well.

Yu and Green (2021) contend that we must exercise caution when interpreting SATs that

stress linguistic imagination to measure language capacity. Language learners who are risk-

takers are more prone to use the language to articulate themselves entirely, resulting in more

communication mistakes. Conservative language learners, on the other hand, limit contact to

prevent technological mistakes.

According to Gatuka (2017), these differences do not always represent language

proficiency. Conservatives can be competent yet unnecessarily cautious, or they may lack

basic skills but make good use of a small vocabulary and syntax. On the other hand, the

proficient risk-taker may play with different grammatical constructs and, although less

proficient than the cautious learner, maybe even more verbose. If grammatical correctness is

used to evaluate results, the conservative will win. If duration or creativity are essential rating

factors, the risk-taker will win. Individual differences in style can have an impact on answers

to any SAT challenge that involves language development.

Another factor mentioned by Reshetar and Pitts (2020) is cultural differences in

creative language SAT results. Students with a particular cultural or national context can be

more hesitant to answer in detail for purposes unrelated to language competence or the

linguistic SAT challenge at hand. Others, on the other hand, could be much more

linguistically assertive in the same case. According to Son (2017), SAT exams focused on

proper norm use are a predictor of social identity. Even if it tests something else, SAT usage

would most certainly correspond very well with what is often referred to as writing capacity.
Running Head: SATs IN ESL LEARNING 4

The SAT is a supplement to, not a substitute for, the multiple-choice writing/grammar part of

the exam. It has been established that both direct and indirect writing steps have distinct

advantages and disadvantages. While objective writing proficiency tests are more reliable,

individual writing samples have more face validity (Yoo et al., 2019). The appearance of a

test to test supervisors, educators, and scholars is referred to as face validity. For instance, it

cannot be seen in place of scientific validation. However, it does have a sense of

acknowledged validity.

According to Reshetar and Pitts (2020), the open topic essay SAT in ESL has the

most robust construct validity for assessing overall writing abilities since graders are granted

the opportunity to review the whole test. The subject states, constructs, and supports a study.

This adds equity to ESL SATs. Ragchaa (2019) defines construct validity as a test of fit to

previous conceptual properties. Typically, it entails a straightforward statement of the theory,

a prior estimation of how the test might perform given the approach, and verifies the test's

match to the idea following the administration of the test. As a result, the construct validation

of writing SATs is dependent on the concept of writing competency. In an ideal world,

reliability and validity must be included in the assessment phase when assessing equity in

administering the SATs among all ESL students. A dependable metric must be repeatable

under similar conditions to ensure equity. A successful evaluation approach must evaluate

what it claims to assess. Writing assessments that are both fair and valid should represent a

writer's actual ability (Son, 2017).

Of course, no exam is entirely objective and equitable, so student results can vary

from test to test for factors that may or may not be related to the test. Today's writing training

emphasizes that first drafts are just the beginning of the writing phase. Writing not just

represents thinking but also stimulates it. (Yu & Green) 2021 defines writing as an

evolutionary phase of three stages: rehearsing, editing, and revising. After composing an
Running Head: SATs IN ESL LEARNING 5

article, the writer often discovers that items should be reordered, that the writing wanders off

on tangents, or that essential points have been overlooked. Both of these stages are essential

while writing SAT essays in English. It is not an indication of incompetence or failure if the

essays need significant revisions.

According to Yoo et al. (2019), there are strong associations between a broad

vocabulary and writing capacity. Students who do well on usage ESL SAT exams are often

considered successful writers based on their command of standard English. Rashetar & Pitts

(2020), on the other hand, emphasizes that similarities between the two evaluation systems

are far from being equitable and cautions that associations are not often proven links. He

concludes that a mixture of analytical and essay tests in ESL SATs is more accurate than

either form alone. Son (2017) explains variations in rhetorical patterns utilized by different

societies, explaining why some ESL students struggle with sequential patterns of

organization. Since understanding English grammar, the ESL student must grasp the

language's logic to implement its organizational strategies effectively. A grammar SAT

examination that tests proper structural comprehension, or even development does not

equitably evaluate this element of writing ability. SAT scores reliabilities are poor when

students are unprepared or insufficiently educated.

In conclusion, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) advises institutions to exercise

administrative equity when conducting SATs in ESL to maintain reliability and validity of

SAT scores. According to the ETS manual, English proficiency alone does not assess

academic aptitude; although low English skills can lead to failure, the high ability does not

always guarantee achievement. Second, he noted that the GPA of undergraduate students

tends to be more reliant on English proficiency than that of graduate students studying ESL.

This is due to the more technical nature of graduate study, while undergraduate ESL studies

include a more comprehensive vocabulary and more diverse forms of discourse. Another
Running Head: SATs IN ESL LEARNING 6

thing to consider when looking at SAT ratings for undergraduate enrollment. In an academic

setting, the significance of language skills cannot be overstated. On the opposite, academic

success is influenced by inspiration, academic aptitude, and cultural assimilation.

Running Head: SATs IN ESL LEARNING 7

References

Gatica, A. (2017). Effectively Teaching a Second Language: Principles and Practices.

Ragchaa, J. (2019). English Language Teachers' View on Assessment and their Reflection on

Teaching Practices: A Mongolian Case Study. European Journal of Educational

Sciences, 6(2), 1-14.

Reshetar, R., & Pitts, M. F. (2020). General Academic and Subject-Based Examinations Used

in Undergraduate Higher Education Admissions. Higher Education Admission

Practices: An International Perspective, 237.

Son, Y. A. (2017). Toward useful assessment and evaluation of heritage language

learning. Foreign Language Annals, 50(2), 367-386.

Yoo, H., Manna, V. F., Monfils, L. F., & Oh, H. J. (2019). Measuring English language

proficiency across subgroups: Using score equity assessment to evaluate test

fairness. Language Testing, 36(2), 289-309.

Yu, G., & Green, A. (2021). Preparing for admissions tests in English.