Alternative Assessment
Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Assessments
Spinelli (101) explains that the United States is the most linguistically diverse nation in the world, with over 400 hundred languages spoken. The English language learner is the fastest growing student population, and is expected to make up 25% of students by 2025. Additionally, accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation have brought the assessment of English language learners to the forefront of discussion. Schools who receive Title I funds must demonstrate that their students, including the subgroup of English language learner, are making Adequate Yearly Progress on high-stakes state assessments. According to Pappamihiel and Walser (137), great controversy still exists as to the validity and reliability of high-stakes state assessments for English language learners. Spinelli (104) argues that many times children who are English language learners perform poorly on standardized assessments and are misidentified as having a learning disability. Pappamihiel and Walser (136) add that this may contribute to limiting educational opportunities for English language learners. Therefore many have begun to consider the use of alternative assessments to measure what these students know and can do. While alternative assessments have many advantages, there are disadvantages to their use as well.
Davis Lenski et al. (28) argue that "alternative assessment tasks are a more appropriate and fair way to measure ELLs' progress." Spinelli (107) lists...
As with most assessments, there are disadvantages in using criterion-referenced tests. The most obvious limit to this type of assessment is its susceptibility to inadequately reflect the curriculum. This is particularly true with state mandated criterion-referenced tests. State-level test makers are far removed from classrooms; they do not witness the goings-on of individual schools and classrooms. Due to this distance, state-created criterion-referenced tests may assess knowledge and skills that may
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 15(1), 51-64. Beaudin, B.Q. (1995). Former teachers who return to public schools: Characteristics of those who return to the classroom. Educational Evaluation & Policy Analysis, 17(1): 462-475. Guarino, C., SantibaNez, L., Daley, G., & Brewer, D. (2004) a review of the research material on teacher recruitment and retention, Santa Monica, CA: Rand Publishers Nakai, D. & Turley, S. (2003). Going the alternate route: Perceptions from non-credentialed teachers. Education,
Alternative and Traditional Therapeutic Methods and Interventions: The Treatment of Children in Foster Care Children who live in a foster care environment often have emotional difficulties that must be dealt with by their caregivers. It is true that some of these children also have physical disabilities and ailments, but most of these physical problems can be handled more easily than some of the emotional scars that these children carry. Many of these
Mathematics is closely connected to economics, commerce and business modelling, as well as systems for military weapons. Due to the widespread of its use, it was noted that students in the U.S. were beginning to perform a little worse in mathematics than children from other countries worldwide. Mathematical knowledge among citizens was considered a very important factor for a country to be a leading world power. Assessment activities have been
The step-by-step instructions that were used for manufacturing the device are set forth in Table 4 below. Table 4 Instructions for building the lift device Step Instructions Step One Using wood saw, cut all wooden pieces (Part Nos. W1, W2 and WS1-WS4) to desired dimensions (or have this step completed by hardware store/home improvement center where purchased). Step Two Fabricate the lifting device framework by connecting Part Nos. WS1 to WS2 as well as WS3 to WS4 at
Notwithstanding these disadvantages, some regions of the European Union, though, are particularly well suited to the installation of wind farms. For example, a 5-megawatt wind farm featuring 10 wind turbines with 500 kW capacity each, has already been constructed in Crete (Greece: Renewable Energy Fact Sheet, 2007, p. 3). Although this wind farm facility is generating electricity, it is also serving as an experimental operation that uses two kinds of
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