ABSTRACT
TESOL International Association colleagues and I are on a task force to develop Pre-K-12 standards for English language learners in the U.S. Through an iterative process involving members and affi liates, the task force has decided on three overarching goals: Goal 1: To use English to communicate in social settings; Goal 2: To use English to achieve academically in all content areas; and Goal 3: To use English in socially in culturally appropriate ways. Each goal has three standards, each of which has descriptors that elaborate student behaviors that meet the standard, and sample progress indicators that teachers can use to determine whether learners have reached the standard. The progress indicators are assessable and observable. The standards specify what learners should know and be able to do and have been developed in grade level clusters. For each standard for each grade level cluster, we are developing vignettes to help teachers understand the standards by showing classroom-based instructional sequences. We have solicited real-life vignettes from teachers around the country. At this particular meeting, we are working on choosing a vignette for grades 9-12 for Goal 1, Standard 3: Students will use learning strategies to extend their communicative competence. The vignette we are evaluating is for an intermediate class of learners who have completed driver’s education, and are about to do the practical driver training. The teacher has invited a police offi cer to talk to students about road safety, peer pressure, and so on. He plays them a video of teenage car accidents, asking them to look for the causes of the accidents. One student did not understand much of the offi cer’s lecture, including “excess speed.” But, in the video, he notices the camera move from a speed limit sign saying 65 to the speedometer reading 80. He asks his friend in their home language whether he thinks excess means “too much.” The teacher and the offi cer ask what “excess speed” means and the student is able to answer correctly. The offi cer asks how he fi gured it out. The student explains and the teacher compliments him on his use of strategies. [Murray, research notes]
Task: Refl ect
1. How does this lesson excerpt demonstrate that this learner’s performance met Goal 1, Standard 3? Do you think this one sample is suffi cient evidence to determine that the student has achieved the standard?
