ABSTRACT
Another area in need of improvement is the assessment practices applied in mathematics education. In its Assessment Standards for School Mathematics (1995), NCTM, in accordance with its vision that “all students are capable of learning mathematics” (p. 1), recommends the use of assessment strategies that reflect ELLs' development in mathematics as well as students' proficiency in English. Although quizzes and tests that measure students' procedural fluency in mathematics are still appropriate, alternative assessments (e.g. oral exams, items on which students explain their thinking, or projects) may enable teachers to better evaluate the understanding of mathematical concepts that individual students possess, independent of proficiency in the language of instruction. In addition, teachers will gain tools with which to expand their understanding of students' learning processes and thus become able to help them improve.
