ABSTRACT
Many of the uses of assessment are common to all students, but some uses are unique to language-minority students (August & Hakuta, 1997). Common purposes of language and literacy assessments are to inform instruction, monitor and compare student performance, and identify students eligible for special services (e.g., Title I, speech and hearing services, special education, enrollment in accelerated or gifted programs). Unique purposes of language and literacy assessments for language-minority students include the identification of students with limited English proficiency (LEP), placement in instructional programs designed for English-language learners (e.g., bilingual education and programs in English as a second language [ESL]), monitoring or evaluation of Englishlanguage development, and decisions on when English-language learners should be reclassified as fully proficient.
