In this article, I argue for expanding what "counts" as evidence of content learning in the assessment of English learners (ELs) and their peers in the content areas. ELs bring expansive meaning-making resources to content classrooms that are valuable assets for meeting the ambitious learning goals of the latest K-12 education reform.…

Competent writing eludes many school children and adolescents, especially those with developmental language and reading disorders. Language sample analysis (LSA) of writing is a powerful but underused assessment tool that can also inform instruction. Similar to LSA of oral language, writing has been analyzed at word, sentence, and text levels…

Alternative approaches to assessment in education (many of which are linked to inclusive and antiracist pedagogies) are gaining in popularity across the board, from PK--12 to higher education (Esquivel, 2021; St. Amour, 2020). One such antiracist assessment strategy is using labor-based grading contracts (LBGCs), popularized by Inoue (2019; see…

In different parts of the world second language (L2) teachers devote a massive amount of time to giving feedback on grammatical errors in student writing. Such written corrective feedback, which is unfocused and comprehensive, is fraught with problems for both teachers and students. Nonetheless, it remains a prevalent practice in many L2 contexts.…

This article examines the abandonment of talk-based assessment in favour of written exams, even when writing results in less valid assessment. It points to substantial experience of assessment through talk in English and media studies and points to its potential use in other subjects. It is followed by an example, originally designed by the…

Recent studies suggest that basic effects which are markers of visual word recognition in Indo-European languages cannot be obtained in Hebrew or in Arabic. Although Hebrew has an alphabetic writing system, just like English, French, or Spanish, a series of studies consistently suggested that simple form-orthographic priming, or…

Purpose: This paper aims to progress the dialogue on language rights in the urban classroom. Research has evidenced how language can serve as a powerful tool in mainstream ideologies; more specifically, the preferred and dominant use of Standard Written English in the American classroom has demonstrated how language serves as a gatekeeper for…

The authors identify 2 major types of statistical data from which semantic representations can be learned. These are denoted as "experiential data" and "distributional data". Experiential data are derived by way of experience with the physical world and comprise the sensory-motor data obtained through sense receptors. Distributional data, by…

Written language is a complex set of skills that facilitate communication and that are developed in a predictable sequence. It is therefore possible to analyze current skills, identify deficits, plan interventions, and determine the effectiveness of the intervention. To effectively accomplish these tasks, educators need to choose appropriate…

This article presents a detailed case study analysis of oral and written language expressed by Jacqueline Meyer, a teacher of elementary English Language Learners (ELL),as she struggled to navigate the current political terrain with her students. Ms. Meyer's district adopted commercial materials and increased the amount and substance of testing…

The author takes the position that many of the fundamental measurement concepts and relationships often are used in our written communications in ways that demonstrate misunderstanding and lead to confusion. Illustrations of the misuses are provided, anecdotes and speculation about the implications are offered, and suggestions for addressing the…

This article explores definitions of reading comprehension, research on how reading comprehension is assessed, and issues in assessing the reading comprehension of English language learners (ELLs). By way of illustration, I present aspects of the literacy practices of an intermediate-grade ELL in a suburban school of the Lower Mainland of British…

Critiques an article that compared genuine suicide notes with simulated notes. Elaborates on theoretical and methodological difficulties, noting a lack of hypotheses, operationalized constructs, and prediction testing. Examines the operational design used in the article and suggests that the study of suicide notes in such a fashion should cease.…

A study investigated the consistency of faculty and peer evaluations of the oral communication skills of 44 fourth-year pharmacology students. Substantial agreement between faculty and students was found. Peer evaluations were independent of their own communication skills. In addition, a significant correlation between oral and written…

Responds to criticism of a method for analyzing genuine and simulated suicide notes. Claims that the critique is based on an inflexible and unnecessarily limited model of scientific psychology as a purely theory-driven enterprise. Discusses problems associated with such a limited view and addresses methodological and logical criticisms. (RJM)