NES Profile: English Learners I (511)
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Overview
The resources below provide information about this test, including the approximate percentage of the total test score derived from each content domain. The complete set of the competencies and descriptive statements that define the content of the test—the test framework—is provided here.
Select from the links below to view:
- the test competencies associated with the content domain,
- a set of descriptive statements that further explain each competency,
- a sample test question aligned to each competency.
Table outlining test structure. Column one contains the structural headings and column two are the structural details.
| Test Field |
English Learners I (511) |
| Test Format |
Multiple-choice questions |
| Number of Questions |
Approximately 100 |
| Test Duration |
135 minutes
- 15 minutes for tutorial and nondisclosure agreement
- 120 minutes testing time
|
| Reference Materials |
None required |
Hover over chart or review table below for details.
Chart is defined in table below.
Content Domain Ione: Foundations of Instruction for English Learners
Competencies 0001– to 0007
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Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of phonology, including phonemes, stress, intonation, and rhythm, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of morphology, including how word structure (e.g., roots, prefixes, suffixes), inflectional endings (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing, -er, -est), and derivational affixes (e.g., un-, dis-, -ly, -ment, -ion) affect a word's function and meaning, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of syntax, including parts of speech (e.g., verbs, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions) and the structure of phrases and sentences, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of semantics, including word relationships (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homonyms) and the distinction in meaning of words and idioms in various contexts, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of discourse features of written and oral texts (e.g., speech acts, genres, discourse markers) to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of pragmatic features of language (e.g., nonverbal elements, formal and informal discourse), various discourse settings (e.g., classroom, social event), and language functions (e.g., narrating, informing, explaining, arguing, persuading), as well as factors (e.g., cultural and social norms, purpose, audience) that affect choice of pragmatic features, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of the linguistic features of social, general-academic, and discipline-specific language (e.g., tiered vocabulary: Tier One—everyday speech words, Tier Two—general-academic words, Tier Three—discipline-specific words) to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of sociolinguistic concepts, including language variation (e.g., dialect diversity in English) and register (i.e., language particular to specific functions), to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for comparing English learners' home languages with English to identify potential transference between languages as well as aspects of English that may be challenging for English learners.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining strategies for engaging English learners in making connections and comparisons between language systems and using knowledge of language systems as an empowering tool for learning languages.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
A sixth-grade student at Level 3 (developing) of English writing proficiency whose home language is Spanish develops a first draft for an expository piece about U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. An excerpt from a graphic organizer containing the student's draft and responses to the teacher's directed editing prompts is shown below.
First draft with teacher annotations:
Many people in America admiring Martin Luther King. He have a lot of courage. He fought for the people. He helped people. Now the people had their rights. He was a hero of rights civil. |
List the (underlined) nouns that have adjectives describing them:
people – many
courage – lot of
rights - civil |
How do you write this in Spanish?
muchas personas
???
derechos civiles |
How is English different from Spanish?
It other way round – people many, civil rights
|
The EL teacher could most effectively prompt the student to revise the draft to make it more complex and cohesive by providing the student with a mini-lesson on which topic?
- sentence combining
- sentence diagramming
- subject-verb agreement
- pronoun-antecedent agreement
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. The student's draft expresses ideas clearly by using short simple sentences and repetitive pronoun references. Learning how to combine sentences would be the next appropriate step in the student's English language development, enabling the expression of ideas in a more layered, cohesive, and fluid way.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of current theories and key concepts in new-language acquisition, including the importance of promoting and sustaining bilingualism/multilingualism as an asset and a goal for English learners.
- Demonstrate understanding that English learners' home languages are an asset for learning English and influence English language learning (e.g., language and literacy skills transfer, interlanguage development, code-switching, translanguaging).
- Demonstrate knowledge of cognitive, metacognitive, and metalinguistic processes and strategies involved in learning a new language (e.g., memorization, generalization, fossilization, self-monitoring, reflection, circumlocution, comparison), and apply knowledge of strategies for explicitly teaching English learners effective language-learning and self-monitoring strategies to promote their language development and engagement in self-directed learning.
- Understand the role of comprehensible input and output in acquiring a new language and apply knowledge of strategies for using comprehensible input and output for scaffolding English learners' comprehension and use of English in social and academic contexts.
- Demonstrate knowledge of stages and processes of new-language development, including the distinctions between the six levels of English language proficiency as defined in the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework (i.e., Level 1—entering, Level 2—emerging, Level 3—developing, Level 4—expanding, Level 5—bridging, and Level 6—reaching).
- Understand the role of feedback in language instruction and demonstrate knowledge of strategies for providing appropriate feedback (e.g., recasting, explicit correction) in various contexts.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
A sixth-grade student at Level 3 (developing) of English writing proficiency whose home language is Spanish develops a first draft for an expository piece about U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. An excerpt from a graphic organizer containing the student's draft and responses to the teacher's directed editing prompts is shown below.
First draft with teacher annotations:
Many people in America admiring Martin Luther King. He have a lot of courage. He fought for the people. He helped people. Now the people had their rights. He was a hero of rights civil. |
List the (underlined) nouns that have adjectives describing them:
people – many
courage – lot of
rights - civil |
How do you write this in Spanish?
muchas personas
???
derechos civiles |
How is English different from Spanish?
It other way round – people many, civil rights
|
The student's response in the last row of the graphic organizer primarily reflects which cognitive process related to learning a new language?
- circumlocution
- conceptualization
- fossilization
- generalization
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. Generalization is a process in language acquisition in which early learners apply conventions they have learned in one context to all contexts. The student's response demonstrates their awareness that a common syntactic convention, namely the order in which adjectives and nouns appear, is frequently juxtaposed across the two languages they speak.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate understanding of English learners' individual mitigating variables, such as age, affective filter, identities, self-esteem, and motivation, and how they affect language learning and inform instruction.
- Demonstrate knowledge of sociocultural factors (e.g., cultural, racial, ethnic, and linguistic identity; bilingualism, multilingualism) and how they affect language learning and inform instruction.
- Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics, assets, and challenges of English learners, including newcomers, long-term English learners, English learners with limited or interrupted formal education, English learners with disabilities, and English learners who are gifted.
- Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate strategies for learning about English learners' interests, languages, cultures, educational backgrounds, background knowledge, and life experiences using a variety of resources, such as parent advisory committees, families, students, classroom observations, community organizations, surveys, community outreach, technology, or school records.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
An EL teacher and a second-grade classroom teacher plan a collaborative learning activity in which small groups of students will solve a mathematics problem. The teachers review the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® and classroom performance data for an English learner in preparation for the activity. Below are excerpts of the data.
WIDA ACCESS® Performance
| Language Domain |
Proficiency Level Score |
| Listening |
3.4—Developing |
| Speaking |
2.6—Emerging |
| Reading |
1.5—Entering |
| Writing |
1.2—Entering |
Classroom Observation of Student Performance
| Speaking and Listening Learning Standards |
Rarely |
Occasionally |
Frequently |
| Follows agreed-upon rules for discussion. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Builds on others' talk in conversation by linking their comments to others' remarks. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Asks for clarification and further explanation as needed about topics under discussion. |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
| Produces appropriate language in order to provide requested detail or clarification |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
| Asks questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Recounts or describes key ideas from information presented orally or through other media |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
The assessment data indicate that the teachers can most effectively promote the English learner's language development by leveraging which strength?
- close attendance to oral and written input
- balanced interpretive and expressive skills
- an affective filter lowered to promote risk taking
- an awareness of turn-taking norms used in conversations
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. The assessment data indicate that the student, who is between Level 2 and Level 3 in overall oral English proficiency, frequently volunteers to share information and asks for clarification when necessary. These behaviors indicate that the student has a low affective filter, a psychological state that allows them to be open to making and learning from mistakes as part of the language acquisition process.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply strategies for selecting and designing assessments (e.g., formal, informal, norm referenced, criterion referenced, language proficiency assessments, curriculum based, performance based) for English learners that are culturally and linguistically responsive and appropriate for the identified purpose(s).
- Understand how to interpret results from assessments used with English learners for various purposes, such as diagnosis, placement, evaluation of language proficiency (e.g., WIDA ACCESS), evaluation of academic progress, or screening for giftedness or learning disabilities.
- Recognize potential linguistic and cultural biases (e.g., unfamiliar test language, images, references, test formats) and psychological factors (e.g., limited test experience, text anxiety) associated with the assessment of English learners that may affect assessment validity, reliability, and equity.
- Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate and allowable testing accommodations and content modifications for English learners.
- Recognize the importance of assessing English learners using various methods of assessment (e.g., formal, informal) that are culturally and linguistically responsive and the importance of conducting ongoing assessment to inform and adjust instruction.
- Recognize when the English language performance of an English learner falls outside the expected range for the student's proficiency level and may indicate the need for classroom interventions, further testing, or additional services.
- Demonstrate knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive strategies for communicating assessment results to stakeholders.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
A memorandum published by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (DHEW) in 1970 included the following statement:
Where inability to speak and understand the English language excludes national origin-minority group children from effective participation in the educational program offered by a school district, the district must take affirmative steps to rectify the language deficiency in order to open its instructional program to these students.
Which current approach to assessment best reflects the mandate issued in the DHEW memorandum?
- applying evidence-based statistical tools to interpret results from assessments of English learners
- using both formative and summative assessments to evaluate the academic progress of English learners
- recognizing potential linguistic and cultural biases associated with the assessment of English learners
- recognizing assessment results that demand academic as well as linguistic interventions for English learners
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. The memorandum focuses on the necessity of taking steps to ensure the effective participation in public education programs of students whose home languages are not English. The practice of identifying possible biases these students may encounter in assessment contexts and mediating the effects of these biases on student performance connects most clearly to the memorandum's focus.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources (e.g., leveraging students' home-language literacy skills; providing direct, explicit instruction to support students' individual learning goals; using visuals; building schemata and background knowledge; building on students' oral language to support literacy development) for appropriately differentiating and scaffolding English learners' instruction in foundational English literacy skills, including print concepts and letter recognition and formation, phonemic awareness, phonics and other word identification strategies, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, text comprehension, the writing process, and the writing conventions of English.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods of effective vocabulary instruction, such as direct teaching of specific words; building background knowledge; promoting development of independent word-learning strategies (e.g., morphological or structural analysis, recognizing word origins and cognates, contextual analysis, consulting reference materials); developing students' word consciousness; building vocabulary knowledge related to specific texts; providing multiple, meaningful exposures to new words through listening and reading; and opportunities to use new words meaningfully in speaking and writing.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically sustaining strategies for promoting English learners' understanding and use of writing processes (e.g., prewriting to generate ideas and plan writing, producing drafts, revising to improve text, editing text, publishing text to share with an audience, adjusting writing process as necessary, setting goals for improvement).
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
An EL teacher and a ninth-grade science teacher co-teach a science class that contains several English learners. The teachers design a focused journal activity for English learners to complete prior to viewing a content-related video. Following is an excerpt from the journal of an English learner at Level 3 (developing) of English reading and writing proficiency.
| Physics – Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation |
Focus Question 1:
Which energy sources in your homes use electromagnetic waves?
Focus Question(s) 2:
Which kind of wave has the highest frequency? Which kind of wave has the longest wavelength?
(radio waves, infrared waves, X-rays, visible light, ultraviolet light) |
Key Vocabulary:
wave, electromagnetic radiation, radio, light, microwave, electric field, magnetic field, frequency |
| Background Knowledge |
What I know about the focus questions and vocabulary:
I know about the energy it is like power like electric
wave: meaning "ondo" - like the water in the ocean where I go for swimming with my friends the last summer – big waves
microwave – like in the kitchen for cooking my breakfast on every Friday
micro means small - little waves I cant see
magnet
electricity
field - is like plants in a space – like where you plant the carrots
but don know electric or magnetic maybe like a fence to protec? |
| Prediction |
I think the video will be about:
how use we energy in the house and maybe for the fence for the field and the energy coming in waves and we cant see the waves |
The English learner's notes indicate that they can independently apply prior instruction in which area related to foundational language and literacy skills in English?
- consulting reference materials to clarify gaps in comprehension
- prewriting for the purpose of planning an organized final product
- setting goals for improvement in interpretive and expressive skills
- analyzing the morphology and etymology of words to clarify meaning
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. The student's analysis of the word "microwave" shows they can apply etymological knowledge ("micro" means "small") and perform morphological analysis by placing the component morphemes of the word together ("micro" and "wave") to infer that the kind of electricity being described will consist of small waves.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of strategies for creating a culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining learning environment that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically and that leverages English learners' home languages, cultures, and funds of knowledge as valuable assets for learning and resources for teaching.
- Recognize the role of culture in the learning environment, including the influence of cultural differences, such as values and beliefs, educational background, approaches to learning (e.g., cooperative versus competitive, individual versus group), and stages of acclimation to a new learning environment (e.g., cultural shock, euphoria, silent period, cultural fatigue), that may affect English learners' language development and academic achievement.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for creating and managing a safe, trauma-informed, respectful, and supportive student-centered learning environment that promotes English learners' participation, collaboration, and learning in a variety of settings (e.g., whole class, flexible grouping, independent learning, individualized instruction) and encourages students to be actively involved in learning, take risks, and extend their learning inside and outside the learning environment.
- Apply knowledge of cultural differences in communication styles (e.g., nonverbal elements, turn-taking conventions, role of silence, social distancing) and effective communication practices (e.g., providing clear directions, using a variety of questioning techniques) for facilitating cross-cultural interactions and communication.
- Recognize the effects of racism, stereotyping, prejudice, bias, and discrimination, and apply strategies for discussing these issues purposefully with students with the goal of promoting a respectful and inclusive learning environment (e.g., designing instruction that reflects antibias approaches, recognizing students' language rights and individual identity).
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
A memorandum published by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (DHEW) in 1970 included the following statement:
Where inability to speak and understand the English language excludes national origin-minority group children from effective participation in the educational program offered by a school district, the district must take affirmative steps to rectify the language deficiency in order to open its instructional program to these students.
Current approaches to educating English learners differ from the language used in the DHEW memorandum primarily in which way?
- They focus on ways bilingual and bicultural students can contribute to the language development of their monolingual English-speaking peers.
- They prioritize commonalities among students in U.S. schools rather than the development of distinct cultural identities.
- They recognize bilingualism and biculturalism as assets to leverage as resources for academic learning.
- They promote instructional programs that include development of English proficiency as an optional goal.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. The language used in the memorandum conveys the idea that a lack of English proficiency constitutes a "deficit" that needs to be "rectified" for English learners to have a chance to participate effectively in United States school systems. Research and classroom practices in the intervening years have led to a rejection of this "deficit model" in favor of evidence that bilingual and multilingual learners possess advantages (or assets) in new language acquisition and content learning due to their unique backgrounds.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of key court cases and key legislation and federal policies that affect the education of English learners (e.g., Lau v. Nichols, Castañeda v. Pickard, Plyler v. Doe, Title VIIseven of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1968 [Bilingual Education Act], Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 [IDEIA], Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 [ESSA]).
- Demonstrate knowledge of national requirements for identifying, placing, and exiting students from programs for English learners.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics, goals, and effectiveness of various program models (e.g., two-way bilingual education; dual language education; sheltered English instruction; structured English immersion, pull-out and push-in instruction).
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for advocating for the implementation of effective co-teaching models that promote integrated culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining English language and content teaching and learning.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for modeling effective culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining teaching and education practices for teachers, educators, and other stakeholders who work with English learners.
- Understand how to use self-reflection and other approaches to inform and adjust instructional practices and professional behavior (e.g., recognizing effects of personal cultural identity, prior experiences, and potential implicit biases on teaching practices; seeking feedback from stakeholders; conducting action research; using professional reflection to identify personal strengths and areas for improvement, including professional development) and to recognize how one's cultural values, beliefs, and cultural competence relate to the equitable education of English learners.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for sharing with educators and school staff an awareness of the influence that culture (e.g., ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, values, gender identity, beliefs, expectations, patterns of communication) and personal cultural identity, background, and implicit biases can have on educational practices, and collaborate with educators and school staff to identify and prevent potential cultural misunderstandings, misconceptions, arbitrary requirements, inappropriate curricular expectations, and assessment assumptions that can negatively impact English learners' equitable access to educational opportunities and academic success.
- Demonstrate knowledge of effective strategies for building partnerships and collaborating with stakeholders (e.g., teachers, administrators, other educational staff, parents/caregivers, community partners) to raise an awareness of the importance of promoting and sustaining bilingualism/multilingualism as an asset and a goal for English learners and to facilitate English learners' language and literacy development, access to equitable education, and academic success.
- Recognize the role of parents/caregivers in English learners' education; recognize that their practices and participation in the education of a child vary across cultures; and apply strategies for facilitating positive school/home interactions and developing opportunities for engagement and partnership.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
A memorandum published by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (DHEW) in 1970 included the following statement:
Where inability to speak and understand the English language excludes national origin-minority group children from effective participation in the educational program offered by a school district, the district must take affirmative steps to rectify the language deficiency in order to open its instructional program to these students.
The quoted statement from the DHEW memorandum is primarily based on which legal precedent?
- the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Title VIsix of the Civil Rights Act
- the United States Court of Appeals decision in the case of Castañeda v. Pickard
- Title VIIseven of the Elementary and Secondary Education Amendments of 1967 (Bilingual Education Act)
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. Title VIsix of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs that receive federal funding. Title VIsix in particular established the mandate for public schools to implement explicit measures to ensure that English learners are able to participate fully in academic programs.
Content Domain II: Integration of Language Development and Content Learning
Competencies 0008– to 0010
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate understanding of the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework and apply strategies for establishing grade-level-appropriate academic and language development goals and expectations for English learners at various levels of proficiency that are aligned with relevant student learning standards.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for designing culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining standards-based instruction and co-teaching instruction (e.g., co-teaching models) that build on assessment results and knowledge of students and that incorporate grade-level-appropriate linguistic goals and expectations for English learners at various levels of proficiency.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for identifying and incorporating in lesson planning key academic and content-specific language needed for English learners at various levels of proficiency to engage successfully in grade-level content learning, including as part of specific lessons, curriculum units, projects, or activities and in co-teaching contexts, and for incorporating appropriate related scaffolds, visual aids, differentiation, and assessments as part of lesson planning.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for contextualizing content and vocabulary (e.g., through demonstrations; using realia and visual scaffolding such as illustrations and graphic organizers; relating to students' background knowledge) and modifying language without simplifying content (e.g., providing comprehensible input by repeating key concepts, breaking up long sentences, and/or paraphrasing) to make content-area lessons accessible to English learners.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for implementing culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining instruction and co-teaching instruction that leverage and validate English learners' funds of knowledge (e.g., linguistic, cultural, experiential, social-emotional) as assets and resources for making connections with and accessing grade-level content.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining instruction and co-teaching instruction that promote English learners' use of their full linguistic repertoires (e.g., code-switching; translanguaging practices) to successfully engage in grade-level content learning, collaborative problem solving, and meaningful communication.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for selecting culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining materials, resources, and technologies that effectively promote English learners' access to standards-based and grade-level language and content learning.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting English learners' engagement in self-directed language and content learning through the use of problem-solving and cognitive-learning skills (e.g., note-taking skills, organizational skills, study skills, research skills, test-taking skills) and strategies (e.g., categorizing words and concepts, integrating prior knowledge with new ideas, self-reflection and self-monitoring).
- Apply knowledge of appropriate and effective scaffolding strategies, such as verbal scaffolding (e.g., prompting, questioning, elaborating), procedural scaffolding (e.g., explicit teaching, modeling), and metacognitive scaffolding (e.g., planning, regulating, evaluating), for promoting English learners' language and content learning and verifying comprehension.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for developing, scaffolding, and implementing a variety of ongoing classroom assessments and common assessments (e.g., formative, summative, self-assessments) that effectively and appropriately measure English learners' language development and academic progress.
- Apply knowledge of techniques for analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing classroom assessment results to reflect on, inform, and make purposeful adjustments to language, literacy, and content instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
An EL teacher and a ninth-grade science teacher co-teach a science class that contains several English learners. The teachers design a focused journal activity for English learners to complete prior to viewing a content-related video. Following is an excerpt from the journal of an English learner at Level 3 (developing) of English reading and writing proficiency.
| Physics – Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation |
Focus Question 1:
Which energy sources in your homes use electromagnetic waves?
Focus Question(s) 2:
Which kind of wave has the highest frequency? Which kind of wave has the longest wavelength?
(radio waves, infrared waves, X-rays, visible light, ultraviolet light) |
Key Vocabulary:
wave, electromagnetic radiation, radio, light, microwave, electric field, magnetic field, frequency |
| Background Knowledge |
What I know about the focus questions and vocabulary:
I know about the energy it is like power like electric
wave: meaning "ondo" - like the water in the ocean where I go for swimming with my friends the last summer – big waves
microwave – like in the kitchen for cooking my breakfast on every Friday
micro means small - little waves I cant see
magnet
electricity
field - is like plants in a space – like where you plant the carrots
but don know electric or magnetic maybe like a fence to protec? |
| Prediction |
I think the video will be about:
how use we energy in the house and maybe for the fence for the field and the energy coming in waves and we cant see the waves |
The focused journal activity promotes English learners' engagement in self-directed learning primarily by:
- demonstrating how to take consistent and organized notes when exploring new topics.
- demonstrating the value of thinking about relevant language and content prior to exploring new topics.
- modeling how to separate and categorize new language and content they encounter when exploring new topics.
- providing them with strategies for increasing their motivation and lowering their anxiety prior to exploring new topics.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. The focused journal prompts students to engage with vocabulary and activate background knowledge relevant to the content they will be learning, as well as make predictions about what they will encounter in the video. These practices guide students to access and explore their individual funds of knowledge to apply them to new academic contexts, both in the scenario presented and in future situations.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of strategies for designing culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining standards-based instruction and co-instruction (e.g., co-teaching models) that build on assessment results and knowledge of students and that incorporate grade-level-appropriate interpretive language development goals and expectations for English learners at various levels of proficiency.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods (e.g., engaging students in close reading, including rereading; scaffolding access to texts for students reading below grade level; choosing academic and literary texts that reflect students' home cultures and interests) and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to reading and constructing meaning from grade-level-appropriate literary and informational texts in English (e.g., determining the meaning of words and phrases, determining a central idea or theme, explaining how central ideas or themes are developed by supporting ideas or evidence, summarizing a text, analyzing and describing elements of fiction and nonfiction texts).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to listening and viewing skills (e.g., constructing meaning from oral presentations, determining a theme or central idea and how it is conveyed through particular details, determining the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations, integrating and evaluating information presented in diverse media and formats, delineating a speaker's argument and specific claims).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based strategies for promoting English learners' use of listening, reading, and viewing skills to gain understanding (e.g., focusing attention, observing, gaining and interpreting information, checking for understanding), conduct research, evaluate findings, and analyze and critique the arguments of others.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
An EL teacher and a second-grade classroom teacher plan a collaborative learning activity in which small groups of students will solve a mathematics problem. The teachers review the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® and classroom performance data for an English learner in preparation for the activity. Below are excerpts of the data.
WIDA ACCESS® Performance
| Language Domain |
Proficiency Level Score |
| Listening |
3.4—Developing |
| Speaking |
2.6—Emerging |
| Reading |
1.5—Entering |
| Writing |
1.2—Entering |
Classroom Observation of Student Performance
| Speaking and Listening Learning Standards |
Rarely |
Occasionally |
Frequently |
| Follows agreed-upon rules for discussion. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Builds on others' talk in conversation by linking their comments to others' remarks. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Asks for clarification and further explanation as needed about topics under discussion. |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
| Produces appropriate language in order to provide requested detail or clarification |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
| Asks questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Recounts or describes key ideas from information presented orally or through other media |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
Based on the assessment data, the teachers can primarily anticipate that the student can perform which task during the learning activity?
- following steps described orally to solve problems
- critiquing the mathematical problem solving of others
- constructing arguments to explain how to solve problems
- comparing mathematical strategies presented during instruction
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. A student at Level 3 in English listening proficiency who exhibits the behaviors documented in the observation section of the assessment (e.g., recounting multiple ideas they have understood by listening) can be expected to comprehend multi-step instructions communicated orally.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of strategies for designing culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining standards-based instruction and co-instruction (e.g., co-teaching models) that build on assessment results and knowledge of students and that incorporate grade-level-appropriate expressive language development goals and expectations for English learners at various levels of proficiency.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to speaking skills (e.g., preparing for and engaging effectively in a range of discussions on grade-level-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics; following rules for collegial discussions; constructing claims and supporting them with reasoning and evidence; making counterclaims; adapting language choices to purpose, task, and audience; using appropriate register to communicate, inform, explain, argue, or persuade in grade-level-appropriate speech).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to writing processes to produce texts for a variety of purposes in English (e.g., producing clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience; constructing a claim about a variety of grade-level-appropriate complex topics; providing compelling and logically ordered evidence that effectively supports a claim; providing reasoning to explain how the evidence supports a claim; providing a concluding statement; acquiring and accurately using grade-level-appropriate general-academic and domain-specific words and phrases; writing narratives to develop experiences or events using effective techniques, details, and sequencing; using English structures to communicate context-specific messages, inform, explain, argue, or persuade; developing and strengthening the writing process; using technology to produce and publish writing).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to producing written text-based responses and research-based writing from sources in English and other languages (e.g., developing personal, cultural, textual, and thematic connections within and across genres; conducting research projects to answer a question or solve a problem; gathering relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; using search terms effectively; drawing evidence from informational or literary texts to support reflection, analysis, and research; quoting or paraphrasing the data and conclusions of others using charts, diagrams, or other graphics; citing sources using a recognized standard format, such as APA or MLA).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining strategies for creating multiple opportunities for English learners to engage in authentic and meaningful oral, written, and multimedia exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses; respond to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions; and analyze and critique the arguments of others.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
An EL teacher and a second-grade classroom teacher plan a collaborative learning activity in which small groups of students will solve a mathematics problem. The teachers review the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® and classroom performance data for an English learner in preparation for the activity. Below are excerpts of the data.
WIDA ACCESS® Performance
| Language Domain |
Proficiency Level Score |
| Listening |
3.4—Developing |
| Speaking |
2.6—Emerging |
| Reading |
1.5—Entering |
| Writing |
1.2—Entering |
Classroom Observation of Student Performance
| Speaking and Listening Learning Standards |
Rarely |
Occasionally |
Frequently |
| Follows agreed-upon rules for discussion. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Builds on others' talk in conversation by linking their comments to others' remarks. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Asks for clarification and further explanation as needed about topics under discussion. |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
| Produces appropriate language in order to provide requested detail or clarification |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
| Asks questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information. |
blank |
✔check |
blank |
| Recounts or describes key ideas from information presented orally or through other media |
blank |
blank |
✔check |
Which instructional scaffold would most effectively promote the English learner's active engagement in the small-group discussion?
- providing compound sentence frames that encourage the student to elaborate on their thinking
- devising nonverbal response options and modeling how to use them to convey understanding of oral statements
- providing a written bank of the new vocabulary specific to the mathematical unit for the student to use as a reference
- creating a visual outline of the process for solving mathematical problems and modeling how to use relevant language
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. The student has demonstrated that they may benefit from more practice with following discussion norms, building on others' ideas, and asking for additional information from collaborators. A visual outline of the problem-solving process for the student to reference and modeling of specific language they can use to engage meaningfully in the process would be appropriate scaffolds for promoting their engagement in the small-group activity.
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