Changes made this year in regards to the national assessment standards for ESL students.

1. Introduction of topic:

1.1. Overview of what NAEP testing is about

1.2. Overview of the accommodations currently used/exemptions allowed.

1.3. Introduction to arguments against those practices.

2. The decision to stop excluding ESL/Special Ed. Students from NAEP.

2.1. Refer to Dep. of Education article to express the reasons behind the changes being made.

2.2. Cavanagh article to discuss how the topic is being received by educators.

2.3. Why now? Discuss what factors have brought on the recent chages and what they will mean in the classroom.

3. Conclusion:

3.1. Review of changes made, reasons for the chages, and the effects they may have on student learning in the future.

3.2. Reiterate how this may effect classroom activities in the future.

4. Discussion of factors effecting ESL students in assessment.

4.1. Use of the article by Huang to discuss these factors.

4.2. Discussion of accommodations as factors in the assessment of ESL students. Use article by Solano-Flores and Min Li to support.

4.3. Discuss the Willner, Rivera, & Acosta article to help support the questions raised about the effectiveness of the accommodations commonly used.

4.4. Use Mahoney study/article to explain some of the linguistic factors that ESL students face when taking assements.