ESL-5005

Gonzalves, L. (2017). Placement, progress, and promotion: ESL assessment in California’s adult schools. CATESOL Journal, 29(2), 163–184. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1164354
In this article, the author highlights discrepancies between state policies and practical needs regarding ESL assessment, advocating for more diverse assessment options and updated standards across the state.

RP Group, California Community Colleges, C. O., White, M., & Newell, M. (2022). Emerging practices in ESL Guided Self-Placement. RP Group.
The use of guided self-placement (GSP) allows English Language Learners to select courses that match their skill levels, fostering student agency. This resource offers stakeholders strategies for implementing GSP, focusing on effective assessment methods for English Language Learners.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2005). Screening and assessment of young English language learners. NAEYC.
https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/ELL_Supplement_Shorter_Version.pdf
This document from the NAEYC describes the organization’s philosophies with regard to ESL assessment for young children. It emphasizes the importance of developing policies and practices that effectively address the needs of English-language learners.

Cummins, J. (1999). BICS and CALP: Clarifying the distinction.
(ED438551). ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED438551.pdf
In this seminal work, the author describes how conversational language (BICS) and academic language (CALP) develop differently and how misunderstanding this distinction can lead to academic challenges for bilingual students. They include suggestions for how effective instruction for these students should target cognitive skills, academic content, and critical language awareness to support balanced language proficiency.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition. (2017). English learner tool kit (2nd ed.). U.S. Department of Education.
Chapter 1: tools and Resources for Identifying All English Learners. (Read pp. 1-12).
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/english-learner-toolkit/index.html
This chapter focuses on the development and administration of a home language survey (HLS) to determine students’ English language learning needs. It includes several examples of surveys in multiple languages and a resource list for further reading/study on the topic.