| Federal legislation including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has pushed school systems nationwide to implement assessment systems to ensure that all students are held to the same educational standards. States are working hard to implement new accountability systems based on standardized assessments. In some ways, assessment systems may hold promise for students whose first language is not English. In the past these students have been left out of testing systems and thus, educational reform. This study examines what impact, positive or negative, these assessment systems are actually having on curriculum and instruction English language learners in one Midwestern school district. Focus groups and interviews were used to find out what educators observed as the consequences of statewide accountability tests for these students. Positive consequences identified included more teacher collaboration, changes in curriculum and instruction, better alignment between ESL and content area curricula, and more focus on reading and writing. Negative consequences included student and teacher frustration, more teaching to the test occurring, and a narrowed curriculum. Educators in the study also identified problems with the accountability system and made recommendations for how it could be improved. |
