Reframing formative assessment for emergent bilinguals: Linguistically responsive assessing in science classrooms

Abstract

Research into the effective teaching of science to emergent bilinguals has converged around key theoretical perspectives and led to expansive empirical evidence that emphasizes the integration of science learning with language/literacy development. Simultaneously, formative assessment has been touted as one of the key components of effective teaching in science classrooms. I address a critical research gap by connecting the teaching of emergent bilinguals in science classrooms to formative assessment through sociocultural perspectives and linguistically responsive teaching-thereby reframing the traditional model of formative assessment into a framework for linguistically responsive assessing. To illustrate the challenges and opportunities of translating a framework of linguistically responsive assessing into practice, I analyzed the formative assessment practices of two middle school science teachers with whom I worked through ongoing professional learning in support of emergent bilinguals through assessing. Both teachers (1) framed learning goals and assessment around meaningful and relevant student contexts, (2) planned multimodal assessment interactions to scaffold science learning and language/literacy development, and (3) attempted to elicit students' lived experiences. Yet, I also observed missed opportunities that provide additional insight into the continued challenges of ensuring that formative assessment for emergent bilinguals

Co‐creating a community of belonging and presence: Multilingual learners' experiences of science and language learning at an urban, inclusive STEM‐focused high school

“…To be more humanizing and asset-oriented, assessments need to be contextualized and allow students to demonstrate their knowledge through multiple modes, languages, and project-based assessments (Aydeniz & Southerland, 2012). Moreover, as Lyon's (2023) What supports can be provided to classroom teachers, especially with limited resources, to navigate this terrain effectively, especially when facing forces from the district and state that preserve the status quo? What partnerships and collaborations can occur so that the onus and responsibility are not only on overburdened educators to develop and implement more equitable, justice-centered assessments, from micro-to macro-scales?…”

“…To be more humanizing and asset‐oriented, assessments need to be contextualized and allow students to demonstrate their knowledge through multiple modes, languages, and project‐based assessments (Aydeniz & Southerland, 2012). Moreover, as Lyon's (2023) study recommends, positive efforts in producing more socioculturally and linguistically responsive evaluations include formative assessments that are framed around meaningful and relevant student contexts, allow scaffolding multimodal assessment interactions, and elicit students' lived experiences. Additional research should examine ways in which multiple forms of assessment in various contexts can be redesigned for equity and more accurately convey and sustain what multilingual learners know, can do, and become in science, while also encouraging them to contribute to more just, sustainable futures.…”

The impact of instructional design on language acquisition in multilingual STEM classrooms

“…Educators can engage families as partners in their children's education, providing resources, information, and support to help parents and caregivers support their children's learning at home. Additionally, educators can collaborate with community organizations, businesses, and STEM professionals to provide students with opportunities for real-world learning experiences and mentorship (Lyon, 2023;Reierstam, 2020). Implementing effective instructional strategies in multilingual STEM education requires a combination of research-based practices, ongoing professional development, and collaboration among educators, families, and communities.…”

Science education with multilingual learners: Equity as access and equity as transformation

“…In particular, classroom‐based assessment holds promise for providing real‐time information about MLs' science learning and their multiple ways of expressing that learning (Heritage et al, 2015; National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2018). Based on a recent synthesis of the literature on science assessment with MLs, Lyon (2023) called for classroom‐based formative assessments that move beyond “a restricted view where science teachers just make accommodations to support emergent bilinguals' ‘English' language development” (p. 7) toward assessments that “open up opportunities for emergent bilinguals to show what they know and do through an expanded communicative repertoire” (p. 19).…”