PERFORMANCE AND PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT FOR LANGUAGE MINORITY STUDENTS

Lorraine Valdez Pierce; J Michael O'Malley

 

Figure 1

Student Oral Proficiency Rating*

(NOTE: Figure 1 has been reconstructed within the constraints of the electronic environment)

TOTAL SCORE:

Student's Name:___________________

School: ___________________

Rated by:___________________

Grade:___________________

City:___________________

Language Observed:___________________

Date:____

State:___

Directions: For each of the 5 categories below at the left, mark an "X" across the level that best describes the student's abilities.

CATEGORY: Comprehensive

  • Level 1 Cannot understand even simple conversation
  • Level 2 Has great difficulty following what is said. Can comprehend only "social conversation" spoken slowly and with frequent repetitions.
  • Level 3 Understands most of what is said at slower-than-normal speed with repetitions.
  • Level 4 Understands nearly everything at normal speed although occasional repetition may be necessary.
  • Level 5 Understands everyday conversation and normal classroom discussions without difficulty.

CATEGORY: Fluency

  • Level 1 Speech is so halting and fragmentary as to make conversion virtually impossible.
  • Level 2 Usually hesitant; often forced into silence by language limitations.
  • Level 3 Speech in everyday communication and classroom discussion is frequently disrupted by the student's search for the correct manner of expression.
  • Level 4 Speech in everyday communication and classroom discussion is generally fluent, with occasional lapses while the student searches for the correct manner of expression.
  • Level 5 Speech in everyday conversation and in classroom discussions is fluent and effortless, approximating that of a native speaker.

CATEGORY: Vocabulary

  • Level 1 Vocabulary limitations are so extreme as to make conversation virtually impossible.
  • Level 2 Misuse of words and very limited vocabulary make comprehension quite difficult.
  • Level 3 Frequently uses the wrong words; conversation somewhat limited because of inadequate vocabulary.
  • Level 4 Occasionally uses inappropriate terms or must rephrase ideas because of inadequate vocabulary.
  • Level 5 Use of vocabulary and idioms approximates that of a native speaker.

CATEGORY: Pronunciation

  • Level 1 Pronunciation problems so severe as to make speech virtually unintelligible.
  • Level 2 Very hard to understand because of pronunciation problems. Must frequently repeat in order to be understood.
  • Level 3 Pronunciation problems necessitate concentration on the part of the listener and occasionally lead to misunderstanding.
  • Level 4 Always intelligible, though one is conscious of a definite accent and occasional inappropriate intonation patterns.
  • Level 5 Pronunciation and intonation approximate a native speaker's.

CATEGORY: Grammar

  • Level 1 Errors in grammar and word order so severe as to make speech virtually unintelligible.
  • Level 2 Grammar and word order errors make comprehension difficult. Must often rephrase or restrict what is said to basic patterns.
  • Level 3 Makes frequent errors of grammar and word order which occasionally obscure meaning.
  • Level 4 Occasionally makes grammatical or word order errors which do not obscure meaning.
  • Level 5 Grammatical usage and word order approximate a native speaker's.

*This form is an adaptation of the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM) developed by the San Jose (California) Unified School District. Adapted by Development Associates, Inc., Arlington, Virginia, and used with permission.

Signature of rater____________________________________________