ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Ascher, C. "Testing Bilingual Students: Do We Speak the Same Language?" PTA Today (March 1991, pp. 7-9).

Discusses cultural and linguistic bias issues in bilingual testing, options for administering tests to bilingual students, and problems associated with these options. Includes a short description of an alternative, "dynamic assessment."

Baca, L. & Cervantes, H.T. The Bilingual Special Education Interface (Columbus, OH: Merrill, 1989).

Primarily focuses on major needs of LEP** exceptional children. Provides models, curriculum, and strategies for diagnosing and educating these children. Chapter 7 deals with language assessment, and Chapter 8 with assessment procedures. These chapters cover criteria for selecting standardized tests for LEP exceptional children, effects of testing these children in English, and appropriate methods for assessing language proficiency.

Canales, J. "Innovative Practices in the Identification of LEP Students." In Focus on Evaluation (Volume 2, 1992) [see below].

Describes current practices in various states to identify LEP** students. Provides a review of the literature of recommended practices used in classifying LEP children. Offers an alternative sociolinguistic model involving data collection in three areas: oral language proficiency, social data, and academic data.

Damico, J. "Performance Assessment of Language Minority Students." In Focus on Evaluation (Volume 1, 1992) [see below].

Concludes that performance assessment of language minority students ought to target and evaluate true linguistic performance. Explains difficulties in the process. Suggests a more descriptive performance assessment approach, allowing emphasis on authentic behaviors.

Estrin, E. T. "Alternative Assessment: Issues in Language, Culture, and Equity."Knowledge Brief, #11 (San Francisco: Far West Laboratory, 1993).

Summary of many important issues in the current assessment reform movement. Provides information for considering equity issues. Notes that all assessment presumes cultural experiences and values. Recommends portfolio and performance assessments in the multilingual or multicultural classroom, but cautions that such assessment may not be compatible with social experiences and community practices for ...