CELDT and English Language Learners

Jaida VanDunk

CELDT and English Language Learners

ITL 604

February 3, 2019
CELDT and English Language Learners

Abstract

CLEDT is a California specific assessment required by state law that is designed for English

language learners. Students entering their academic career with a primary language other than

English are required to take the assessment within 30 days of their enrollment, and are

required to take the test annually until 12th grade in order to ensure their proficiency in English.

The CLEDT aims to identify English learners, determine their proficiency, and monitor their

progress throughout their K-12 experience (Guinan, 2010). K-12 teachers need to maintain a

positive and safe learning environment so that all students, including ELS students, can flourish

and grow without the risk of falling behind (Lewis, 2012). In addition in ensuring that ELS

students are prepared for their annual assessments, educators should aim to remove all bias

and negative stereotypes from their classroom and approach their students with a positive

multicultural lens so that their perception of the students leads to positive growth and

development, rather than lack of confidence and a gap in achievement. Today in the United

States there is a lot of tension surrounding immigrants and the multicultural classroom, so

teachers need to ensure that they are building up their confidence and providing support in

multiple ways in order to prevent their students from falling behind due to the untrue and

harsh labels tied to their cultural background.

CELDT and English Language Learners

CELDT and English Language Learners

As shown in the short video “CELDT Boot Camp” (2016), it is incredibly important to take

the time to teach students what to expect on the CELDT and how to overcome obstacles that

they might encounter on the exam. We want to prepare students as best as we can, but as

teachers it is also important to remember that students are affected by a lot both inside and

outside the walls of school, and that they are still learning to balance a lot of different things.

In addition to preparing for the CELDT, ELS students have to keep up with general

curriculum, and even with support they can struggle to maintain confidence. Catalina Olvera

discussed the effects of teacher perception on student growth in the academic journal “Teacher

perceptions of English learners acquisition of academic English: Impacts on long term English

learner classification” which examines “classroom level factors impacting some students’ ability

to become proficient in English” (Olvera, 2015). Olvera goes on to explain how teacher

perceptions are incredibly important factors that contribute to student growth in English

proficiency and other academic areas. For example, a child who is learning English is struggling

to enunciate their words properly but is very involved in the classroom and enjoys participating

in group reading. When the teacher asks for student volunteers to read passages from the

book, this child is the first to volunteer and is very excited to have the opportunity to read out

loud, but the teacher knows that it’ll take the child longer to read, or may subconsciously have

another bias attached to the child that they do not recognize. The teacher chooses to randomly

select children instead of calling on the excited ELS student, and over time the child recognizes

that the teacher isn’t calling on him, and begins to lose interest in a really great habit.
CELDT and English Language Learners

In another scenario, a teacher might recognize the student’s interest and eliminate those

biases. However, when the teacher calls on the student, other children who are still learning

respectful habits laugh when the child stutters or mispronounces a word, and as a result the

ELS child begins to doubt himself and compare himself to other children; this is why it is so

important that teachers create a safe classroom environment centered around positivity and

respect. As educators it is our job to help remove barriers and provide learning opportunities to

students so that that can reach their full potential, especially ELS students.
CELDT and English Language Learners

Resources

Stokes Guinan, K., & Goldenberg, C. (2010). Use With Caution: What CELDT Results Can and

Cannot Tell Us. The Catesol Journal, 22(1).

Dowdy, E., Dever, B. V., DiStefano, C., & Chin, J. K. (2011). Screening for emotional and

behavioral risk among students with limited English proficiency. School Psychology

Quarterly, 26(1), 14-26.

Olvera, C. (2015). Teacher perceptions of English learners acquisition of academic English:

Impacts on long term English learner classification. eJournal of Education Policy, 78-92

(2016). CELDT Boot Camp [Online video]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlNych4Sw4c

Lewis, J., Ream, R., Bocian, K., Cardullo, R., Hammond, K., & Fast, L. (2012). Con Cariño: Teacher

Caring, Math Self-Efficacy, and Math Achievement Among Hispanic English

Learners. Teachers College Record

Moschkovich, J. (2012, April 5). Mathematics, the Common Core, and Language:

Recommendations for Mathematics Instruction for ELs Aligned with the Common

Core. Understanding Language.

California English Language Development Test: Information for Parents and Guardians. (2011,

December). California Department of Education