InTASC STANDARD 6: The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to

engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learning progress, and to guide the teacher’s and
learner’s decision making.
Name of Artifact: Test Specifications
Course: TSL 633
Date: Summer 2018
TESOL Standards Addressed: 4a, 4b
Rationale:
The test specifications that I created for TSL 633 were for three different assessment
scenarios. The first scenario was a reading quiz. The second scenario was a grammar unit test.
The third and final scenario was a listening/speaking final exam. For each set of test
specifications, I included a description of the test’s contents, the test item or question types, the
tasks the test required, information about how the test would be scored, information about how
the score was to be reported to students, and how the results would be used in future learning. I
used a plethora of question types to fulfill different roles important for language learning. These
test specifications demonstrate that I am able to use multiple methods of assessments for multiple
domains, a necessary skill in second/foreign language assessment. My creating multiple tests
allowed me to recognize the importance of monitoring learning progress in each domain to
ensure that speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills are growing as proportionately as
possible for the goal of overall linguistic competence.
Completing this activity helped me to improve the ways that I assess each domain in
language learning. I talked about specific and various ways to administer feedback, which should
differ when assessing the different domains. For example, for the reading assessment, better
feedback would be provided by means of whole-class discussion. Grammar feedback would be
best in the form of discussion, comments on areas of improvement, and a diagnostic score. An
oral exam would require oral feedback directly after presentation. This activity also led me to
think outside of the box. How do I make tests not feel like tests? I began to think of some
alternative testing methods to use within my classroom. To test the domain of speaking, I had
students to video themselves presenting their own weather forecasts. This enabled them to be
creative while developing their foreign language presentation skills. Laing and Kahmi (2003)
note that “there are, however, a number of other procedures used to evaluate language. These
include language sampling procedures, ethnographic interviewing techniques, processing-
dependent measures, and the use of dynamic assessment” (p.46). The first mentioned, language-
sampling procedures, could involve be notating student errors in the target tongue, informing
them, and then formulating task types that target these specifically.

Laing, S. P., & Kamhi, A. (2003). Alternative Assessment of Language and Literacy in
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations. Language, Speech & Hearing Services
in Schools, 34(1), 44–55. https://doi-org.lynx.lib.usm.edu/10.1044/0161-1461(2003/005)