Dear Kids,
We need to talk about your grades. Like many other things in life, they’re not going to look or feel like anything you’re used to for the next few months. You could work really hard, or choose to slack off, and still end the semester with the same word on your report card: Credit. It might not feel fair. Or it may be a relief.
Two years after its inception, scoring for California’s state language assessment- the ELPAC- remains mysterious for the people it impacts the most: students. The past decade of educational research reveals the overwhelming importance of clarity. Somehow, however, we’ve muddied the waters on an assessment that is often the gatekeeper for allowing middle and high school students to take an elective of their choice.
By saying that I cared more, I started to care more. And if I sounded a little ooey-gooey in the process, so be it.
I was witness to the collective efficacy cycle, set to the tune of cellos and violins.
What I learned from last year’s round of language assessments is that our students really do have gaps- the challenge is that their gaps are incredibly varied in depth and content area. How do we quickly identify where those gaps are and get students to flourish right out of them? While I’m at it, the greater challenge is figuring out how to add to our students’ storehouse of words and at the same time celebrate the fact that, Hello? They speak (at least) two languages! That’s amazing!
