Weber State University   

English As A Second Language

Results of Assessment

2000-2001 (submitted 2/13/02)

In response to the request put forth by the University Committee on Assessment, the ESL Program developed a plan to assess how well ESL students are prepared for successfully integrating into the academic mainstream of general education courses. Eight Student Outcomes were identified and defined in the ESL Program. The following six Student Outcomes were addressed in the program assessment process:

 1) general education classroom-lecture listening skills,

2) reading and comprehending college textbooks,

 3) college-level writing,

 4) ability to ask and answer questions in an academic setting,

 5) classroom participation skills, and

 6) developed an understanding of college-level study habit and ethics.

Four approaches were used to collect data. Two writing assessment instruments were faculty developed and administered through ongoing ESL classes. An ESL Program Survey was also faculty developed and administered to students who had already completed Level I through Level IV of the ESL Program. The last method of evaluation was a review of statistics archived in the ESL Program and WSU data generated by the Office of Institutional Research.

Writing Assessment #1 focused on assessment of Student Outcome #3: college-level writing. The "International-Student Survey About Writing Strategies" was developed to investigate A) our students’ "Writing Backgrounds" and also their writing strategies in the areas of B) "Personal Writing Strategies," C) "Use of Resources" (e.g. books and computers), and D) "Getting Help From other People" (e.g. tutors, classmates, and friends). The survey draws from recent learning-strategy research about strategies successful learners use to develop their writing skills (Cohen, 1998; Macaro, 2001; Rubin & Thompson, 1994; ). Through the survey, we wanted to hear from our students about how well prepared they felt they were according to their past writing backgrounds and according to writing strategies they normally used to compose essays and other types of writing. Thirty international students completed the three-page, short-answer survey during Fall Semester, 2000. All 30 were recent graduates of the ESL Program; 17 were attending an international section of English 1010, the first freshman writing course at WSU, while the other 13 were attending ESL 2610, a college-level "bridge" writing course which serves as a prerequisite for English 1010. A detailed summary and discussion can be found in the Assessment Outcomes.

Writing Assessment #2 also focused on Student Outcome #3: college-level writing.  The "Writing Rubric: The essay grade rubric is designed to assess both the rhetoric and content of ESL 2510 students’ essays, and reflects the objectives of the course in preparing the students for English 1010. Students with a total essay score of 76% or below would not be considered meeting the minimal requirements to pass from ESL 2510 into English 1010. On the other hand, students with scores in the 80's would be considered meeting adequate requirements for passing from ESL 2510 to English 1010. Students with scores in the 90's would be considered well-prepared to pass from ESL 2510 into English 1010. The overall picture of the ESL 2510 writing assessment is that during the course of the semester students develop their writing skills in both rhetoric and content areas from levels of inadequate (66) and almost adequate (74) in rhetoric and content respectively [for meeting the entrance criteria for English 1010] to levels of (almost) good (81) and good (92) in these two overall areas in unassisted writing, — and two levels of good (85) and very good (96) in assisted writing. This indicates that students’ rhetoric writing ability lags behind content development. However, this is a normal progression in learning a second language academically. Within the next 2-3 years, the discrepancy between the two areas (rhetoric and content development) will become much more minimal for most students.

Another indication of the assessment is that while students show considerable growth in their unassisted writing ability, the availability of tutorial assistance enhances their final product, often from the good to the very good range. This is important because it shows that students are not relying on tutorial support to "do the work for them," but as scaffolding for them to be able to reach just beyond their means of accomplishment by themselves— they are able to utilize the zone of proximal development as outlined by Vygotsky. This type of development is essential for students, especially for second language students in intensive learning situations.

The lowest area of development— in the students’ unassisted writing— remains usage and mechanics. 2510 students generally come into the class with stronger skills in style than in usage and in mechanics, and their ability in style grows during the 2510 semester, but not as much as the two areas of usage and mechanics. This indicates that even though these two areas are the weakest for the students in rhetoric, they are also areas where students experience rapid growth during the semester. The Sample #2 writing score of 78 shows that in this area, students are "just" adequate at the end of the semester in unassisted writing, but that with assistance, they can improve their finished writing to the "quite adequate" score of 84. Usage (and for some students who come from certain orthographic backgrounds, mechanics— spelling) will remain a major writing challenge for the next few years. It is not something that can be magically adjusted.

For this reason, tutorial assistance in writing is crucial for our ESL students not only while they are in the program, but also when they are taking English 1010, English 2020 — and beyond. In addition, the ESL Program has made a grammar review component required for all students. It is hoped that this class will help students in their usage, but further studies will need to be done to show efficacy. Also, the provision made by the Writing Assistance Center for a special ESL tutor has been an invaluable addition to the writing program. However, one tutor cannot cover the demand. Two tutors would more adequately provide the support that our ESL students need to meet their language development needs. In addition to tutorial assistance and the grammar review class, usage instruction is being provided in the ESL 2510 class that is based on the needs of the students as indicated in their Sample #1 writing. In sum, the assessment results show that students are developing well in the content area; further work will continue to focus on and support the students’ growth in rhetoric.

The ESL Program Survey was designed to discover the student’s perceptions and feelings regarding their English skills after they had completed the ESL Program and started non-ESL academic classes. Survey results seem to indicate that we are doing the right things for a very large majority of students. However, the survey indicates that studying in an academic setting in a foreign language is very challenging, even for the best of students. In addition, answers to many questions were closely divided, giving the impression that for the lower (less skillful) language learners, the ESL Program should look at ways to enhance their skills. Also, students sound positive about the ESL Program and the skills they’ve learned. Academic classes are difficult but not overwhelming in terms of reading, writing, and discussion. There seems to be a need expressed for more speaking preparation and tutorial support.

The ESL Program Statistics provided data that demonstrates that the GPA for ESL Students who had completed the WSU-ESL Program and one semester of mainstream academic classes as compared to Freshmen GPA as calculated by the Office of Institutional Research was within acceptable range. The Overall GPA comparison placed the ESL GPA at 2.96 and the Freshmen GPA at 2.73. In reviewing the conclusions of the assessed data and questions posed by the four Student Outcomes that were identified for assessment, there is statistical support that would indicate that the ESL Program is accomplishing the goal that was set forth by the Assessment Mission Statement: "...to prepare non-native English speaking students to read, write, and communicate effectively and efficiently for mainstream academic courses where English is the language of instruction. "

A faculty meeting was held to discuss the Assessment Plan and results in September, 2001. This meeting reviewed the progress that had been made in the assessment and how it related to the curriculum changes that were being considered for the ESL Program. Another meeting was held on February 4, 2002 to review the Program design and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses that would need to be addresses. The area of language usage was highlighted in discussion, which was also visible in the Assessment Outcomes. There will be another faculty meeting scheduled to review the Outcomes and applicability of the results. Also, schedule will be determined to establish frequency of assessment of Student Outcomes and to being planning to evaluate the two remaining outcomes: 1) Understand the dynamics of the American University classroom and interaction with American professors and instructors, and 2) Show an understanding of some of the aspects of American culture and society necessary for academic and social success.

Mission Statement / Student Learning Outcomes / Curriculum Grid / Assessment Plan / Contact Person