1-2 page critique/summary of an article - Essay Example

Critique/Summary Dr. Deckard Module One a. Identify the type of literature. i. This is an investigative article that examines the problem through theanalysis of its evidences (p. 1).b. A statement of the problem presented by the author i. Mark Fetler (2008, p. 1) states that the sanctions imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on testing and accountability requirements, which may include reduced flexibility, increased oversight, or a take-over, perpetuate the misclassification of English language learners (ELLs) as students with disabilities (SWDs) as a way for schools to raise the test scores of ELLs.c. A description of the subjects and or population studiedi.

The population comprises of grades 1-12 students, with particular attention to ELLs and SWDs, who took the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) and California Standards Tests (CSTs) during the school year of 2006-2007 (p. 3).d. A description of the instrument(s) used in the study i. The study made use of data collected by the California Department of Education (CDE), found in their website, the California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS), and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Data Explorer (p. 3). These statistics have been published online.

The NAEP Data Explorer allows one to analyze the data they have collected by creating tables, charts and maps of national and state results in 10 subject areas (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.).e. A description of the methods and statistics used in the study i. The methodology consists of analyzing the misclassification of ELLs as SWDs by comparing the CELDT results in 2006-2007 per year level (p. 4). A measurement and comparison of the estimated participation in special education, the English Language Learner Reading results of both non-disabled and disabled students, and the estimated participation in alternate assessment were presented by the author (pp. 4-5).f.

A summary of the results. i. The comparison of data shows that the participation of ELLs who are students with disabilities in special education steadily increased from Kinder to the 12th grade, with the exception of a 9th grade drop, while non-ELL enrollment produced a relatively flat trend line (p. 4). The CELDT results compared to the NAEP show that there is a wide gap between the test results of non-SWDs and the Early Advanced (EA) Cutoff that determines whether a student will be reclassified to fluent English proficient (FEP) status and a wider gap between the non-SWDs and SWDs (p. 5). Analysis of participation in alternate assessment shows that ELLs generally increased, while non-ELLs gradually decreased from grades 2 to 11 (p. 6).g.

A brief discussion of the implication of the research/article i. Teachers may also misclassify an ELL as an SWD in the upper grades if the student continues to do poorly in the exams (p. 6). Alternate assessment participation rates allude to the fact that schools may be misclassifying ELLs as SWDs as a way of decreasing their accountability for not being able to show adequate progress (p. 6). In this way, the ELLs who do worst in the exams are exempted from the test population and the school avoids the penalties meted by the NCLB.

The author does not make recommendations for solutions, he merely states the evidences of the problem.ReferencesFetler, M. (2008). Unexpected Testing Practices Affecting English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities under No Child Left Behind. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 13(6), 1-8. Retrieved May 16, 2009 from http://pareonline.net/pdf/v13n6.pdfNational Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). NAEP Data Explorer. Retrieved May 16, 2009 from https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/