Many ESOL programs use standardized testing for exit procedures to determine when an ESOL student is ready to move into the mainstream classroom and/or to graduate from an ESOL program. Formal ESOL Exiting Procedures are often outlined on school websites.
One test used in K-12 schools is the ELPA (English Language Proficiency Assessment). Another choice for exiting procedures is the SLEP (Secondary Level English Proficiency). The public school K-12 ESOL practices are governed by the U.S. Department of Education's Title 1, Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged. Standardized testing is one method to satisfy the DOE's guidelines.
ESOL pre-college programs consider well-known standardized assessments. The TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) tests workplace English. The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) tests academic English. The TOEFL is accompanied by the TWE (Test of Written English) to ensure that potential college students have basic writing skills. There is also the TSE (Test of Spoken English) so that students exit ESOL with the appropriate speaking skills and strategies for college work. These assessments are developed by organizations such as the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
While these tests are designed as entry tests for colleges and universities, the tests also serve as formal exit procedures. For example, an ESOL student who wants to be admitted to a college or university must receive a set score.
A common cut score for the TOEFL is 500 or 525. Thus, standardized tests such as the TOEFL has a double function of exit and entry. The student who receives the desired TOEFL score now can exit the ESOL program and enter an academic program.
ESOL programs might choose an informal assessment for ESOL exiting procedures. The informal assessment has been developed by faculty and administrators who noticed that formal testing for exiting procedures did not always predict a successful language learner. Students who could perform well on standardized tests might not be able to handle classes in the target language. Some students with test anxiety perform poorly on standardized testing but are successful and motivated language learners in the classroom.
These informal exit procedures can involve a variety of assessment tools, including a writing sample, a listening and speaking assessment, and a reading test. Faculty can develop their own exiting procedures for assessment or use a variety of resources that provide information about the language learner's ability.
All of the assessment tools generally have a cut score to determine whether the language learner is ready to leave the ESOL learning environment.
Informal writing assessments often involve a timed write under controlled circumstances. Students are given a set amount of time, such as 30 to 60 minutes in which to generate a writing sample on a given topic. The writing samples are then scored according to a writing rubric or guidelines, including clear topic sentences or thesis statements, details that support the topic, unity and coherence so that the writing stays on topic and doesn't drift to another topic. There is also an assessment of grammatical competence and rhetorical variety in sentence structure and vocabulary.
Listening and speaking are often combined into one exiting procedure. Educators can design a series of questions and answers for the language learners. The answers are then scored for comprehension, fluency and pronunciation.
Reading assessments usually comprise a series of short readings, of about 100 to 200 words, on a variety of topics, with questions for comprehension, involving questions about fact, inference and opinions.
These informal assessments are then analyzed and discussed by the ESOL faculty and administration to make an informed decision about which language learners are ready to exit the ESOL learning environment.
One of the newest exit assessment procedures involves a portfolio. The contents of the portfolio vary according to the audience and purpose. Yet, one common aim is that the ESOL student be involved in selecting documents that show the students' best work. There is also the element of metacognition, in that the student actively participates in evaluating the contents of the portfolio.
An example might be a portfolio that contains a few of the student's writing samples, listening/speaking assessments and reading tests. The portfolio might also include the student's standardized exit test scores and a letter from faculty containing a holistic evaluation of the student's language ability.
The portfolio has greater flexibility than the standardized formal and informal exiting procedures. The philosophy of a portfolio is for the students to select and display their best work. This approach involves the students to a greater degree in the exiting procedures.