Teachers need to make an informed decision as to whether their ELLs are ready for formal assessment tasks that involve reading and/or writing. And if an ELL achieves below expectation on such tasks, the teacher should investigate whether the issue is language rather than mathematics. The English Language Learning Progressions are a useful tool for this purpose. As a rule, teachers should not expect the assessments they use for native English speakers to be a reliable indicator of the mathematical understanding of their ELLs. Alternatives, including oral assessment, may need to be used.
Back to Resource 3: Supporting English language learners with the language of mathematics