Recent Research

From October 2004 and ending in September 2005, Alberta Education contracted Howard Research and Management Consulting Inc. to conduct a comprehensive study in K-12 school in order to determine factors and predictors that need to be in place for facilitating successful ESL learners. The study involved principals, classroom teachers, and students directly from various schools. Another purpose of the study was to assist the Ministry in the areas of curriculum development, resource allocation, and support provision as well as to respond to the recommendations as set by Alberta's Learning Commission. Upon survey completion, the Review of K-12 ESL Education in Alberta report was shared with groups of stakeholders and the community at large and a draft strategy for ESL learning in Alberta will later be created.

Based on this study, ESL learning success were based in five thematic areas:

1. predictors for achievement
2. evidence for effectiveness of different program delivery models
3. evidence for best practice suggestions
4. leadership practices
5. diagnostics and assessment for ESL students.

In light of the recent record-setting immigration levels according to Statistics Canada (2005), which concluded that by the year 2017, nearly 22% of Canada's population is expected to be comprised of immigrants and up to 25% are expected to be native language speakers (not of English or French), Howard Research and Management Consulting Inc. as contracted by Alberta Education, released a follow up study from 2004-2005 for the purpose of providing support for ESL instruction and ESL teachers and students.

ESL Proficiency Benchmarks

Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks (2010)

Benchmarks

• Kindergarden
• Grades 1-3
• Grades 4-6
• Grades 7-9

Tracking Sheets

• Kindergarden
• Grades 1-3
• Grades 4-6
• Grades 7-9

Please visit Alberta Education  for tools, strategies and resources for supporting English Language Learners.

Assessment Practices

The following is a list of Assessment tools that would be useful to assessing ESL students:

• Basic Reading Inventory: Pre-primer through Grade Twelve and Early Literacy Assessments
• Canadian Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) Form K
• CARA—Canadian Adult Reading Assessment
• Cooter/Flynt/Cooter Comprehensive Reading Inventory (2006)
• Developmental Reading Assessment DRA 2, K–3 Kit
• Diagnostic Reading Program
• Expressive One-word Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition (2000)
• Gates–MacGinitie Reading Tests, Canadian 2nd Edition (1992)
• IDEA Proficiency Test (IPT) 2002
• Language Proficiency Test Series (LPTS) 1999, 2000
• LaRue Reading Skills Assessment for Preliterate Students
• Lexical Tutor
• MAC II Test of English Language Proficiency
• MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI)
• Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition (1997)
• PM Benchmarks Kits 1 and 2
• Pre-LAS 2000; and LAS (Language Assessment Scale) I and II (1990), Three Kits: Pre–LAS (Pre-K–K), LAS/O–I (Grades 1–6), LAS/O–II (Grades 7–12)
• Receptive One-word Picture Vocabulary Test: ROWPVT 2000 Edition
• Rigby ELL Assessment Kit
• SLEP—Secondary Level English Proficiency
• TONI 3—Test of Non-verbal Intelligence
• Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), 2000 words
• Wechsler Non-verbal Scale of Ability
• Woodcock–Munoz Language Survey—Revised (WMLS-R) 2005

Classroom Applications

In 2008, Alberta Education contracted services from a consultant to select projects from three AISI cycles to review with the purposing of identifying the most promising ESL strategies. Many factors were considered and of 60 projects, the consultant choose 18 to include in this document. ALCA is featured in Almadina School Society (AISI Project ID: 10506) pages 18 - 20 and Almadina School Society (AISI Project ID: 429) pages 56 - 57.

This guide is to help early childhood professionals with understanding how young children acquire second and/or third languages, the importance of learning the English language while maintaining and developing the home language and culture, and suggestions for purposeful programming to facilitate English language learning.

This guide is to provide information on second language acquisition, student placement for elementary and junior high students, resources for ESL programing and strategies, and assessment suggestions.

This guide is to help Administrators identify ESL students, how ESL programming is funded, how ESL programming and support is delivered to students, recommended teaching strategies and assessment practices, and lastly, how schools can support ESL students and families.