Lessons Learned From a High-stakes Portfolio-Based Language Assessment Initiative for LESLLA Learners

Abstract

In educational contexts, portfolios are compilations of multiple forms of student work that showcase or document student learning over time. Teachers, students, and other stakeholders may use the information in the portfolios to make both low- and high-stakes decisions. For example, the low-stakes use of portfolios to encourage students to reflect on their learning is very different from the high-stakes use of portfolios to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers and programs. The research reviewed in this paper involves a high-stakes form of Portfolio-Based Language Assessment (PBLA) mandated by the federal government in the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program. The LINC program provides free basic and intermediate-level English classes for LESLLA learners and other immigrants. We conducted a synthesis of research regarding the influence of PBLA on LESLLA learners and on their learning and teaching in LINC. The studies we included examined the following: PBLA through the lens of learning-oriented assessment; the role of PBLA in developing LESLLA learners’ self-regulated learning (SRL); the differential impact of PBLA on students’ emotions across the two LINC streams (Literacy and General); and the relationships between SRL, emotions, and literacy gains. Findings support the use of portfolios as a low-stakes assessment tool where the emphasis is on learning rather than on accountability-driven, anxiety-ridden assessment. We conclude with implications for optimizing the use of portfolio assessment with LESLLA learners and for future research.