Policy Issues in Assessing Indigenous Languages: A Navajo Case

Language policy and assessment have rarely intersected, despite the potential value of accurate assessment in guiding programmatic decisions This lack of a close relation is particularly notable in decentralized educational systems like that of the US In making crucial decisions, local educational a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied linguistics 1995-09, Vol.16 (3), p.323-343
Main Authors: MCGROARTY, MARY, BECK, ANN, BUTLER, FRANCES A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Educational Policy
Elementary Education
Evaluation Problems
Government Role
Language Attitudes
Language Planning
Language Tests
Linguistic policies
Linguistics
Navajo
Sociolinguistics and ethnolinguistics
Student Evaluation
Test Construction
Uncommonly Taught Languages
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Summary:Language policy and assessment have rarely intersected, despite the potential value of accurate assessment in guiding programmatic decisions This lack of a close relation is particularly notable in decentralized educational systems like that of the US In making crucial decisions, local educational agencies generally rely on standardized instruments available almost exclusively in the dominant language—English Yet growing concerns related to cultural and linguistic pluralism as well as educational equity demand that skills in other native languages be recognized within the educational system This article describes some of the policy questions arising in the course of efforts to develop a test of Navajo comprehension for young children Using Cooper's (1989) framework for language planning as innovation and Ruiz's (1993) distinction between endoglossic and exoglossic language policies, we explain how the test development process has been similar to and different from the typical model of top-down test development by outside experts While the content of the test reflects the specific historical experience and current educational situation of the Navajo Nation, the procedures for test development as well as general issues related to using the test results may well be applicable to other indigenous language communities
ISSN:0142-6001
1477-450X
DOI:10.1093/applin/16.3.323