The Cell Transport Quiz
At Riverside High, biology teacher Mr. Lee co-teaches second period with the ESL teacher. The class has 28 students, 9 of them ELs at WIDA levels 2–4; 6 of the 9 have Spanish as L1. On the cell-transport quiz, ELs averaged 54% and non-ELs 78%. The quiz asked students to match 'osmosis,' 'diffusion,' and 'active transport' to definitions, label a diagram as hypotonic or hypertonic, and write two sentences explaining why a cell shrinks in salt water. Mr. Lee proposes shortening the quiz to five questions and giving Spanish-speaking students a Spanish glossary. He says, 'I can't slow down; the district pacing guide has mitosis in two weeks.' The ESL teacher has one 45-minute co-planning period per week with him.
1. Distinguish which of Mr. Lee's proposals are accommodations and which are modifications, and analyze whether they solve the problem.
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Shortening the quiz to five items and providing a Spanish glossary are different kinds of change. A glossary is an accommodation: it gives access to the same construct without altering what is measured, provided the test is not assessing knowledge of the English words themselves. Cutting the quiz to five items may be a modification if those items no longer sample the standard's full range, but it could be a legitimate reduction of redundant items if the remaining five still measure the same content. The deeper problem is the quiz's construct: matching definitions of 'osmosis,' 'diffusion,' and 'active transport' and labeling hypotonic and hypertonic primarily test vocabulary recall, which is exactly where ELs at levels 2–4 will lag even if they understand transport. The 24-point gap is diagnostic, not a verdict on ability. The glossary also helps only the six Spanish speakers, leaving three ELs unsupported. A better solution is to change the task so that understanding can be shown through diagrams, explanations, and predictions, and to keep the pacing by planning backward from the mitosis deadline with two or three essential language targets rather than trying to teach every term.
2. Write two language objectives and describe scaffolds for the cell-transport lesson that keep the content standard intact.
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Language objectives, tied to the content: (1) Students will explain, orally and in writing, the direction of water movement across a membrane using the frame 'Water moves from ___ to ___ because ___.' (2) Students will use the terms hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic to compare two solutions in a labeled diagram, distinguishing the terms by solute concentration. Scaffolds: a pre-taught visual word wall with a simple diagram for each term; a demonstration (egg or potato in salt water) before the reading; a partially completed diagram; sentence frames; a bilingual glossary of cognates (ósmosis, difusión, hipertónico); and structured partner talk with a designated language function. Crucially, the content standard stays intact - students still must explain why a cell shrinks in salt water. The pacing concern is addressed by identifying the two or three highest-leverage terms and integrating language practice into existing activities rather than adding a separate lesson. Co-planning time should be used to agree on the language objective and on the evidence of learning for the week.
3. Redesign the quiz's assessment approach so that content and language are both validly measured.
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Redesign the quiz to score content and language separately. A three-part assessment: (a) a diagram task - label the cell, draw arrows for water movement in three scenarios, and mark which side is hypertonic; (b) a short explanation with a word bank and sentence frame, scored with a content rubric (accurate direction, accurate mechanism, accurate conclusion) and a separate language rubric (uses target terms, coherent sentence); (c) one transfer item - predict what happens to a plant in salt water - so that understanding is not purely vocabulary matching. Allow a bilingual glossary for all students, not just Spanish speakers, or use visuals for all. Keep the same content standard and the same number of content points as the original. This preserves validity: a student who understands osmosis but cannot spell 'hypertonic' should not fail science, and a student who can match definitions without explaining the mechanism should not pass. Share the rubrics with students in advance so the language demands are transparent.