Teachers' Assessment of ESL Students in Mainstream Classes: Challenges, Strategies, And Decision-Making‪.‬

Introduction Census and immigration statistics reveal that in 2002 almost 46% of immigrants to Canada spoke neither English nor French as a first language (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, n.d.). Canadian high schools, particularly in urban centers, have been described as "transformed" (O'Byrne, 2001) by steadily increasing numbers of English as a second language (ESL) students. In Ontario, provincial curriculum and policy documents instruct high school teachers to make "appropriate modifications to teaching, learning, and evaluation strategies ... to help students gain proficiency in English" (Ministry of Education, 2000, p. 10); these documents further note that "teachers of all subjects are responsible for helping students develop their ability to use English" (p. 10).