Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment

Empowering multilingual learners, families, and teachers With its emphasis on relationship building as the backdrop for linguistically and culturally sustainable assessment, the bestselling second edition of Assessing Multilingual Learners significantly impacted the field of language education. Applying the groundbreaking assessment "as," "for," and "of" learning model to new contexts, this updated third edition offers educators welcoming and encouraging ways to support multilingual learners to succeed in school and beyond. Through eight thoroughly revised chapters, Dr. Margo Gottlieb ties assessment to teaching and learning to foster agency and empowerment for multilingual learners, families, and teachers. This book envisions assessment as a process integral to and embedded in curriculum and instruction through: Assets-based language Student-centered activities Classroom assessment tools Portraits of practice illustrating authentic assessment practices References and resources for stimulating discussion Deep questioning for thinking through processes, dilemmas, or challenges Assessing Multilingual Learners explores the realities and possibilities of classroom assessment as a road to inspire multilingual learners, their families, and teachers to reach great heights.

Table of Contents:
Dedication Foreword About the Author Acknowledgements Introduction: Shifting Assessment Mindsets Chapter 1: Empowering Multilingual Learners and Teachers Through Assessment Chapter 2: Issues in Assessment for Multilingual Learners Chapter 3: Assessment as, for, and of Learning Chapter 4: Multiliteracies, Multimodalities, and Multilingualism in Assessment Chapter 5: Connecting Assessment to Curriculum and Instruction Chapter 6: Dynamic Student Assessment Systems Chapter 7: Student Evidence for Learning Chapter 8: Assessment and Grading Practices Postscript Glossary References

About the Author :
Margo Gottlieb, Ph.D., has been a bilingual teacher, coordinator, facilitator, consultant, and mentor across K-20 settings. Having worked with universities, organizations, governments, states, school districts, networks, and schools, Margo has co-constructed linguistic and culturally sustainable curriculum and reconceptualized classroom assessment, policy, and practice. As co-founder and lead developer of WIDA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003, Margo has helped design and contributed to all the editions of WIDA’s English and Spanish language development standards frameworks and their derivative products. She has been appointed to national and state advisory boards, served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar, and was honored by the TESOL International Association in 2016 for her significant contribution to the field. An avid traveler, Margo has enjoyed keynoting and presenting across the United States, territories, and 25 countries. Having authored, co-authored, or co-edited over 100 publications, including 22 books, Margo′s 3rd edition of Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment (2024) and Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers: Pathways to Partnerships (with A. Honigsfeld, 2025) are the latest additions to her Corwin compendium. In 2025, Margo was inducted into the Multilingual Education Hall of Fame.

Review :
"Because I am a believer of process and not product, Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment speaks to me. Language learning is all about the journey. Gottlieb weaves current research on the importance of context, social-emotional learning, translanguaging, as well as teacher and student self-efficacy into these eight chapters. She gives examples of how multilingual learners of English (MLE) can thrive in the ever-evolving ecosystem of assessment. She provides opportunities for teachers to take agency when it comes to assessment and go beyond the meso- and macro- levels that may cloud MLE achievement. This is a wonderful "go-to" for those who have questions about navigating language assessment." "Gottlieb’s handbook on assessment for multilingual learners is a rich and accessible practical guide for all educators, be they in the classroom, in administrative roles, or in research spaces.  In this third edition of her work, she expands upon her framework of assessment "as, for, and of" learning, with a new focus on empowerment, and expanded conceptualizations of digital and multi-literacies. Noting that the strong multiplex identities and practices of learners – multilingual, multicultural, multiliterate –  are the locus of their power, she provides a clear vision that well-designed assessment is a key lever for making those strengths shine for all to see. She argues persuasively that when educators and students have the agency to work together to plan, collect, interpret, and use information, learners and teachers are empowered to own and expand their learning." "Words like "empowerment" and "equity"... even "assessment" carry with them the beliefs and attitudes of those who use them. It takes a thought header, like Margo Gottlieb, to help us understand and find the meanings of these terms. She does this by anchoring us in the current theories and practices that make assessment more.... equitable. That is the goal of this third edition. Join Margo in her decades-long work to build a framework that systematically enacts assessment as, by, and for learning. Because when it comes to the assessment of multilingual learners, the stakes couldn′t be higher." "Once again, in "Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment," Margo Gottlieb offers educators a comprehensive guide for transforming their assessment practices for multilingual learners. This third edition is a testament to Margo’s ongoing commitment to nurturing multilingual learners’ linguistic and cultural identities through linguistically and culturally sustaining assessment practices. One of the book’s strengths is its practicality. By exploring the crucial distinction between equity and empowerment in assessment practices, Margo highlights the need to accentuate learning as part of student identity formation and as a goal for assessment. Margo helps educators navigate the complexities of assessment as, for, and of learning to promote a comprehensive understanding of multilingual learners′ growth and development. The third edition offers concrete strategies and tools that integrate student and teacher voices and build meaningful partnerships within classrooms, schools, homes, and communities. Each chapter is filled with thought-provoking discussions, case studies, and engaging activities. Using educator-friendly prose, Margo helps educators navigate the complexities of assessment for multilingual learners. I wholeheartedly endorse "Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment" as an essential resource for educators, administrators, policymakers, and anyone committed to ensuring equitable and empowering assessment practices for multilingual learners. Margo Gottlieb’s expertise shines through as she presents a compelling argument for transforming assessment practices to empower multilingual learners and promote the success and well-being of all students." "This book advances equity in assessment to the next level: a level in which teachers and their multilingual students are in the driver′s seat of teaching and learning. In Assessing multilingual learners: Bridges to empowerment (3rd ed.), the student′s identity is an intrinsic component of assessment practices and instruction. Throughout the book, Gottlieb provides readers with guiding principles and practical examples on how to access students’ linguistic and cultural assets, draw on multilinguals′ funds of knowledge, and create an environment in which teachers and students have voice and agency.  A must-read guide for teachers of any content area, student teachers, and anyone in the education field who is committed to optimizing education outcomes for multilingual leaners. " "The need for effective language assessment tools and practices has never been more critical. Margo Gottlieb’s Assessing multilingual learners: Bridges to empowerment (3rd edition) shifts from the equity-focused guidance of the prior edition to emphasis on action, designed to empower educators in their instructional decisions. Throughout the edition, Gottlieb’s holistic view of assessment practices takes into consideration the multiple dimensions of language proficiency while acknowledging the sociocultural factors that contribute to language development, along with the assets that multilingual learners bring to their educational experience. This comprehensive guide encompasses a range of assessment practices, complete with practical examples that incorporate authentic voices of multilingual learners and their teachers.  Educators, researchers, and assessment developers alike can benefit from the case studies, vignettes, and discussion points presented in each chapter to engage deeply in their learning communities to reflect on how we consider and implement assessment practices. Through centering student strengths and identity, fostering teacher agency, and leveraging assessment data that integrates bilingualism and multiculturalism from the start, this must-read guide is the perfect combination of theory and practice for assessing multilingual learners and supporting their language development. " "Always centering students with an asset based mindset, and constantly inquiring about new avenues to simplify the complex work teachers must do in an ever changing world, Margo Gottlieb’s name is itself synonymous with the history of the field o f language acquisition in the United States. In this new edition , Margo harnesses decades of experience and expertise to encourage readers to leverage the potential of assessment not only to enhance equity for multilingual learners, but as a tool for empowerment that focuses on student strengths, leverages critical relationships, and launches into classroom actions that honor and sustain students’ languages, cultures, and identities. From policy to research, theory, and practice; from planning, to collecting, interpreting, and using various levels of data; through collaborative relationship building; controversial issues; and teacher and student voice and agency – this book is an essential, compelling, and practical examination of premises, principles, and practices that not only inform but transform how we enact classroom assessment for multicultural and multilingual learners." Margo has outdone herself again! The third edition takes into consideration all the recent issues, dilemmas, and long-held misconceptions that educators experience as they attempt equitable assessment. She offers a myriad of insightful accounts and recommendations for curriculum design and assessment for multilingual learners. Her focus is on new ways of assessing multiple languages, students speaking a mix of languages, data approaches, evaluating and reporting data, and taking action on assessment results. "In this ground breaking 3rd edition, Dr. Gottlieb presents research, frameworks, tools and classroom scenarios to support stakeholders in building comprehensive, strengths-based assessment systems that center multilingual learners. The author calls us to focus on learners as agents in their educational experiences, so that school and classroom practices become culturally and linguistically sustaining where multilingual learners can show what they know in multiple languages and modalities across contexts and over time. This excellent and practical volume will appeal to practitioners, administrators and university education faculty alike." "Without fail, Margo has produced another field-expanding resource. This third edition is a deep dive into designing equitable, assets-affirming assessments. She guides us in constructing bridges between the assessment expectations and what MLs can do with support from skilled, passionate educators." "What if we assess multilingual learners by focusing on their strengths, assets, thoughts, and actions? What if we empower students and teachers and embrace the technological advances that bring a multimodal multilingual classroom to life? What if we rethink our assessment policies at the classroom, district, and state levels? Margo Gottlieb’s brilliantly written third edition provides us with the tools that we need to answer these questions and build successful assessment practices for multilingual learners." "For decades educators, researchers, and policy makers have considered Dr. Margo Gottlieb as THE trailblazer who creates pathways to shape and reshape the ways in which we can authentically assess Multilingual Learners. Her passion-driven work continues to pave the way for us to capture and showcase the incredible richness of our students’ learning, far beyond the confines of monolingual, standardized testing.  Assessing multilingual learners: Bridges to empowerment. 3rd ed. provides yet another foundational resource for dynamic assessment practices. Within the eight chapters Dr. Gottlieb unfolds assets-based approaches that lead us to co-construct comprehensive, empowering assessment practices. She’s created theory-informed tools for the field to spotlight MLs’ "Funds of Identity" within their schools, families, and communities. As if this weren’t enough of a treasure, Dr. Gottlieb also presents unique chapter features of Portraits of Practice and Let’s Connect to elevate teachers’ voices while also making space for deeper, contextual reflections. I’m truly inspired [again!] by her latest book and can’t wait to use it with pre- and in-service educators!!" "In the third edition of her book, Gottlieb asks educators to abandon the "pobrecito (poor thing) syndrome" to assessment, and instead to shift our thinking to empower multilingual learners, their families, and teachers. This notion builds on equity to become twin goals for instruction or assessment. Gottlieb reminds us that assessment as, for, and of learning can help us move from equity to empowerment in assessment practices. In this 3rd edition, this unfolds through the lens of multilingualism and multiculturalism." "Consistent with her previous publications, Gottlieb presents an artful educator-focused book on assessing bi/multilingual learners. In a masterful combination of policy, research, and practice, Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment, Third Edition prepares educators at the classroom, school, district, and state level to engage with assessment of bi/multilingual learners in ways that are responsible to the diversity of languages, cultures, identities, and life-experiences of students. Furthermore, the shift from equity to empowerment comes to life as the reader navigates assessment of bi/multilingual learners and walks away with actionable steps to redefine assessment as, for, and of learning alongside students. Most importantly, Gottlieb fulfills a need of every educator by promoting dynamic assessment systems that integrate teacher, student, and family voices and culminates the book with much-needed guidance that disrupts traditional grading and presents solutions that lead to student empowerment."