2015 Minnesota legislation for world language proficiency certificates, bilingual and multilingual seals provides ALL Minnesota students the opportunity to earn college credits. Assessing languages without ACTFL-based assessments presents a challenge to schools and teachers. This session provides resources and guidance for development of ACTFL-aligned assessments for those languages.
Lentz_assessment options for world language proficiency certificates, bilingual and multilingual seals
1. Assessment Options for World
Language Proficiency Certificates,
Bilingual and Multilingual Seals
MELEd Conference
November 7, 2015
Ursula Lentz
2. Goal
• Brief background for legislation
• Explore available resources for development
of ACTFL-aligned assessments for languages
for which no ACTFL based proficiency
assessments are available by:
– Considering ACTFL proficiency levels
– Assessment principles
• Discuss options for assessment development
3. Legislation
2015 Legislature amended Sec. 2. Minnesota
Statutes 2014, section 120B.022, subdivision 1a
and 1b https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=120B.022
World language proficiency certificates
Bilingual and multilingual seals
High school elective credit
College credit
4. Bilingual and Multilingual Seals
LEAPS Legislation: Recognizes home languages as an asset
2015 Amendments created two levels of seals
• Gold – Intermediate-High (IH)
• Platinum – Advanced-Low (AL)
Requirements: All modalities (Reading, writing, listening,
speaking)
Based on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines on a valid
assessment for reading, writing, listening and speaking
education.state.mn.us 4
5. Other Requirements
(b) In addition to paragraph (a), to be eligible to
receive a seal:
(1) students must satisfactorily complete all
required English language arts credits; and
(2) students must demonstrate mastery of
Minnesota's English language proficiency
standards.
education.state.mn.us 5
6. Credits Awarded
education.state.mn.us6
Upon enrollment and student request within 3 years of
earning a seal(s) or certificate
Certificates, Seals Level Credits
World language
proficiency certificate
Intermediate-
Low
2 semesters
Gold bilingual or
multilingual seal
Intermediate-
High
3 semesters
per language
Platinum bilingual or
multilingual seal
Advanced-Low 4 semesters
per language
7. Who can be Awarded Seals or Certificates?
Any student who can demonstrate the required
proficiency levels are eligible to receive Bilingual
Seals and World Language Proficiency Certificates.
4/11/2015
http://www3.canisius.edu/~itsdocs/CST/Gifted_CST_Review/Gifted_CST_Review_print.html
8. Assessment Options
• Advanced Placement Exam
• International Baccalaureate Exam
• Oral Proficiency Interview, Reading Proficiency Test, or
Writing Proficiency Test
• Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP4S)
• ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in
Languages (AAPPL)
• Tribal language assessments
• Signed Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) for American
Sign Language
• ACTFL Latin Interpretive Reading Exam (ALIRA)
• Other assessments correlated to the required minimum
level of language proficiency.
4/11/2015
10. What Do Other States Use/Require?
National Guidelines for Seals (http://www.actfl.org/news/press-
releases/seal-biliteracy-guidelines-released)(
• Advanced Placement Exam
• International Baccalaureate Exam
• Oral Proficiency Interview, Reading Proficiency Test, or Writing
Proficiency Test
• Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP4S)
• ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages
(AAPPL)
• Tribal language assessments
• Signed Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) for American Sign
Language
• ACTFL Latin Interpretive Reading Exam (ALIRA)
• Other assessments correlated to the required minimum level of
language proficiency.
4/11/2015
11. • Students take assessments
• By end of April school requests seals from
MDE
• Form on MDE site
– Signed by principal
• Student diploma can show seal, transcript
must have seal (or notation- space issue)
• Student requests seal when admitted-within 3
years of receiving the seal
Seal Logistics
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12. • Students take assessments
• By end of April school requests seals from
MDE
• Form on MDE site
– Signed by principal
• Student diploma can show seal, transcript
must have seal (or notation- space issue)
• Student requests seal when admitted-within 3
years of receiving the seal
Seal Logistics
education.state.mn.us 12
13. What if there are no Proficiency
Assessments for the languages our
students speak?
education.state.mn.us 13
14. Possible Resources from Other States
which offer Seals
• Other states provide high school credit for
seals
• Some states provide seals only for languages
which can be assessed using an available
ACTFL-based proficiency assessment
15. “Where valid and reliable assessments are
unavailable, a school district or charter school may
rely on evaluators trained in assessing under ACTFL
proficiency guidelines to assess a student's level of
foreign, heritage, or indigenous language
proficiency under this section.”
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=120B.022
For languages for which there are no
proficiency assessments available:
education.state.mn.us 15
18. Challenges
• Test Development Process
• Native Speakers with appropriate language
level and time
• Training on ACTFL guidelines
• Appropriate Model
• Resources for developing the assessment and
Rating Criteria
19. • Validity (does it test what is intended and at the
correct level?)
– Reading, writing, listening, speaking (exemption, ASL)
– Intermediate- Low, Intermediate-High, Advanced-Low
• Practicality (time to develop, administer and rate the
assessment vs. the number of test takers and
resources)
• Reliability
Considerations in Developing
Assessments
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20. – Scoring and administration method
– Number of test administrators
– Test Type
– Knowledge of ACTFL Proficiency Level
Characteristics and what they mean in a task
Considerations
education.state.mn.us 20
21. Breath, Depth, Range of Topics, Text Types
and Tasks, Rating
• Determined by
– Appropriateness for the level
– ACTFL proficiency guidelines
– Specific language characteristics
But Wait - There’s More
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22. What does Proficiency Look Like?
At:
Intermediate-Low
Intermediate-High
Advanced-Low
23. Speaking, Writing, Listening, Reading
English version ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/actfl-
proficiency-guidelines-2012/english
A Very Short Summary of ACTFL
Proficiency Guidelines
education.state.mn.us 23
24. ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
Describe:
Tasks speakers/writers/ readers/ listeners can handle at
each level, the content, context, accuracy, and
discourse types associated with tasks at each level.
The limits that speakers/writers/ readers/ listeners
encounter when attempting to function at the next
higher major level.
http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/actfl-
proficiency-guidelines-2012
education.state.mn.us 24
26. Intermediate-Low: Speakers can handle limited
uncomplicated communication by creating with the
language in straightforward social situations.
Concrete exchanges and predictable topics; basic
personal information; self and family, some daily
activities, personal preferences, some immediate
needs, such as ordering food and other purchases.
Proficiency Level Characteristics
education.state.mn.us
26
27. Intermediate-Low Speaking continued
Speakers are primarily reactive, struggle to answer
direct questions or requests for information. They can
ask a few appropriate questions.
Are generally understood by sympathetic listeners,
particularly by those accustomed to dealing with non-
natives.
education.state.mn.us 27
28. Intermediate-High
Speakers can handle familiar topics dealing with routine
tasks and social situations with ease. Can narrate in all
time frames. Understood by native speakers.
Level required for a world language teacher licensure in
MN
education.state.mn.us 28
29. • Intermediate High – converse with ease for
social situations and routine tasks. Narrate in
major timeframes. Uses some connected
sentences (discourse).
• Can be understood by native speakers; may
have gaps in communication.
Intermediate-High
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30. • Advanced-Low – can handle a wide variety of
communicative tasks. Participate in informal
and limited formal conversations related to
home, school and some work, current events,
public and personal interest.
Proficiency Level Characteristics
education.state.mn.us 30
31. Advanced-Low
Speakers: participate in most informal and some formal
conversations, including employment, current events
and public and community interests. (ACTFL)
Connected discourse, paragraph length. Can converse
with accuracy, precision and clarity. Can handle
abstract topics.
Understood by native speakers
education.state.mn.us 31
32. Writers at the Intermediate Low sublevel are able to meet some limited
practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate
questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are recombinations
of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple
conversational-style sentences with basic word order. They are written
almost exclusively in present time. Writing tends to consist of a few simple
sentences, often with repetitive structure. Topics are tied to highly
predictable content areas and personal information. Vocabulary is
adequate to express elementary needs. There may be basic errors in
grammar, word choice, punctuation, spelling, and in the formation and
use of non-alphabetic symbols. Their writing is understood by natives
used to the writing of non-natives, although additional effort may be
required. When Intermediate Low writers attempt to perform writing
tasks at the Advanced level, their writing will deteriorate significantly and
their message may be left incomplete. - See more at:
http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/actfl-
proficiency-guidelines-2012/english/writing#intermediate
Writing: Intermediate Low
education.state.mn.us 32
33. Writers at the Intermediate High sublevel are able to meet all practical
writing needs of the Intermediate level. Additionally, they can write
compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school
experiences. They can narrate and describe in different time frames
when writing about everyday events and situations. These narrations
and descriptions are often, but not always, of paragraph length, and
they typically contain some evidence of breakdown in one or more
features of the Advanced level. For example, these writers may be
inconsistent in the use of appropriate major time markers, resulting in
a loss of clarity. The vocabulary, grammar and style of Intermediate
High writers essentially correspond to those of the spoken language.
Intermediate High writing, even with numerous and perhaps
significant errors, is generally comprehensible to natives not used to
the writing of non-natives, but there are likely to be gaps in
comprehension.
Writing: Intermediate High
education.state.mn.us 33
34. Writers are able to meet basic work and/or academic writing needs. They
demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in major time frames with
some control of aspect. They are able to compose simple summaries on
familiar topics. Advanced Low writers are able to combine and link
sentences into texts of paragraph length and structure. Their writing,
while adequate to satisfy the criteria of the Advanced level, may not be
substantive. Writers at the Advanced Low sublevel demonstrate the ability
to incorporate a limited number of cohesive devices, and may resort to
some redundancy and awkward repetition. They rely on patterns of oral
discourse and the writing style of their first language. These writers
demonstrate minimal control of common structures and vocabulary
associated with the Advanced level. Their writing is understood by natives
not accustomed to the writing of non-natives, although some additional
effort may be required in the reading of the text. When attempting to
perform functions at the Superior level, their writing will deteriorate
significantly.
Writing: Advanced Low
education.state.mn.us 34
35. Why are Instructions In English?
• Separates the task from the directions
• For ELs the instructions can be a problem
Challenges and Issues
• Native English speaking students have
directions in English
– Do students being assessed for a language need
direction in their home language?
– Does the requirement to be proficient in English
play a role for the seals?
36. The Grids provide a “summary” of essential
characteristics and text types.
37. The Grids provide a “summary” of essential
characteristics and text types.
38. Samples of Levels
ACTFL Proficiency Level samples in English
• http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-
manuals/actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012/english
• http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-
manuals/actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012/english/speaking
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnxSzCmVYjk
39. Available frameworks and models to assess
students' language levels
• Modified OPI as a model using ACTFL guidelines
as a guide Speaking
• ELPAC (MLPA Model) – using ACTFL guidelines as
a guide
• Integrated Performance Assessment Framework
(ACTFL developed)
• CLEAR: http://clear.msu.edu/clear/
– http://clear.msu.edu/assessment/ppt/SUN-
Best%20Practices%20Guidelines%20for%20LCTL%20Assessment.htm
– http://clear.msu.edu/assessment/current-projects/online-speaking-tests-for-
lctls/
40. Resources:
What am I assessing: CARLA Virtual Assessment
Center
Specification Grids (Alice Omaggio)
CLEAR Assessment Development
http://clear.msu.edu/assessment/current-projects/online-speaking-tests-for-lctls/
Proficiency Assessment Models
education.state.mn.us 40
42. Sample Writing Model
• Contextualized
• More than one writing task
• All task target the same level
• Responses scored on a “there, not there”
rubric with multiple criteria
43. • Legislation requires those testing to be
ACTFL- trained
• MDE is working on ways to assist in test
development.
Details will be in EL coordinator newsletter
How Can Districts Develop Assessments?
education.state.mn.us 43