A validity argument to support the ACTFL Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL)

Cox, Troy L.; Malone, Margaret E.

doi:10.1111/flan.12353

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For example, in the Spanish AAPPL test, questions and response items are in English, and the curricular content and context references experiences of English speakers learning the language through classroom study and study abroad (World language coordinator, urban district, August 9, 2018). As a performance test that assesses students’ progress toward proficiency, the AAPPL test was developed to acknowledge “the reality that language in most K–12 programs is learned within the classroom setting rather than by means of communicative experiences at home or abroad” (Cox & Malone, 2018, p. 551). It assumes that students are familiar with the tasks and topics assessed in the test, based on those usually found in language learning classrooms.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neoliberal logic of state seals of biliteracy

Schwedhelm

King

2020

Foreign Language Annals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

State‐issued seals and certificates of biliteracy are increasingly common nationwide. Nevertheless, limited research to date has examined how this state legislation functions as language in education policy and the ideological foundations of these policies. Addressing this gap, the present paper examines state seals as an instance of neoliberal language education policy and addresses how the policy has been constructed in public discourse and interview narratives and how it has been implemented to date. Focusing on one state, Minnesota, we demonstrate the neoliberal logic that undergirds state seals of biliteracy. Data revealed uneven availability of assessments and access to seals across the state. Access was largely determined by market‐oriented, rational choice ideologies, and dependent upon the language and district in question. Analysis also suggested that while Minnesota seals have been constructed in public discourse as a financial asset, their value is unclear in a potentially inflated marketplace of academic credentials within the state.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neoliberal logic of state seals of biliteracy

Schwedhelm

King

2020

Foreign Language Annals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is not clear to what extent releasing a list of the general topics that may be addressed might make self‐assessment at the Intermediate level more accurate. Regularly refreshing the actual assessment items (as is done on the ACTFL Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency in Languages; Cox & Malone, ) may help.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self‐assessment: How reliable is it in assessing oral proficiency over time?

Winke

2019

Foreign Language Annals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Second language (L2) learners can assess their oral skills with some accuracy. A question is whether learners can reliably use self‐assessment to track their language gains over time. During the spring of two subsequent years, 80 university L2 Chinese learners completed an oral skills self‐assessment based on the NCSSFL‐ACTFL Can‐Do Statements (ACTFL, ) and took the computerized Oral Proficiency Interview (OPIc). Results were compared to see how accurate the self‐assessments were and to determine if the students’ self‐assessment skills improved. Most students’ OPIc gains were reflected in their self‐assessment gains; meanwhile, learners tended to underassess rather than overassess their skills. Students at the Novice and Advanced proficiency levels were more accurate self‐assessors than were Intermediate‐level learners. There was no difference in self‐assessment rating accuracy between Years 1 and 2. The findings suggest that self‐assessment based on the Can‐Do Statements is valuable for low‐stakes assessments: for example, to monitor students’ proficiency gains and to globally track the way in which language programs promote proficiency growth.

show abstract

“…Because DLI programs first and foremost need to demonstrate that they do not compromise academic achievement, however, students’ performance in the partner language is seldom included in measures of accountability in the United States. Moreover, valid assessment instruments for young learners that can be administered efficiently have not been available until recently (Cox & Malone, 2018). The present study capitalizes on the availability of large‐scale assessment data to measure DLI students’ partner language performance across elementary and secondary grades, in different languages, and across all four skills.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to a recent study (Cox & Malone, 2018), the AAPPL demonstrates strong test design validity in that the difficulty of tasks aligns with ACTFL proficiency levels. As a performance assessment, the AAPPL engages students in age‐appropriate tasks that are driven by the curriculum and relevant to students’ experiences in elementary or secondary classrooms.…”

Section: Study Context and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, proficiency tests such as the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) measure a learner's ability to use language in spontaneous and unrehearsed contexts that mirror real‐life situations (ACTFL, 2012). However, because the AAPPL assessment criteria align with the ACTFL proficiency levels, AAPPL performance scores can be used to establish students’ progress toward proficiency (Cox & Malone, 2018, p. 551).…”

Section: Study Context and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Sustaining Dual Language Immersion: Partner Language Outcomes in a Statewide Program

Watzinger‐Tharp

Tharp

Rubio

2021

The Modern Language Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dual language immersion (DLI) as an alternative model to monolingual English-medium education has continued to expand rapidly over the past decade. As this model continues to grow across the United States, stakeholders look to research to demonstrate sustainability and scalability of dual language programs. Drawing on 224 schools, the statewide study reported in this article investigated whether students' growth in a non-English DLI partner language sustained into the secondary level, to what degree students met performance benchmarks for these partner languages, and whether targeted outcomes were attained during program expansion. The longitudinal analysis of assessment data shows that middle school students performed at Intermediate Mid to High levels on the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scale in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and that a segment of students raised their performance levels from 8th to 9th grade. Furthermore, a considerable portion of DLI students in French and Spanish dual language programs reached the Advanced level in 9th grade. Finally, 3rd-and 4th-grade data show that targeted performance outcomes held from one testing year to another, 4 years later, and after a substantial increase in enrollments. The article concludes with a discussion of curricular and policy implications.

show abstract

A validity argument to support the ACTFL Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL)

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

The neoliberal logic of state seals of biliteracy

The neoliberal logic of state seals of biliteracy

Self‐assessment: How reliable is it in assessing oral proficiency over time?

Sustaining Dual Language Immersion: Partner Language Outcomes in a Statewide Program

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About