lentz_what who when and how earning college credit through world language proficiency certificates

What, Who and How: Earning College Credit through World

Language Proficiency Certificates, Bilingual and Multilingual Seals

MELEd Conference

November 7, 2015

Ursula Lentz

Seal and Certificates

What are they? How are they awarded? Who is eligible? How can you prepare and support your students? How can students earn certificates? What type of assessments are needed? What might this look like in your district?

Session Goals

Provide information about the 2015 Legislation that: • Amended 2014 legislation enacting bilingual

and multilingual seals • Changed world language certificates to provide ALL Minnesota students the opportunity to earn college credits.

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

5

Why Bilingual and Multilingual Seals?

Nearly half of EL students do not graduate from high school, representing a major loss of talent and potential that the state cannot afford if we wish to maintain our economic competitiveness and high standard of living.

Per MDE cited in: The Learning for English Academic Proficiency and Success Act: Ensuring Faithful and Timely Implementation

By Conor P. Williams, Ph.D. and Colleen Gross Ebinger Report commissioned by The McKnight Foundation 2014-2015 numbers show 70,779 K-12 English learners in Minnesota.

Use as Generic Title Slide

What? 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 7

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.


World Language Proficiency Certificate Changes

• 2015 Amendments created one level of certificates

Intermediate-Low (IL)

• High Achievement certificate became the gold seal

– Using ACTFL proficiency guidelines on a valid assessment for reading, writing, listening and speaking

• All modalities/skills at Intermediate-Low


Other Legislation

Amended

Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.022, subdivision 1 Elective standards:

A district must use the current world languages standards developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

Addresses local standards and benchmarks


Credits Awarded


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

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

Who has been awarded World Language Proficiency Certificates?


Award Ceremony 2013, Ted Mann Concert Hall

Minneapolis Public Schools, 2015. Used with permission http://worldlanguages.mpls.k12.mn.us/bilingual_seal_testing


Who can receive Seals and Certificates?

Bilingual Seals and Certificate are available for any students who can demonstrate the required

proficiency levels.

–Heritage learners

– Learned language in a community based organizations, such as Saturday school

– Summer camps

– Extended stay overseas

– Learned language in language classes

4/11/2015

• Generally after four possibly three very good years of language study

– Depends on many factors (time, block vs. semester, focus of curriculum, etc.)

• Research from CARLA’s Articulation Project showed the above.

– http://www.carla.umn.edu/articulation/MNAP.html

What About Students in “Traditional Language Programs”?


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


http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012/english

• Intermediate Low – simple questions, face to face conversations, main ideas, some details on familiar topics. Create statements and questions to meet practical demands and social demands. Can cope successfully with simple survival and social situations.

Proficiency Level Characteristics


• 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.



• 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.



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


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


Writers at the Advanced Low sublevel 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


How? 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

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

Assessments

4/11/2015 http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/EdExc/StanCurri/K-12AcademicStandards/WorldLang/index.html

What if there are no Proficiency

Assessments for the languages our students speak?


“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:


Available frameworks and models to assess students' language levels

Considerations:

Numbers of students who may use the assessment • Modified OPI as a model using ACTFL guidelines as a guide

• 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/

Resources for Developing Assessments


http://clear.msu.edu/clear/

http://clear.msu.edu/clear/

http://clear.msu.edu/assessment/ppt/SUN-Best Practices Guidelines for LCTL Assessment.htm




http://clear.msu.edu/assessment/current-projects/online-speaking-tests-for-lctls/












Resources:

What am I assessing: CARLA Virtual Assessment Center

Omaggio Grids

CLEAR Assessment Development http://clear.msu.edu/assessment/current-projects/online-speaking-tests-for-lctls/

Proficiency Assessment Models


http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/vac/WhatAssessing/p_1.html

http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/vac/WhatAssessing/p_1.html

http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/vac/WhatAssessing/res_1.html



• Students take assessments

• By end of April school requests seals from MDE

• Form on MDE site (language, test, scores) – 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

Logistics of Obtaining Seals and Certificates


Helping students earn College credit: moving to Higher Level of Proficiency

Start with Parents: • Read to elementary students • Continue to use the language at home

• Publicize college credit

Who can be Awarded Seals or Certificates?

Your students!

4/11/2015 http://www3.canisius.edu/~itsdocs/CST/Gifted_CST_Review/Gifted_CST_Review_print.html

World Language High Achievement Proficiency Certificate Recipients French – Noura Abukhadra, Fatimzahra Ajaraam, Betty Mfalingundi, Townesend Nelson, Emmanuel Castellanos, Kalil Toure, Daniel Tondra, Kendra Roedl, Elise Gumm, Ciara Cagemoe, Soline Van de Moortele Spanish – Adriana Alarcón Parra, Alberto Zangano, Amy Mexquititla Perez,Ana Martinez-Pavón, Anahí Terrones Bernal, Anggy Pinos Reinoso, Anna Kleven, Audrey Goodnight, Bernabel Aguilar, Blas Del Villar Garcia, Brenda Gutierrez-Rosas, Brian Meza Álvarez, Carlos Pérez González, Dibani Domingues Sifuentes, Erik Chavez Molina, Erika Hernandez, Fanny Pallchizaca, Fernando L Marquez Garcia, Gabriela Rios Mendoza, Gabriela Ruiz Kuehn, Griselda Castillo Cortez, Guadalupe Castillo Mata, Hillary Cumbe, Jamie M Llapa Puma, Jennifer Aucapina Arroyo, Johan Cavert, Jonathan Cabrera, Jonathan Celis, José Meza Palacios, Josiah Ferguson, Kaitlyn Mulhern, Karla Olivares Bravo, Kevin Rubio-Mendoza, Luis Ángel Santos Henríquez, Luis M. Llauca-Astudillo, Marco Xavier Lema Sibre, María de Jesús Ojeda Hernández, María Gabriela Figueroa Robles, Mario Diaz-Gutierr, Maxwell Baker, Mayted Lucero Leon-Ortiz, Mirtha Quevedo Gana, Nathaly Carchi Gualpa, Nicolas Mercadel, Nohemi Villa, Óscar Aníbal Chiqui Veletanga, Paola Estrada Andrade, Peter Gustafson, Rebecca Krasky, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Salma Valencia Falcón, Samantha Compean, Samantha Ruiz Zavala, Tannya Cedillo Pérez, Victor Nieto Vides, Zaira Vazquez-Aguilar, Zulma Valencia Falcón

http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us/303_mps_students_earn_the_mn_world_language_proficiency_certificate.html


Questions? Comments?

Thank you


Mahadsanid, Asante

lentz_what who when and how earning college credit through world language proficiency certificates

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