Dual language immersion (DLI) programs are built on a foundation of academic achievement, bilingualism and biliteracy, and sociocultural competence. To ensure success, programs must align with research-based best practices, as outlined in the Guiding Principles for DLI Education. The ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL), the only ACTFL test for learners in grades 3-12 that issues an ACTFL score and certificate, is a powerful tool that supports these principles, helping programs measure student progress, guide instruction, and maintain accountability.
The Core Goals of DLI Programs and the AAPPL
The AAPPL is uniquely suited to support DLI programs in measuring student language abilities. Here’s how it helps programs meet the three core goals of DLI:
1. Measuring Bilingualism and Biliteracy
The AAPPL evaluates all four language domains–listening, speaking, reading, and writing, ensuring a comprehensive measure of bilingual language ability. The assessment follows a structured test construct with age-appropriate content and targeted proficiency ranges:
- Form E: Novice and Intermediate levels for grades 3-4 (consists solely of the Interpersonal Listening and Speaking (ILS) section)
- Form A: Novice and Intermediate levels with a version appropriate for grades 5-8 (middle school) and a version appropriate for grades 9-12 (high school)
- Form B: Intermediate and Advanced levels with a version appropriate for grades 5-8 (middle school) and a version appropriate for grades 9-12 (high school)
This structured approach ensures that test content is both proficiency-level and age-level appropriate, avoiding potential limitations of adaptive tests and eliminating unnecessarily long assessments. Importantly, educators, not a testing company, have control over which test form to administer, ensuring a consistent and meaningful comparison among student populations.
2. Ensuring High Academic Achievement
By providing AAPPL ratings that align with the ACTFL scale, the AAPPL helps schools benchmark student achievement. Thoughtful test design, particularly in the reading portion, supports early literacy development, helping younger learners build strong language foundations. Research underscores that a minimum of three prompts per level is necessary for valid assessments, and the AAPPL adheres to this standard, ensuring measurement is based on sustained performance rather than chance.
3. Promoting Sociocultural Competence
The AAPPL incorporates real-world language tasks that reflect cultural and contextual applications of language. By engaging students in authentic interactions, the assessment fosters sociocultural competence and prepares them for global citizenship. The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – 2024 further define proficiency through FACT: Function, Accuracy, Context, and Text Type, ensuring students are assessed comprehensively. The AAPPL evaluates learners using these criteria – unlike other tests that rely on a more limited two-criteria rubric. The AAPPL is the only ACTFL assessment for learners in grades 3-12 that issues ACTFL ratings assigned according to the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners.
The Guiding Principles for DLI Education
The Guiding Principles for DLI Education serve as a framework for ensuring quality instruction and positive outcomes for students. The key principles include:
Program Structure
A successful DLI program requires equity, leadership, and continuous evaluation. The AAPPL plays a crucial role by providing consistent and reliable data that allows administrators to assess program effectiveness. By systematically measuring students’ performance toward proficiency, schools can make informed decisions about curriculum adjustments, resource allocation, and professional development needs.
Curriculum
A well-designed curriculum is standards-based and “promotes attainment of the three core goals of dual language education:” bilingualism and biliteracy, high academic achievement, and sociocultural competence (Guiding Principles for DLI Education, pg. 147). With its robust reporting tools, the AAPPL supports curriculum refinement to demonstrate that students are progressing in language proficiency. The AAPPL is aligned with the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – 2024, the gold standard in language education, ensuring that assessment data reflects meaningful linguistic development.
The AAPPL is also aligned with the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. These standards emphasize communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities—mirroring the sociocultural competencies that DLI programs aim to instill.
Instruction
Instructional strategies in DLI programs should be research-based, student-centered, and model-aligned. The AAPPL provides actionable insights into students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, allowing educators to tailor instruction to individual needs. The assessment also supports technology integration, with a digital platform that enhances learning and assessment accessibility.
Read more: Harnessing Data in DLI Programs to Build Confidence and Sustainability
Assessment & Accountability
Effective DLI programs require a structured assessment framework that informs instruction and program evaluation. The AAPPL aligns with these principles by:
- Providing a proficiency-based language assessment that reflects real-world communication skills.
- Offering data-driven insights to support program accountability and improvement.
- Ensuring alignment with language standards, reinforcing consistency in measurement and reporting.
- Assessing interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication skills, ensuring a holistic evaluation of language abilities.
By using the AAPPL, programs can track student progress systematically and communicate results with key stakeholders, including educators, families, and administrators.
Staff Quality & Professional Development
Teachers are at the heart of successful DLI programs. The AAPPL provides educators with a clear understanding of student performance toward proficiency levels, helping them refine instruction. Additionally, AAPPL results can guide training initiatives to ensure teachers are equipped with effective strategies for fostering bilingualism and biliteracy.
Family & Community
DLI programs thrive when families and communities are actively engaged. The AAPPL promotes transparency in language learning outcomes, helping parents understand their child’s language ability. Schools can use AAPPL results to foster family advocacy, encouraging parents to support bilingualism at home and in the community.
Read more: How will I share the AAPPL results with parents?
Support & Resources
Sustaining a high-quality DLI program requires adequate funding, stakeholder support, and advocacy. The AAPPL provides credible data that programs can use to demonstrate impact, advocate for resources, and secure continued investment in dual language education.
Conclusion
The AAPPL is more than just an assessment; it is a vital tool that supports the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education. By aligning with these principles, the AAPPL helps DLI programs maintain high standards, measure growth effectively, and ensure that students achieve bilingualism, biliteracy, and academic success.
Ready to get started with the AAPPL in your DLI program? Contact us today.
