At ACTFL® and Language Testing International® (LTI), we are committed to delivering the best possible assessment experiences for educators and learners. We always innovate, always listen, and always improve. As we kick off the new school year, here’s what’s new and updated with the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL).
AAPPL Test Content Refresh
The AAPPL content is reviewed and refreshed every year; the 2025-26 version of AAPPL will be released Sept. 15. Please note that any test orders placed before Sept. 15 will receive the version used in the 2024-25 academic year.
ASL AAPPL
The first ACTFL assessment of American Sign Language (ASL) is launching this September, just in time for the new school year! The ASL AAPPL assesses Interpersonal Interaction (II) and Receptive Comprehension (RC) and is designed for d/Deaf learners, CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults), and ASL language learners. It provides an ACTFL score that can be used for the attainment of the Seal of Biliteracy as well as for benchmarking and progress tracking.
The ASL AAPPL is fully accessible to all learners, and accommodations are available through the standard request process.
Developed in collaboration with d/Deaf and hearing ASL experts across the country from high school and university settings, ASL AAPPL honors the visual-spatial nature of the language and brings equity and recognition to ASL classrooms.
Read more: ASL AAPPL: A Groundbreaking ACTFL Assessment for American Sign Language
Clever Integration
We’re thrilled to announce that AAPPL is now fully integrated with Clever, the widely used digital learning platform that simplifies access to educational tools for teachers, students, and parents.
Through this integration, schools and districts can now order and deliver AAPPL assessments directly through Clever’s single sign-on (SSO), significantly reducing manual data entry and administrative workload. Student and assessment data sync automatically, streamlining test ordering and administration processes, improving the delivery of results, and enhancing the overall testing experience.
AAPPL Classroom Assessment Rubrics (ACAR)™ for PW & ILS
The AAPPL Classroom Assessment Rubrics (ACAR) will help educators and learners better understand the requirements for each level and set goals for continued growth. While not a substitute for ACTFL-certified ratings, they approximate how learners might perform on similar AAPPL tasks. The rubrics will be accessible this fall via the LTI Client Site.
- For each AAPPL score, the rubrics describe learner abilities and provide feedback suggestions.
- Descriptors are based on ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – 2024 and ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners.
- Educators can design classroom-based performance assessments modeled after AAPPL tasks, then evaluate responses holistically using the rubrics to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Year in Review Dashboard
The Year in Review Dashboard is an interactive and data-focused solution designed to provide educators, administrators, and stakeholders with clear insights into student performance. This dashboard enables users to analyze assessment results efficiently, identify trends, and make data-informed decisions accordingly. Enjoy visual representations of data that can easily be transformed into actionable insights, ultimately driving improved academic success for students.
Key features include:
- Performance overviews by form, language, and grade.
- Filter and drill down by modality, language, or individual student.
- Visual analytics for clear performance trends.
- Early indicators for students needing retakes to meet Seal of Biliteracy thresholds.
- Customizable reports and exports for data-informed decision-making.
As a reminder, the following enhancements became available earlier this year:
Extended AAPPL Demo
Now available on the Client Site, the new extended demo offers more prompts and a fuller AAPPL experience than the abbreviated demos publicly available on LTI’s website.
Key features:
- Available for both Form A and Form B
- Available in English only
- Includes more prompts, closer to a full AAPPL testing experience
- Available on the LTI Client Site
Accessibility Enhancements
AAPPL and ALIRA test portals have been upgraded to be compliant with Web Content and Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. This rigorous update reflects LTI’s ongoing commitment to ensure accessibility for all learners. Additional accommodations continue to be available via LTI’s standard accommodations request process.
AAPPL-SP
AAPPL Spanish (AAPPL-SP) was launched in January 2025 and is designed for Spanish-speaking students in grades 5-12. With all instructions, questions, and content in Spanish, the AAPPL–SP offers students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in their primary language.
Why Choose the AAPPL?
As an educator, you have choices when it comes to language assessments, and you want what’s best for your students. If your school, district, or state aligns instruction to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, it’s essential to choose an assessment that not only aligns to the Guidelines but also reports scores on the ACTFL scale (aligned with the scale for AAPPL ratings) and issues ACTFL ratings. The distinction matters for educators, students, and employers who rely on authentic, research-based proficiency benchmarks. So, if you align your program goals to ACTFL Guidelines, remember:
- Only LTI is authorized to deliver ACTFL tests and scores, the Gold Standard in language assessments.
- ACTFL ratings come only from ACTFL tests that are scored by ACTFL-certified raters.
- Any “ACTFL rating” issued for a non-ACTFL test is not valid, authorized, or endorsed by ACTFL.
Ready to test this fall with the AAPPL? Contact us to get started.
