AAPPL Meets Dual Language Immersion Program Standards

Summary: The ACTFL® Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) is aligned with dual language immersion program goals, measuring bilingualism and biliteracy through a comprehensive assessment of speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills for students in grades 3-12. As ACTFL’s official proficiency assessment for K-12 learners, the AAPPL issues recognized ratings and certificates while supporting DLI programs through grade-specific test versions (Forms E, A, and B).

The AAPPL aligns with dual language immersion programs through these features:

Official AAPPL ratings covering complete language skill development for biliteracy measurement
Three grade-specific test versions for elementary, middle, and high school with teacher-selected administration
Complete Function, Accuracy, Context, Text Type (FACT) evaluation framework per ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines-2024
Comprehensive assessment across three communication modes — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational

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 proficiency 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. (Lee, 2005; Bachman, Lynch & Mason, 1995; Fan & Yan, 2020)

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 F.A.C.T.: Function, Accuracy, Context, and Text Type, ensuring students are assessed comprehensively. The AAPPL evaluates learners using of four criteria. The AAPPL is the only ACTFL assessment for learners in grades 3-12 that issues 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 accessibility to assessments.

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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the AAPPL and how it supports the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education below.

How can dual immersion programs test student language proficiency?

Dual immersion programs can test student language proficiency using the AAPPL, ACTFL’s assessment of performance toward proficiency for grades 3-12, which provides recognized ratings and certificates. The AAPPL delivers comprehensive measurement across speaking, listening, reading, and writing through grade-appropriate test versions aligned with the Guiding Principles for DLI Education, enabling programs to track complete bilingual skill development.

How does the AAPPL align with dual language immersion program goals?

The AAPPL aligns with dual language immersion program goals by measuring bilingualism and biliteracy, supporting high academic achievement, and promoting sociocultural competence. The assessment follows ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, evaluating students across three communication modes — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — using complete F.A.C.T.-based criteria rather than limited two-criterion rubrics.

What proficiency metrics should DLI programs track to demonstrate student progress?

DLI programs should track ACTFL proficiency ratings across complete language skill areas, performance across three communication modes, and advancement through Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. The AAPPL provides these metrics through structured test versions with teacher-controlled administration, ensuring consistent measurement based on sustained performance with multiple prompts per proficiency level rather than single-task snapshots.

Can the AAPPL be customized for different grade levels and proficiency ranges?

Yes. The AAPPL offers three test forms tailored to developmental and proficiency needs — Form E targeting emerging bilinguals in grades 3-4, plus Form A and Form B, each available in middle school and high school versions that span from Novice through Advanced levels. Teachers select the appropriate form for their students, ensuring content matches both age and ability while enabling accurate comparison across diverse learner populations.

Works cited:

Bachman, Lyle F., Brian K. Lynch, and Maureen Mason. “Investigating Variability in Tasks and Rater Judgements in a Performance Test of Foreign Language Speaking.” Language Testing, vol. 12, no. 2, 1995, pp. 238–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/026553229501200206

Fan, Jason, and Xun Yan. “Assessing Speaking Proficiency: A Narrative Review of Speaking Assessment Research Within the Argument-Based Validation Framework.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, 2020, article 330. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00330

Lee, Yong-Won. Dependability of Scores for a New ESL Speaking Test: Evaluating Prototype Tasks. Educational Testing Service, 2005. ETS Research Memorandum RM-04-07. https://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/RM-04-07.pdf

The Perfect Match: How the AAPPL Aligns with the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Immersion