Understanding Proficiency

and IPAsOhio Foreign Language

Association

Presenter Information

Martha Pero

Hudson City Schools

perom@hudson.edu

Objectives: You will be able to... 1) Explain the characteristics of the proficiency

levels.

2) Explain the 3 modes of communication.

3) Explain the use of IPAs for SLOs.

4) Explain the parts of an IPA.

5) Develop an example IPA.

One Stop Shopping for Information

http://oflaslo.weebly.com

I. Proficiency Vs. Performance

Proficiency• to communicate

meaningful information

• in spontaneous interaction

• understandable to native speakers

• does not mean perfection

Performance

• performance in familiar contexts

• practiced and rehearsed

• connected to specific curriculum

Proficiency OR Performance?

A. Mrs L. is a French teacher who just completed a chapter on food with her French 1 class. She decides to take her students to a local African restaurant as a capstone activity. At the restaurant, students are expected to order their food and provide opinions in the target language (all functions they have rehearsed in class). The students do very well in performing these tasks.

B. Suddenly, two African men come to the table and start interacting with her students. Their questions are not necessarily related to food. After the initial shock, Mrs L.'s students start uttering a few words ("Yes", "No", "sometimes") and using simple sentences ("I am 13 years old", "Yes, I like French"), they have a hard time understanding the native speakers.

II. Proficiency Levels

What are the proficiency levels?

Novice

Intermediate Superior

Advanced

Proficiency Levels

Proficiency Levels for SLOs

Level 1: Novice-midLevel 2: Novice-high

Level 3: Intermediate-lowLevel 4: Intermediate-MidLevel 5: Intermediate-High

AP: Advanced-Low

Proficiency Levels Defined

Proficiency Sublevels

LOWa baseline performance for the level; sustained but skeletal for the level; “Just hanging on”

MID solid performance for level; quantity/quality for the level; may have some features of the next level

HIGH sustained performance close to the next major level

Examples

Determine why the speakers are Novice and Intermediate

Novice

Intermediate

Further Proficiency Descriptions

http://actflproficiencyguidelines2012.org/

http://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/PerformanceDescriptorsLanguageLearners.pdf

Proficiency Sublevel Differences

• Differences between low and mid is the quantity and quality with the same function

• Differences between mid and high is not being able to sustain criteria for the next level

Peaks and Lows of Proficiency

• Students might spike into the next proficiency level

• They are unable to sustain it and return to the lower proficiency level

III. The Modes of Communication

Interpersonal

Interpretive

Presentational

Interpersonal Communication

1) Interpersonal communication is...

2) Interpersonal communication is NOT...

Interpretive Communication

1) Interpretive communication is...

2) Interpretive communication is NOT...

Presentational Communication

1) Presentational communication is...

2) Presentational communication is NOT...

IV. IPAs Explained

Integrated Performance Assessment

Why IPA?

• Proficiency based (new Ohio Standards are proficiency based, too!)

• SLO guidelines do not allow the use of multiple choice tests

• Approved by the Ohio Department of Education

Characteristics of IPAAuthentic

Performance-based

Based on three modes of communication

Integrated

Show developmental progress of proficiency

Blend with classroom instruction/experiences

V. Where IPAs Fit In

Steps to write an IPA

1) Language function to be targeted

2) Decide interpretive task*

3) Decide presentational task*

4) Decide interpersonal task*

*Do NOT have to be in this order

PROFICIENCY Rubrics for IPAs

http://oflaslo.weebly.com/proficiency-rubrics.html#.UecsA2Q9Cng

VI. Examples of IPAs

http://oflaslo.weebly.com/integrated-performance-assessment-ipa-center.html#.Uecsj2Q9Cng

Spanish 2:http://www.weebly.com/uploads/1/9/5/2/19527349/spanish_ii__ipa_food-gazpacho.docx

French 1: http://www.weebly.com/uploads/1/9/5/2/19527349/fr1b_c6_ipa.docx

Selected Thematic Focus: Family

Language Level of Students: Novice-Mid

Essential Question: Can you describe your family?

Elements to explore within the thematic focus: Function: Describe your family.

Text type: Lists isolated sentences.

Selected Thematic Focus: Family

Task: You are participating in an exchange program with a student from country X. To get to know them before you visit them and they visit you, you exchange letters. You and your classmates have received your letters (with their pictures!) today in your language class.

Selected Thematic Focus: Family

1) Interpretive: Students receive a letter, with a picture, from a host family. They need to answer questions about the host family.

2) Interpersonal: Students, in groups, compare and contrast their host family pictures.

3) Presentational: Respond to your host family's letter to describe your family.

VII. Let's Create an IPA!

Using the template, create an IPA with your partner/group.

Be prepared to share your ideas at the end of the work time!

IPA format

Final thought...

How do IPAs, proficiency, etc., transform how we think about language instruction?

Works CitedACTFL PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS FOR LANGUAGE LEARNERS. Alexandria, VA: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2012. Print.

"ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines." ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2013.

Bleicher, Arnold. "Assessing Performance to Demonstrate Growth." ACTFL Workshop. Dublin Scioto High School, Dublin. 15 July 2013. Lecture.

Pero, Martha, and Cecile Laine. "WELCOME TO THE OFLA ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES NEEDS! - Home."WELCOME TO THE OFLA ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES NEEDS! N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2013.

Sandrock, Paul. Through World Languages: Developing Literacy through Language Learning. N.p.: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, n.d. PDF.

Sandrock, Paul. The Keys to Assessing Language Performance: A Teacher's Manual for Measuring Student Progress. Alexandria, VA: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2010. Print.

Swender, Dr. Elvira. "ACTFL Proficiency Levels in the Work World." Proc. of CIBER 2012 Conference, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 5-16. Print.