Curriculum and Assessment for Language Immersion

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Curriculum and Assessment for Language Immersion

• Minnetonka Public Schools
• Steve Urbanski Director of Curriculum
• Matt Rega Director of Assessment

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Minnetonka Chinese Immersion Program

• Introduced in 2007 at First Grade
• Currently serving K-8 at two of six elementary
  schools and both middle schools
• Housed at Excelsior and Scenic Heights Elementary
  Schools and both middle schools Minnetonka
  Middle School East and West
• Elementary Model
• Immersion in all content areas
• Same curriculum as English
• Middle School Model
• Immersion in Social Studies and Language Arts
• 87 minutes per day in content area plus 20 minute
  advisory
• Same curriculum as English

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Minnetonka Chinese Immersion Enrollment

• Elementary

• Middle School

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AccomplishmentsCurricular Design
Proficiency Goals Proficiency Goals Proficiency Goals
Grade ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
6 Reading Intermediate High
6 Writing Intermediate High
6 Listening Advanced Low
6 Speaking Intermediate High
7 Reading Advanced Low
7 Writing Advanced Low
7 Listening Advanced Mid
7 Speaking Intermediate High
8 Reading Advanced Mid
8 Writing Advanced Mid
8 Listening Advanced Mid
8 Speaking Advanced Low
9 Reading Advanced Mid
9 Writing Advanced Mid
9 Listening Advanced High
9 Speaking Advanced Low

• Language Proficiency Framework
• Grammar and Usage Framework
• Alignment to AP Language and Culture

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Assessments and Rationale

• Rationale
• Create a K-12 system aligned to the ACTFL
  Proficiency Guidelines in order to have a common
  language and benchmark across the entire
  Immersion language community
• Assessments
• Integrated Performance Assessment
• AAPPL (ACTFL Assessment of Performance Toward
  Proficiency in Languages)
• STAMP (Standards-Based Measurement of
• Proficiency)

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Integrated Performance Assessment

• Administered to K-2 Chinese Immersion Students in
  2013-14 3-8 beginning in 2014-15
• Locally created formative assessments
  administered in the Winter and Spring
• Designed to increase engagement and offer
  authentic instruction and assessment experiences
• Modeled after ACTFLs Integrated Performance
  Assessment (IPA) Model
• Measures students language performance against
  ACTFLs Performance and Proficiency Guidelines
• Designed to measure students using Interpretive,
  Interpersonal, and Presentational modes
• Results indicated that students need continued
  exposure to authentic materials
• Strength Area Interpersonal Listening and
  Speaking

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ACTFLs AAPPL Test

• Administered to Grades 3-5 Chinese Immersion
  Students in 2013-14
• Summative assessments administered in the Spring
• Measures students language performance against
  ACTFLs Performance and Proficiency Guidelines
• Used to measure students Interpretive Listening
  and Speaking and Interpersonal Listening and
  Speaking performance
• Results indicated students need continued
  exposure to authentic reading and listening
  experiences to improve Reading and Listening
  Comprehension
• Strength area Interpersonal Listening and
  Speaking

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AVANTs STAMP TEST

• Administered to Grades 6-7 Chinese Immersion
  Students in 2013-14 Grades 6-8 beginning in
  2014-15
• Summative assessments administered in the Spring
• Measures students language performance against
  ACTFLs Performance and Proficiency Guidelines
• Used to measure students Interpretive Listening
  and Speaking, Interpersonal Listening and
  Speaking, and Presentational Writing performance
• Results indicated students need continued
  exposure to authentic reading and listening
  experiences to improve Reading and Listening
  Comprehension in addition Writing results showed
  a need for increased authentic and
  cross-discipline Writing experiences
• Strength area Interpersonal Listening and
  Speaking

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Lessons Learned

• Need for more authentic language experiences to
  help increase Reading and Listening Comprehension
  as well as presentational Writing
• Need for improved translations across the
  curriculum this process has been underway for
  the past several years
• Increased opportunities for collaboration among
  Chinese and Spanish Immersion staff to learn
  about Immersion language learners Currently
  happening through IPA training
• Higher expectations in the area of grammar
  Grammar is also an important part of language
  acquisition
• Need for professional development in the area of
  Social Studies for Chinese Immersion teachers
  difficult to teach if not born in the United
  States

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Challenges

• Grade Level Expansion
• 9th-12th Grades
• Beyond the AP Language Exam
• Course Design and Teacher Certification
• Curriculum Materials
• Authentic
• Translations
• For Immersion Students

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Resources to Promote Collaboration Among Chinese
Language Programs

• Website
• Language Program Database of Schools/Districts
• Scheduled Virtual Collaboration
• Regional
• National