Minnesota Language Proficiency Assessments (MLPA)

The MLPA were developed to determine that students have attained minimal proficiency in a second language. They have been used for the purpose of certifying that students have met the designated levels and to facilitate the process of articulating expectations of student performance at the end of secondary studies and the beginning of post-secondary studies.

Articulating Expectations

The minimal proficiency level of Intermediate-Low level on the scale developed by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) was selected by members of the Minnesota Articulation Project as a reasonable benchmark for:

• students completing their secondary studies and entering college;
• students completing one year of language study at the college level.

Meeting College Language Requirements

The reading, listening, and writing assessments are also available at a higher level selected by faculty members at the University of Minnesota as the goal for proficiency at the end of two years of language study. Though this language goal was designed to be equivalent to two years of post-secondary language study, the assessments were created to ensure that students were able to demonstrate their ability to use the language of study at the appropriate level instead of just putting in the proper amount of “seat-time."

The MLPA have been carefully developed with the input of teachers, faculty, and administrators so that in addition to meeting high standards of reliability, they are flexible and easy to implement. Below are some of the key features of these assessment tools:

• The MLPA include performance-based assessments that measure second language proficiency along a scale derived from the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines;
• Reliability coefficients from data collected to date are all in the acceptable range;
• The assessments may be administered as a battery, or institutions may choose to administer one or more modalities in depending on their needs to measure learner outcomes;
• The MLPA are easy to administer;
• Items and tasks have been extensively field tested and refined;
• Tasks are authentic and varied;
• Online rater training modules provide samples for rating writing and speaking performances; and
• Passing cut scores on all assessments can be calibrated to individual institutions’ needs.

The MLPA were developed to assess proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in French, German, and Spanish. The contextualized tasks in these assessment instruments place test takers in realistic situations where they need to use the target language. The assessments are based on the proficiency guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and are available online for the following levels and modalities:

Contextualized Reading Assessment
Levels Available:

– Intermediate-Low
– Intermediate-High

Contextualized Listening Assessment
Levels Available:

– Intermediate-Low
– Intermediate-High

Contextualized Writing Assessment
Levels Available:

– Intermediate-Low
– Intermediate-Mid

 

Contextualized Speaking Assessment
Levels Available:

– Intermediate-Low

The MLPA were designed to be easily administered to large groups as well as to individuals. Every effort was made to assess skills in the most direct manner possible while ensuring practicality of administration and scoring. The online reading and listening assessments provide immediate, automatic scoring for both the student and administrator of the tests. Administrators can download results in spreadsheet.

Both the online writing and speaking assessments can be rated online using an online grader module. Online rater training modules are provided to ensure consistent evaluation. Onsite rater training sessions can be provided for a cost.

Each of the assessments in the MLPA battery creates a rich context for test takers that is both engaging and authentic for the targeted language. The format of the MLPA is designed to put test takers at ease with practice items and includes features that provide the opportunity for students to “show what they can do” with the language. Easy-to-use formats and lively graphics also serve to make the most of the testing environment.

The MLPA began as an initiative of the Assessment Project at the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota in 1994. Building on a long tradition of proficiency-based language assessment at the University of Minnesota, the CARLA Assessment Project staff worked in close collaboration with the language faculty and staff at the University and K-16 language teachers involved in the statewide Minnesota Articulation Project to develop, field-test, revise, and produce the instruments. Throughout the process of developing the MLPA, CARLA staff have enjoyed the following:

• active involvement of the language teaching community throughout Minnesota;
• national leadership of the University on issues related to proficiency-based language policies, requirements, and procedures; and
• generous funding support from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the University of Minnesota.

Minnesota students who pass the Intermediate-Low MLPA can enroll in second year language courses at the University of Minnesota. Teachers should send an email to University of Minnesota's Language Testing Program (langtest@umn.edu) with their students' information as described in the sample email below.

The Minnesota Legislature enacted a World Language Proficiency Certificate that can be awarded to student who demonstrate proficiency at Intermediate-Low in all for modalities via a validated proficiency-based assessment.  The MLPA is approved as an instrument to show evidence of Intermediate-Low.  A higher level certificate is also available to students passing the higher level MLPA battery.

While the MLPA was not developed for use in immersion programs, students in immersion programs are able to receive the World Language Proficiency Certificate using another instrument.

To obtain the certificate, contact Academic Standards at the Minnesota Department of Education at mde.academic-standards@state.mn.us

Details

• For students planning to attend the University of Minnesota (PDF or Word Format)
• A sample email for reporting MLPA scores (PDF or Word Format)

For more information on the MLPA, pricing, viewing sample items, or to order the assessments, email mlpa@umn.edu. You can also contact the CARLA Assessment office at 612-625-8866.