1. What is the MLPA?
The MLPA (Minnesota Language Proficiency Assessments) are a battery of high-quality, proficiency-based second language assessment tools for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The MLPA are currently available for French, German, and Spanish at two levels on the scale outlined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Detailed information about the MLPA can be found at: http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/MLPA.html

2. What are the technology requirements for administering the MLPA?

The system needs Firefox or Safari, FLASH 9 or above and the URL of the online MLPA must be enabled or white listed so a Firewall will allow access. http://s3.amazonaws.com also needs to be white listed since this is where the test is housed. You will also need headsets if you are using the listening section of the test and an internal/external microphone for the speaking section.

3. How much time do the students have to take each section of the test?

The writing, reading, and listening sections all allow 50 minutes for the students to finish. The time allows each listening segment to be heard twice. The speaking section of the MLPA allows 27 minutes for students to respond to seven one-minute responses. For special needs students, additional time may be added by the administrator.

4. Should I familiarize my students with the questions on the MLPA before they take the test?

No. Since the MLPA is a proficiency test, it is designed to assess how well students can perform tasks that are indicative of a given proficiency level. Teaching the test questions before students take the test is likely to give inaccurate measures of student proficiency levels. If your students have been studying the target language in a classroom that focuses on proficiency, they should already be well prepared to complete the tasks in the assessment.

5. Are supplemental materials allowed while students take the MLPA?

No. There aren't any support resources permitted for the MLPA.  The MLPA are proficiency assessments and are meant to assess what students can do with the language they have learned. The MLPA are not focused on specific vocabulary or phrases and actually, ACTFL’s description of Intermediate-Low focuses on texts of general interest, language, and sequential order.  Questions focus on main points, etc. It should be noted that time spent looking up words, grammar, etc., takes time from reading/listening and tends to hurt student's performance.

6. What personal information will students need to give when they take the MLPA?

None. Students will need to create a user name, which should include include the student’s name, in order for the teacher to locate and assess their testing results; however this is not absolutely necessary, as teachers can assign user names to students and record them for their own needs. Identifying information for the students is for use by the teacher grading the test, not by CARLA.

7. Do students need to complete the entire MLPA battery during one session?

No. Each section of the MLPA must be taken during one session, but the entire battery should be taken over more than one class period.

8. Are students allowed to work collaboratively on the MLPA? No. The MLPA was designed to assess the proficiency of test takers individually. Allowing students to collaborate will not yield an accurate assessment of the test takers.

9. Where can I find the rubric for grading the MLPA once my students have finished the test?

The rubrics for grading the MLPA are accessible while you look at the students’ responses to the test questions. They are part of the MLPA Grader Interface.  The rubrics are also featured on the Rater Training Module.

10. Could the MLPA be used as a final test for my language class?

Yes, if you are looking for proficiency level as an end of study/semester/year assessment for students at a level where students are approaching or at Intermediate-Low. In Minnesota, students passing at the Intermediate-Low level are eligible for the Minnesota Department of Education World Language Proficiency Certificate.

11. How should I introduce the MLPA to my students before they take the test?

The assessments can be presented to students as tests on general topics using specific language skills. Students should not be encouraged to study for the test, since the content of the test is not specific and the teacher should not reveal any specific questions to the students prior to testing, since this will affect the accuracy of the proficiency ratings students receive.

12. How do I know which level of the test my students should take?

The Contextualized Speaking Assessment (CoSA) is designed to determine if language learners are proficient at the Intermediate-Low (IL) level of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines for the purposes of articulation and fulfilling language study requirements. IL is the minimum target level for learners who have completed at least three years of continuous language study at the secondary level or for post-secondary students who have completed 120 contact hours of language study (or an equivalent combination of secondary and post-secondary instruction). The CoSA tasks target only the Intermediate-Low level.

The CoWA, the writing component of the Minnesota Language Proficiency Assessments (MLPA) battery of assessments, was developed for the purpose of certifying the second language proficiency of secondary and post-secondary students. It is a test of written proficiency at the Intermediate-Low and Intermediate-Mid levels of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
The Intermediate-Mid (writing) / High (reading and listening) battery is appropriate at the end of two years of post-secondary language study or the equivalent.

13. I can’t hear the audio samples for the speaking section. What can I do?

The volume for the audio samples can be controlled with the volume button on the left side of the audio player. Also, make sure that FLASH 9 or above is installed and that the URL of the online MLPA is enabled or white listed so a Firewall will allow access.

14. Where do I get my students scores? / How do I grade the MLPA?

Before teachers use the MLPA with their students, teachers should work through grading student samples with the Rater Training Modules. Modules for the speaking (COSA) and writing (COWA) modules can be found at the following link: http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/VAC/rater_training/

Teachers will rate their students’ speaking (CoSA) and writing (CoWA) assessments on their school's testing site using the MLPA Grader Interface.

Reading (CoRA) and listening (CoLA) are scored automatically. Scores are displayed at the end of the assessments and can be downloaded in speadsheet form by teachers via their school's administrators’ site.

15. Does an instructor need to be in the room while students take the MLPA?

Yes. The testing environment for taking the MLPA should be as close as possible to the testing environment of a major standardized test. In addition to watching students closely, the teacher should instruct students to put away all electronic devices (cell phones, dictionaries, etc.) and supplemental materials while the students are testing. In addition to ensuring a more accurate assessment of the students’ abilities, securing the testing environment also secures the information in the test.

16. How much does the MLPA cost?

Information on the cost of the assessments can be received by emailing mlpa@umn.edu. You can also contact the CARLA office at 612-626-8600.