The proficiency rubrics created by the Ohio Department of Education are HQSD instruments that were reviewed by local and national experts and are appropriate for evaluating Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs), skill-specific assessments, portfolio items, and other pre/post-assessments.

The Department's proficiency rubrics allow teachers to measure and show evidence of student learning or progress toward the standards for the purpose of OTES 2.0, provided the local or vendor assessments are aligned to and measure the criteria on the Department's proficiency rubrics.

These proficiency rubrics:

• provide the criteria to include in local assessments or portfolio items.

• align to Ohio's Learning Standards for World Languages and Cultures.

• align to Novice Mid through Advanced Low proficiency levels.

• show incremental growth by dividing each proficiency level into sublevels, such as Novice High 1, 2 or 3.

• inform instruction by showing how students can "level-up" their intercultural and communication skills.

Rubrics for Performance Levels

Evaluate performance-based assessments at the end of a chapter or unit. The same rubric will be used for all language levels. Outcomes are based on the expectations for the current level of the assessment. Each rubric has two components:

1. Full rubric with criteria for Strong, Good, Developing, or Emerging evidence of the targeted performance level. The teacher will use this page to determine the performance level. There is a gradebook conversion chart on the full rubric.

2. Single-point rubric with space for self-reflection or feedback. The student, or teacher, will use this page to note areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Rubrics for Each Proficiency Level

Determine specific classroom proficiency levels on performance assessments, comprehensive tasks, exams, or pre/post-assessments for high-quality student data (HQSD). Each rubric has two components:

1. Full rubric with descriptors for Meeting, Exceeding, or Partially Meeting criteria for the Novice Mid to Advanced Low levels. The teacher will use this page to determine the proficiency level.

2. Single-point rubric with space for self-reflection, goal-setting, or feedback. The student, or teacher, will use this page to note areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Rubrics for Each Proficiency Level

Determine specific classroom proficiency levels on performance assessments, comprehensive tasks, exams, or pre/post-assessments for high-quality student data (HQSD). Each rubric has two components:

1. Full rubric with descriptors for Meeting, Exceeding, or Partially Meeting criteria for the Novice Mid to Advanced Low levels. The teacher will use this page to determine the proficiency level.

2. Single-point rubric with space for self-reflection, goal-setting, or feedback. The student, or teacher, will use this page to note areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Literal and Interpretative Comprehension Tasks - ACTFL

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has created a template that provides teachers with guidance for creating both literal and interpretative comprehension tasks for an integrated performance assessment (IPA). This information comes from the ACTFL publication, Implementing Integrated Performance Assessment.

Adair-Hauck, B., E. Glisan, and F. Troyan. 2013. Implementing Integrated Performance Assessment. Alexandria, VA: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Literal comprehension tasks include:

• key word recognition

• main idea detection

• supporting detail detection

Interpretive comprehension tasks include:

• organization

• meaning from context

• inferences

• author's perspective

• cultural perspective

Schools and districts may approve the use of locally created assessments as measures of HQSD provided the measures have been vetted to ensure they meet the criteria identified on the HQSD Guidance Tool. Locally created world language assessments for HQSD include intercultural and communicative tasks for reading, listening/viewing, writing, speaking/signing, and/or interpersonal conversations. These assessments must align to the state standards and do not test discrete vocabulary or grammar. (Ohio Department of Education)

The Department's proficiency rubrics can be used as the HQSD instrument to evaluate assessments, provided the assessments measure the criteria outlined in these rubrics.

Assessments for HQSD could include:

• • Integrated Performance Assessments (IPA)

  • An IPA includes intercultural tasks for interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication, integrated across a thematic focus. IPAs do not test discrete vocabulary or grammar. Sample IPAs are available to serve as a model for teachers to follow.

  • Summative Assessments, Presentations, or Projects

  • Summative assessments include performance-based tasks such as oral presentations and interviews; projects; comprehensive listening, viewing or reading assessments; comprehensive writing, speaking or signing assessments; pre/post-assessments; and semester or final exams. These assessments do not test discrete vocabulary or grammar.

​The Ohio Department of Education has a list of assessments that are pre-approved as measures of high-quality student data for OTES 2.0. This Approved Vendor List can be found on the Department's website. Whereas there are currently no world language vendor assessments on this list, districts may still choose to use a vendor assessment that is not on the approved list. See questions 9 and 10 on the High-Quality Student Data FAQ document.

Vendor assessments for HQSD must be proficiency-based and aligned to Ohio's Learning Standards for World Languages and Cultures. Vendor assessments for HQSD that include testing of discrete vocabulary or grammar points do not align to the Ohio learning standards and do not provide high-quality student data as defined in OTES 2.0. A list of vendor assessments for the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy is available, but these tests must be approved at the local level before being used for HQSD for OTES 2.0.

Teachers should take into consideration that as students advance in their language proficiency, a standardized pre-and post-assessment used during the instructional period for HQSD might not provide evidence of the incremental growth that occurs within each proficiency level. Teachers can use other high-quality student data to support the evidence from the vendor assessment.

In March 2020, the State Board of Education unanimously adopted Ohio's Learning Standards for World Languages and Cultures. The addition of "Cultures" to the name reflects the essential role of intercultural communicative competence in one's native culture as well as in global cultures. The addition of a literacy strand to the standards reflects how learning another language builds literacy skills in both the target and native language. These standards will go into effect in the 2021-2022 school year.

Educators can choose from a variety of configurations of the standards to best fit their learning context and students. The revised standards align to proficiency levels for Novice Low to Advanced Low learners. This includes intercultural interpretative reading/listening/viewing; interpersonal communication; and presentational writing/speaking/signing. They also include progress indicators, which serve as optional examples of what learning might look like for modern languages, classical languages, American Sign Language, and elementary or immersion programs.