LARC 2025 Conference Presentation—PreK-8 Oral Proficiency Assessment: Free Tools and Training for Educators

PreK-8 Oral Proficiency Assessment: Free Tools and Training for Education
Date & Time: April 5, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. PDT
Location: LARC, Fullerton, CA
Presenter(s):

• Elyssa Sun
• Jamie Morgan
• Leslie Fink
• Rachel Myers
• Jenna Bushton

Description:

Interest in PK-8 world language (WL) programs has increased in recent years, and there is a growing need for adaptable tools and training to effectively assess young learners’ oral proficiency in elementary and middle school WL programs, including immersion or dual language programs, heritage language programs, and Indigenous language programs. There is a lack of appropriate assessments for use in these programs, and educators working in these contexts often have limited access to low-cost, self-access professional development opportunities focused on assessment and ways to integrate assessment into language teaching and learning to ensure students are being assessed on what was actually taught in the classroom.

This demonstration will present the Student Oral Proficiency Assessment (SOPA) Training Program, a free, self-access online training program for an oral proficiency assessment for PK-8 WL learners in the United States.
The SOPA Training Program was developed with a three-year grant from the International Research and Studies Program of the U.S. Department of Education. It includes a series of seven interactive, web-based modules (including a rating practice module), a resource library with additional documents and supports, and a video library with additional sample SOPA administrations in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese. The SOPA is a paired oral interview assessment tool that measures speaking and listening performance using a rating scale based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Once educators are trained, the SOPA is free to use as an accessible, effective, and reliable way of measuring student language growth and outcomes.

The purpose of the training program is to provide a sustainable and cost-effective way to train educators to administer and rate the SOPA; to strengthen language assessment in Spanish and Mandarin, two of the most commonly taught languages in PK-8 programs, by providing specific resources for these languages; and to increase positive washback to the classroom and build capacity in programs by deepening educators’ understanding of best practices for using proficiency-based assessment, which can then be applied to formative assessment practices and classroom instruction.

To ensure training program materials are accessible, engaging, and produce reliable results, the design process involved educator input and involvement at multiple stages, including via virtual focus groups at the beginning of the project, during the project when collecting videos onsite, and at the end when piloting the program before it launched. The product was also developed using expert input from an external evaluator, who completed annual evaluations to help ensure the high quality of materials and that project operations and processes supported program objectives.
By providing free, flexible, computer-based training with sample assessment videos and adaptable rating practice materials, the SOPA Training Program fills a gap in assessment tools and training for PK-8 WL programs. It provides educators with immediate results, makes it possible to individualize assessment practices to best meet the needs of their students and classroom, and allows the opportunity to tailor the assessment to specific program goals and objectives, ensuring better alignment and integration with teaching and learning that will improve overall effectiveness and success of programs.