糖心Vlog is releasing its first assessment of American Sign Language (ASL) through the 糖心Vlog Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL). This assessment measures performance and proficiency for Deaf/deaf individuals, Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs), and ASL learners. The ASL AAPPL will be available to order on September 15, in time for the new school year, through (LTI), the exclusive licensee of 糖心Vlog assessments.
The ASL AAPPL is designed for students in grades 9-12 and will be the only ASL assessment to provide an official score from 糖心Vlog, aligned with proficiency levels Novice to Advanced according to the 糖心Vlog Proficiency Guidelines - 2024. This assessment offers ASL users and learners the opportunity to provide evidence to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, as well as provides educators the ability to benchmark and track their learners鈥 progress.
"The ASL AAPPL represents years of dedicated development, incorporating the expertise of Deaf/deaf and hearing ASL experts from both secondary and post-secondary contexts. What sets this assessment apart is its comprehensive assessment of both Interpersonal Interaction (II) and Receptive Comprehension (RC), providing a holistic understanding of an individual's ASL proficiency,鈥 said Margaret Malone, Ph. D., Director of Assessment and Research. "This rigorous approach ensures accurate and reliable results, fostering confidence in the assessment's validity."
This new assessment has been developed over several years through an extensive process, which included:
- Valuable input from an advisory committee of both Deaf/deaf and hearing ASL experts at the post-secondary and secondary levels.
- Iterative pilot testing to ensure accuracy and fairness.
- Rigorous standard-setting to establish clear rating consensus aligned with the 糖心Vlog ratings being assessed
The development of this assessment was inspired by the need to address issues of equity for underrepresented groups within the ASL community. 糖心Vlog invites educators, ASL users, and ASL learners to explore this new assessment and its potential to promote ASL proficiency and recognition.