The language assessment needs of dual language educators: assessing biliteracy in dual language programs

The structure and culture of school organizations at local, state, and federal levels influence the assessment of bilingual students in Dual Language (DL) programs. There is still a gap in the field regarding language assessment literacy (LAL) needs and perceptions of the DL teachers and DL administrators within their organizations. To better understand DL educators’ individual and collective needs, studies need to address their perception of biliteracy and assessment practices. This study investigated DL teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of their knowledge, skills, and principles to efficiently plan, engage, and use assessment tasks and assessment instruments for biliteracy. It also explored teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of their roles, responsibilities, expectations, and professional needs in language assessment.

Teachers’ attitudes, perceptions and beliefs were highly impacted by power dynamics established at social and institutional layers, such as language policies and administrative pressures. Based on the findings of this study, current teachers need to be equipped with the tools to develop language assessment expertise, which includes access to evidence that supports the use of certain reading strategies. Also, teachers need more training opportunities focused on how to interpret scores, how to consider validity and reliability, how to advocate for ethical decision-making, how to understand consequences, and how to efficiently communicate results. Furthermore, administrators should prioritize the identification of the needs of their teachers and provide differentiated training opportunities for DL teachers according to their needs and/or instructional and linguistic backgrounds. Last, teacher education programs should include courses and curriculums that incorporate an understanding of LAL and language policy, and stress the interpretation of standardized testing, the design of local assessment instruments, and the assessment of languages based on reading developmental processes.