Project Overview
- Research topics
- Region: Quebec and Ontario
- Project Overview
Project status
- Completed :
- May 2020 to May 2023
Partner organization(s)
Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA)/Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA)
Reliable and Equitable Assessment of French-Language Proficiency
The key components of this initiative are:
- A review of relevant research, prior projects, and French-language assessments.
- An empirical study examining the French-language proficiency practices used by school districts during hiring and faculties of education during admissions or teacher education.
- The creation of collaborations and pilot projects to bridge research findings into practice.
The review of research identified the importance of language teachers being proficient in the target language alongside known, effective practices in language assessment for teachers. These practices include targeting language skills likely to be used by teachers, using a variety of assessments, making assessment components authentic to teaching, and establishing clear language proficiency expectations.
Targeted Results
The Toolkit was developed to share effective practices in the French-language proficiency assessment of French as a Second Language (FSL) teachers preparing to enter the job market. The Toolkit offers tools and protocols to support defensible decision-making when FSL teachers’ proficiency in French is a key consideration.
Main takeaways (learnings)
● A wide range of assessment practices and tools are being used in faculties of education and school districts to assess French language proficiency.
● In both contexts, but more so among school districts, assessment protocols and tools are not often grounded in a well-defined language proficiency framework (ex.: the CEFR).
● The above leads to ill-defined levels of proficiency being sought during FSL teacher education programs and FSL teacher hiring procedures culminating in a wide variation between and among faculties of education and school districts in the levels of proficiency needed by aspiring FSL teachers.
Potential/desired collaborations
- To facilitate cross-faculty connections regarding the role of French proficiency assessment in admissions and/or graduation prerequisites.
