The development, management, and costs of a large-scale foreign language assessment program

Abstract

The Stanford Language Center has a 20-year history of designing, implementing, and managing an assessment program across two years of instruction in 15 languages. This assessment program is embedded in the teaching, learning, and professional development facets of the Language Center. Aspects of the assessment program have been chronicled over the years. This chapter reiterates the scope of the assessment program (number of students assessed each year); the assessment measures (Simulated Oral Proficiency Interviews [SOPIs]; Oral Proficiency Interviews [OPIs]; Writing Proficiency Assessments [WPAs]; and Writing Proficiency Tests [WPTs]); the relationship of these measures to the curricular objectives and outcomes based in the National Standards; and the impact the assessment program has had on the status and authority of the Language Center within the university, particularly with regard to the university’s accreditation process. The bulk of the chapter focuses on the monetary and nonmonetary costs of this program. The nonmonetary costs in a large assessment program revolve around both teaching staff and students. The teaching staff has to be on the same page regarding the scoring schemes and scales for any assessment. Students, too, must be convinced that any assessment program is really about improving their performance as well as that of their peers. Monetary costs include test development, technology costs for realizing the tests in digital format, teacher training costs, and the costs of rating the assessments. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the chapter provides information on the relationship between the monetary investment in the assessment program and student performance.