Exploring the Interrelationship of Performance Assessment and Curricular Innovation in a K–12 World Language Program

• In Event: 81.015 - Assessing Language Learning: The Cases of EFL, ESL, and World Language Teaching

Abstract

Notably absent from the growing literature surrounding the washback effect of language assessments is an attention to the “products of learning” (Wall, 2000), or an examination of the relationship between washback and student outcomes (Andrews, 2004). To address this gap, the current mixed methods study draws on theories of curricular innovation and educational change to investigate the interrelationship between instructional practices and an external performance assessment in a K-12 world language program. Findings include a positive correlation between teachers’ target language usage and students’ performance outcomes, and a negative correlation for the use of explicit grammar; an increase in teachers’ use of proficiency-oriented resources; and, adjustments in their instruction to align with the content and format of the assessment.

Author

• Reuben Vyn, The University of Iowa