Testing the Language Proficiency of Bilingual Teachers / Charles W. Stansfield.

As bilingual education emerges after the 1974 Lau decision, the additional need to test the language proficiency of bilingual education teachers is recognized. Examination of possible means of validating language proficiency of bilingual education teacher certification candidates shows several alternatives, some desirable and some not. A review of these measures focuses on the state of Colorado and teacher competence in Spanish. Of five means for testing, the National Teachers' Examination in Spanish, easiest to administer, is least desirable because it measures receptive but not productive language skills and contains some items of questionable validity. The Modern Language Association Spanish Proficiency Test for Teachers and Advanced Students is less secure, more reliable, but still unsatisfactory for this purpose. A third possibility, construction of a new test, would be costly and time-consuming. A fourth option is to leave validation of teachers' proficiency to the universities, but variation in standards would result. The fifth and most highly recommended means is the Foreign Service Institute Oral Proficiency Interview, described in some detail here. It is proposed that Colorado use the test statewide for certification/endorsement of bilingual education teachers and adopt a state standard for proficiency. The experience of other states provides a basis for comparison. (MSE)

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