The beginning of the school year provides teachers and students alike, a fresh perspective and endless possibilities for changing the way things “have been done.” The AAPPL offers teachers an external measurement as their student move towards proficiency, which can be used for a multitude of different reasons.
James Wildman is the head teacher for the Glastonbury Public Schools’ Foreign Language Department and a Spanish teacher at Glastonbury High School, Glastonbury, CT. Mr. Wildman is the Past President of the Connecticut Council of Language Teachers; during his presidency the state passed legislation and implemented the Seal of Biliteracy. Mr. Wildman currently serves on the Northeast Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL) board of directors, and the CT COLT conference committee. Additionally, he has served as Program Director and Program Coordinator for twelve years for the Glastonbury Public Schools’ STARTALK Summer Programs, in both Chinese and Russian. He is the recipient of the CT COLT Pegasus Pride Award, Distinguished Service Award, and a NECTFL Mead Leadership Fellow.
In 1992, Language Testing International (LTI) was founded as a way to bring reliable proficiency testing to a wider audience, and so began our close partnership with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Twenty-five years and almost three million assessments later, LTI is still proud to be the official testing office of ACTFL and the sole licensee of their assessments. Our goal remains the same – deliver valid and reliable language proficiency tests to the public – and here is how we have responded to the changing needs of our customers; expanded list of languages, remote proctoring services, task analysis and customization services. These days we do it at a scale and in ways facilitated by computer adapted technology and remote proctoring when appropriate, in markets such as K-12, Higher Education, Fortune 500 companies, state and local municipalities and the federal government. We couldn’t have imagined twenty-five years ago that we would be delivering over six hundred thousand tests annually!
Pre-employment selection tests can be valuable tools, providing vital information about candidates’ applicable knowledge, skills, and abilities before they are offered employment. Ideally, this information will save you time and money by increasing the likelihood that candidates will perform well and stay on the job. To reap these rewards, however, you must carefully weigh your assessment options and choose wisely. Asking the following critical questions is key to identifying a test that will help you select and keep the right people.