Comparing Spanish certification exams for bilingual teachers: test design and other pedagogical considerations

Abstract

This article compares Spanish proficiency assessments across three states (Texas, Arizona, and California) in relation to four overarching themes: (a) verification methods of proficiency; (b) test-task authenticity; (c) impact of pedagogical content knowledge in test performance; and (d) conceptions of language ‘correctness’ on the scoring rubrics. The research findings indicate incongruencies in the way the three states define the proficiency of bilingual teachers and the language competencies needed to teach content in the bilingual classroom. Assessment rubrics raise questions about how these exams may delegitimize the repertoires of Latinx pre-service teachers. Implications for educators and policymakers are explored with specific attention to bilingual education programing and raciolinguistic ideologies in Spanish proficiency testing.

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