Avant is proud to put security at the forefront of our business. As a Software as a Service (SaaS) company that handles sensitive student data and data of minors, we…
Staying Secure: The Importance of Timely Security Patches
In today’s digital age, the importance of protecting student data is paramount, especially for K-12 educators and IT personnel. Avant Assessment recently hosted an insightful webinar as part of the…
Webinar Summary: Understanding COPPA Compliance and Student Data Privacy in EdTech
As the first online computer-adaptive language assessment, Avant STAMP is that original, forward-thinking bridge that stands the test of time but also evolves, adapts, and anticipates the needs of educators and learners. Avant focuses on pushing the boundaries to make language testing more effective, secure, and responsive to the real-world challenges faced by educators and next-generation learners. This ongoing commitment ensures that the bridge we build together is not just a structure of the past, but a pathway to the future of language education.
Ensuring Excellence: How Avant STAMP Sets the Standard for Reliable Language Testing
At Avant, we are pleased to announce our latest initiative to enhance our commitment to cybersecurity excellence. We have officially signed the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Secure by…
Cybersecurity Excellence in Action: Avant Signs CISA Pledge
In our most recent webinar, we dove into the transformative world of language immersion programs, showcasing a dynamic discussion led by Dr. Matt Rega, Director of Assessment and Evaluation at…
Adapt to Student Needs with Insightful Assessment: Key Takeaways from Our Recent Webinar
Unlocking Worlds with Language: The Journey and Legacy of Dr. Carl Falsgraf
In the ever-evolving landscape of language learning and education, few have made as indelible a mark as Dr. Aleidine “Ali” Moeller, a name synonymous with leadership, research, innovation, and an…
Ali Moeller: Leadership in Language
Ann Tollefson’s career in language education is a story of passion, pioneering, and embracing change. Beginning as a junior high French teacher, her journey spans decades including roles as a…
The Inspiring Journey of Ann Tollefson: A Lifetime of Language Advocacy
The world of education is constantly evolving, and one of the most significant advancements in recent times is the recognition of dual language immersion as a core component of education….
5 Reasons Why Dual Language is Core Education
As we gear up for spring, many of us are reviewing class assessment data, preparing for STAMP assessments, and helping students finalize their Seal of Biliteracy applications. This flurry of…
A Gift to “Power Up” Your Students and Their Proficiency!
Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of individuals with teaching interest had been on a steady decline since the 1990s. Language teachers are one of the most-impacted groups. A…
Supporting and Connecting With New World Language Teachers – The N.E.W.B.I.E. Project
How can measuring language proficiency be the key to unlocking life-changing opportunities? In the ever-evolving landscape of education, equity has increasingly become a focal point for reform. A recent episode…
A Winning Combination for Equity: Assessment for Competency-Based Credits and Seals of Biliteracy
Updated: September 2023 Standards ensure the consistent measure of one or more skills and guide educators in the best teaching and learning practices and tools. The Avant STAMP language assessment…
Avant STAMP and the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
In 2017 Amala Education (formerly known as Sky School) was launched to address the gap in quality education provision for displaced youth ages 16-25, many of whom were living in…
Creating International Opportunities with Amala Education
Throughout history, innovative children’s literature has often emerged from a creative adult’s quest to convey profound lessons to the younger generation. A recent example in this tradition is Avant’s Victor…
Preserving Our Linguistic Diversity: A Look at Victor D.O. Santos’ “What Makes Us Human”
Avant is thrilled to announce that two new language assessments, STAMP for ASL and STAMP for Latin, are now eligible for the Global Seal of Biliteracy in addition to State…
Avant STAMP for ASL and Latin: Expanding Access to State and Global Seals of Biliteracy
By: Brandee Mau, Director of STAMP WS Rating & DLI Specialist Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs may feel like a recent development in American education, but according to EdWeek, groups…
How Expensive is Dual Language Immersion, Really?
Is Your Language Assessment Data Accurate and Reliable? The value of language skills is increasing. Both learners and educators are discovering that individuals who can demonstrate proficiency in more than…
Is Your Language Assessment Data Accurate and Reliable?
#AvantAchiever Each year, on March 8th, International Women’s Day (#IWD2022) is one of the most important days of the year to: celebrate women’s achievements raise awareness about women’s equality lobby…
Help Avant Assessment Celebrate Achieving Women in Language for International Women’s Day
With this four-step approach, you can turn your school’s, district’s, or institution’s world language program into a cycle of proficiency with measurable, year-over-year outcomes and proven program efficacy. Start…
Four Steps To Achieving Higher Proficiency-Level Language Learners
In the early 2000’s, Cheryl Johnson, Instructional Technologist at Denison University in Ohio, first learned about the Avant STAMP™ assessment. At the time, she didn’t recommend it to her department….
How One College’s Testing Provides Proof Of Program Efficacy
How Language Proficiency Training Transformed My Teaching By: Caroline E. Schlegel, M.Ed. I was going through my desk drawer the other day and came across a lesson I had…
How Language Proficiency Training Transformed My Teaching
The San Bernardino Superintendent of Schools, Ted Alejandre, and his office are doing something never done before in California: providing access to all high school seniors learning or speaking more…
How One County Is Turning Seal Of Biliteracy Access And Equity Into Reality
By: Bonnie Peterson I don’t scare easily. I’ve been skydiving, extensively traveled the world alone, and taught junior high and high school French for 17 years. From a lifetime of…
How I Grew My Language Programs With NADSFL
In 2019, Texas passed legislation to create the Teacher Incentive Allotment for Texas schools as a realistic pathway for teachers to earn higher salaries and focus funding on traditionally hard-to-staff…
How can language programs leverage Texas’ Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)?
If you thought COVID was tough on your school or organization, imagine being in the study abroad business. Airplanes grounded. Host families can’t take strangers into their homes. Schools around…
Study Abroad During A Pandemic? Here Is How CIEE Did It Successfully
Watch Roger Burt and Bonnie Peterson Share How They Used Avant STAMP Data To Improve The World Language Program At Their School In this video you will learn how Avant’s…
Discover The Potential Of Your Language Programs With Avant STAMP Data
In school, Jessica Villalobos could not see herself. People who looked like her, shared her background, who spoke Spanish were nowhere to be seen in the textbooks, novels, and films…
Reimagining Bilingual School ProgramsSandra Martins was a good Spanish student. But, when she finally visited Spain for the first time, she found much of what she had learned to be useless. Language Learning…
Using STAMP to Create a Culture of Learning at the College of DuPage
A data-driven approach to language proficiency helps Hebrew at the Center turn Hebrew students into Hebrew speakers. How do you get the most out of your language program at your…
Hebrew At The Center’s Data-Centered Approach To Language Proficiency
Simply letting students talk more during a class led to dramatic improvements in students’ language proficiency skills at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. Listening Is Good, Speaking Is…
Student Avant STAMP Language Proficiency Test Scores Skyrocket
Tulane University started using online assessment for student placement a few years ago, discovering that student performance data — like duct tape — can solve all sorts of problems. Language…
Language Placement Testing: Tulane’s Success Story
Carl Robertson is a scientist at heart. This is why he is always experimenting with his Chinese language program at Southwestern University in Texas. How Carl Sets His Objectives “Every…
Using STAMP Data To Improve Your Small Language Program: Carl Robertson’s Story
Your kids worked hard all school year learning and improving their world language skills. Don’t let the summer or holiday slide set them back! It’s finally that time of year-…
4 Fun Ways to Help Students Maintain Their Language Skills This Summer
Chicago Public Schools isn’t waiting until high school to give world language students an opportunity to earn a Seal of Biliteracy. When the school year comes to an end and…
Why Wait Until High School for Seal Of Biliteracy?
By following these tips from some of Avant’s expert raters, students can feel more confident going into their language proficiency tests this spring. Nobody knows what success looks like on…
5 Expert Language Testing Tips For Teachers & Students
Polish Speakers & The Seal Of Biliteracy The number of states and school districts offering the Seal of Biliteracy continues to increase rapidly across the country. This growth is providing…
Expanding Opportunities For Polish Speakers: As Seal Of Biliteracy Testing Increases, So Should Access
Tell me and I forget Teach me and I remember Involve me and I learn -Benjamin Franklin The publication of the ACTFL…
ADVANCE: Making Proficiency Real for Preservice Teachers
EUGENE, OR (February 15, 2018) (Updated) – As the number of states and school districts adopting the “Seal of Biliteracy” has increased dramatically across the country, a language assessment company…
As More States Adopt the Seal Of Biliteracy, Language Assessment Company Launches Program To Increase Testing Access For Schools And Students
Why Do People Hate Standardized Tests These Days? Here are just a few of their reasons: Only 14% of parents think standardized testing is very important in evaluating schools, making…
Data Literacy: It Doesn’t Take An Einstein
Art Fry was so frustrated, he almost said a bad word in church. Every time he opened his hymnal, his bookmarks fluttered to the floor. Then he remembered that one…
Avant ADVANCE: Bringing Language Standards To Life
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle Teachers As Raters=Success We gets calls from schools around the country every day….
Training Raters, Transforming Classrooms
Interview with Marzanna Owinski of The Polish Mission Marzanna Owinski spoke with Avant Cofounder Dr. Carl Falsgraf about Polish language education in the United States and the goals of…
Interview With Marzanna Owinski Of The Polish Mission
Language Proficiency is the Goal Proficiency is a much-discussed and frequently used word in the language education field. Our company and others deliver “proficiency” assessments. But which proficiency is most important…
Why Language Proficiency Matters
Who Rates The STAMP Tests? The human-rated responses in the Avant STAMP, PLACE, Arabic Proficiency Test(APT), and the Spanish Heritage Language tests are rated by Certified Avant Raters who are…
How Does Avant Rate Speaking And Writing Responses?
Avant STAMP 4Se was developed especially to assess the language proficiency of elementary students. Why The STAMP 4Se For Grade 2 Through 6 Language Learners Is Important In the past…
Why Avant Recommends STAMP 4Se For Grades 2 And Above
The United States is a country of immigrants, but historically the second generation of these immigrants(heritage language learners) has lost their parents’ language – making our country poorer for it;…
Why Heritage Language Learning Matters
Coding ≠ World Language Some state legislatures have proposed that students who learn to code should earn world language credits. Is learning to code equivalent to learning a world language?…
The Coding is Equivalent to World Language Myth – Should We Look In The Mirror?
Why Test Reliability and Validity are Important “Test reliability” and “validity” are two of the most misunderstood terms in language testing. Both are very important in determining whether a particular…
Test Reliability And Validity
What Are The Differences Between Fixed-Form And Adaptive Test Design? There are two fundamental test designs in language proficiency assessment: Fixed-Form Testing and Adaptive Testing. In a fixed form test,…
Fixed Form VS. Adaptive Test Design In Language Proficiency Testing