Leaders in language learning align to provide students language proficiency credentials
Birmingham, AL – The American Association of Teachers of Spanish (AATSP) and Avant Assessment are pleased to jointly announce a strategic alliance. AATSP is a professional association that promotes, develops and advances the teaching of Spanish and Portuguese worldwide and Avant Assessment is a leader in language proficiency assessment and professional learning training.
“This alliance will open up opportunities for our members to qualify their students and themselves for their State or Global Seals of Biliteracy,” said Sheri Spaine Long, Executive Director of the AATSP. “Avant is a thought leader, pioneering ways for language assessment to support effective language learning and program development. The cutting-edge Avant MORE Learning™ trainings and ADVANCE™ online proficiency-standards training tool can supplement our AATSP professional development opportunities to support schools in implementing and improving our members’ dual immersion, heritage language, and world language programs.”
The strategic alliance will provide benefits for students and teachers alike. All members of the AATSP and their students will have expanded access to Avant’s STAMP™ (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) assessments for Spanish and Portuguese, and providers of AATSP’s NSE, NSA, NPE and NSC tests will receive special discounts on STAMP, giving them the opportunity to qualify for state and Global seals of Biliteracy. Teachers will benefit from discounted pricing on Avant’s MORE Learning professional development and Avant’s ADVANCE training tools. Avant will also serve as an advisor to AATSP to support America’s largest academic Spanish contest, the National Spanish Exam, and AATSP’s other assessments.
AATSP and Avant share the mission of improving the teaching and learning of Spanish and Portuguese for all students – including programs for Heritage Learners, Second Language Learners, and Dual Language Immersion Learners. Effective assessment is important in improving learning, and effective professional learning is important in improving teaching.
Avant STAMP measures proficiency levels in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Avant MORE Learning professional development trainings focus on proven strategies for improving outcomes in language programs by giving teachers and administrators the skills to utilize the newest tools and strategies in data-informed practices, collaborative initiatives, and leadership in world language programs.
“The AATSP is a leader in developing and supporting outstanding programs in Spanish and Portuguese in both K-12 and Higher Education. I am impressed with the commitment of the AATSP leadership to serve the needs of all of its members and give both teachers and students the opportunity to earn a seal of biliteracy credential. This partnership is an alignment in both values and vision,” said David Bong the Co-Founder and CEO of Avant Assessment.
About the AATSP: The AATSP is a 10,000-member professional association of teachers of Spanish and Portuguese that has been serving teachers over 100 years. Its mission is to promote the study and teaching of the Spanish and Portuguese languages at all levels of education. The association encourages, supports and directs programs and research projects involving the exchange of pedagogical and scholarly information. Through extensive collaboration with educators, professionals, and institutions in other countries, the AATSP contributes to a better and deeper understanding between the United States and the Spanish-and Portuguese-speaking people of the world. https://www.aatsp.org
About Avant Assessment: Avant Assessment is a thought-leader and innovator in language proficiency assessment and professional learning training, uniting technology’s power with human intelligence. Avant STAMP is the world’s first online, adaptive, four-skill language proficiency assessment and is the choice of leading language programs throughout the US and around the world, delivering an accurate assessment of real-world language skills. For more information go to: https://avantassessment.com
For more information: AATSP-Avant Partnership
