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Validating AP Modern Foreign Language Examinations Through College Comparability Studies
Author(s) -
Bischof Deborah Lokai,
Baum David I.,
Casabianca Jodi M.,
Morgan Rick,
Rabitea Kathleen A.,
Tateneni Krishna
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.2004.tb02427.x
Subject(s) - comparability , german , foreign language , mathematics education , psychology , language assessment , medical education , computer science , linguistics , mathematics , medicine , philosophy , combinatorics
In 2002, nearly 100,000 high school students took one of the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®)language examinations in French, German, or Spanish. One way in which the validity of these exams is ensured is through periodic college comparability studies. The purpose of such studies is to equate the AP scores with performance standards in the third year of representative college programs. This article describes the comparability study that ended in 2002, which, unlike past studies, was conducted across all three of the modern foreign languages in the AP Program at that time. This study led to changes in the cut points used to convert exam scores to AP grades in all three languages. Consequently, the exam performance level required to earn each AP grade was reevaluated to ensure proper alignment with current advanced‐level college offerings.