APPENDIX B:

A: ASSESSMENTS
ACTFL GUIDELINES

Figure 8
SAMPLE ASSESSMENT RUBRICS
Rubrics for Assessment of American Sign Language
The following rubrics suggest samples of standards and criteria for assessing the expressive and receptive language skills
of students who are learning American Sign Language. These rubrics are not inclusive of the comprehensive expressive and
receptive language skills that students will need to gain a fluency in American Sign Language, but rather they suggest a
general framework for assessment.

Figure 8A: Rubric for Assessment of American Sign Language Expressive Skills
4 3 2 1
Excellent Very Good Satisfactory In Progress

Formation: • Consistent use of • Self-corrects; few • Some errors, but is • Frequent incorrect
Handshape correct signs mistakes made understandable formation of signs
Palm Orientation • Clear, easily under- • Easily understood • Errors are usually • Very difficult to
Movement stood not corrected understand signs
Location

Space Referents: • Extensive use of set- • Frequently sets up • Limited use of set- • Difficulty with set-
Motion/Location of ting up points in points in space to ting up points in ting up points in
Verbs (includes eye space to refer to refer to objects space to refer to space to refer to
gaze, body shifting, objects and people and people; makes objects and people; objects and people
and choice of signs) • Good eye contact some errors sometimes makes • Difficulty with
• Lively, enthusiastic, • Maintains some eye errors maintaining eye
uses expressiveness contact • Limited eye contact contact
• Some use of • Limited use of • Lacks expressive
expressive behav iors expressive behav iors behaviors when
signing

Story Grammar—Use of • Uses good facial • Appropriate use of • Some appropriate • Lacks facial
Non-Manual Markers: expressions correctly facial expressions use of facial expressions when
Yes/No Questions and consistently when signing expressions signing
“Wh—” Questions • Uses intensifiers • Inconsistent use of • Limited use of • Difficulty using
Location (dramatic use of intensifiers intensifiers intensifiers
Negation facial expressions • Inconsistent use of • Limited use of non- • Difficulty using
Contrastive Structure and signs) to non-manual markers manual markers non-manual markers
(referents, time, match information
intensity, etc.) conveyed
• Uses all non-manual
markers appropriately

Fluency/Accuracy: • Communicates with • Smooth flow of • Hesitates and self- • Jerky hand move-
Smoothness and fluency and confi- signs with confi- corrects when ments and choppy
Fluency of Signs dence dence most of the signing use of signs
Conceptually Accurate time • Signs conceptually
Ideas/Messages • Signs conceptually • Signs conceptually accurate ideas/mes- • Unable to sign
accurate ideas/mes- accurate ideas/mes- sages on a limited conceptually accu-
sages consistently sages the majority of basis rate ideas/messages
the time

242 NEW JERSEY WORLD LANGUAGES CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

 APPENDIX A: ACTFL
APPENDIX GUIDELINES
B: ASSESSMENTS

Figure 8 (continued)

SAMPLE ASSESSMENT RUBRICS

Rubrics for Assessment of American Sign Language

Figure 8B: Rubric for Assessment of American Sign Language Receptive Skills

4 3 2 1
Excellent Very Good Satisfactory In Progress

Basic Vocabulary • Understands all • Understands most • Limited understanding • Very limited under-
signed vocabulary signed vocabulary of signed vocabulary standing of signed
words words words vocabulary words
• Does not need repeti- • Rarely requires repeti- • Requires some repeti- • Requires frequent
tion of signed vocab- tion of signed vocab- tion of signed vocab- repetition of signed
ulary words ulary words ulary words vocabulary words

Fingerspelling • Understands all • Understands most fin- • Limited understand- • Very limited under-
fingerspelled words gerspelled words ing of fingerspelled standing of finger-
• Does not need any • Rarely requires repeti- words spelled words
repetition tion of fingerspelled • Requires some repeti- • Requires frequent
words tion of fingerspelled repetition of finger-
words spelled words

Simple ASL Sentences • Understands all sim- • Understands most • Limited understand- • Very limited under-
and ple ASL sentences simple ASL sentences ing of simple ASL standing of simple
Simple ASL Questions • Understands all sim- • Understands most sentences ASL sentences
ple ASL questions simple ASL questions • Limited understand- • Very limited under-
• Does not need any • Needs some repetition ing of simple ASL standing of simple
repetition of of sentences/ques- questions ASL questions
sentences/questions tions • Often needs • Requires frequent
sentences/questions repetition of
repeated sentences/questions

Complex ASL Sentences • Understands all com- • Understands most • Limited understand- • Very limited under-
and plex ASL sentences complex ASL sen- ing of complex ASL standing of complex
Complex ASL Questions • Understands all com- tences sentences ASL sentences
plex ASL questions • Understands most • Limited understand- • Very limited under
• Does not need any complex complex ASL ing of complex ASL standing of complex
repetition of questions questions ASL questions
sentences/questions • Needs some repetition • Often needs sentences/ • Requires frequent
of sentences/ques- questions repeated repetition of
tions sentences/questions

Non-Manual Markers: • Understands all non- • Understands most • Understands some • Limited understanding
Yes/No Questions manual markers non-manual markers non-manual markers; of non-manual markers;
“Wh—” Questions • Responds appropriate- • Responds appropriate- asks for clarification frequently needs non-
Location ly to non-manual ly to most non- of some non-manual manual markers clari-
Negation behaviors manual behaviors behaviors fied or explained
Contrastive Structure • Responds appropri- • Responds inappropri-
(referents, time, ately to some non- ately to non-manual
intensity, etc.) manual markers markers

243