Proficiency & Performance-Based Learning

Designing learning experiences that build real-world communication and authentic performance

As a World Language educator and learning designer, my instructional philosophy has always centered on proficiency and performance-based learning—a framework focused on what learners can do with knowledge in real situations, not just what they can recall on a test.

Proficiency-Based Instruction

In my language programs, proficiency served as the foundation for curriculum design, instructional planning, and assessment. This approach emphasizes:

• Sustained target-language use

• Meaningful communication over memorization

• Cultural immersion and authentic context

• Growth over time across ACTFL proficiency levels

Rather than teaching grammar as isolated rules, learning experiences were grounded in real-world tasks, cultural content, and communicative purpose—mirroring how learners naturally build language skills outside the classroom.

Performance-Based Assessment

All assessments were performance-based, measuring learners’ ability to apply language in authentic, real-life scenarios. This included:

• Multimodal tasks (written, spoken, digital, interactive)

• Role-plays, interviews, and real-world communication simulations

• Project-based assessments and collaborative problem-solving

• Digital storytelling, presentations, and community-connected tasks

Students didn’t simply complete worksheets or answer grammar questions—they planned trips, negotiated meaning, created media, interacted across cultures, and solved real-world challenges using language as a tool.

Instructional Impact

This approach developed learners who were not only linguistically capable, but also:

• Culturally confident

• Collaborative and communicative

• Adaptable, reflective, and globally aware

• Prepared to use language in academic, professional, and personal contexts

The result was higher engagement, stronger retention, and measurable growth in authentic communicative proficiency.

Leadership in Program Transformation

A highlight of my work is helping scale this instructional model at the departmental level. I co-led the transition to a proficiency-based language program at:

• Gulliver Preparatory School (Miami, FL) — 16-teacher World Languages department

• Cannon School (Charlotte, NC) — 8-teacher World Languages department

This included:

• Department-wide professional development

• Curriculum redesign aligned to ACTFL standards

• Assessment rubric creation and calibration

• Coaching, modeling lessons, and collaborative planning

Through shared leadership and strategic change management, both departments successfully shifted to a proficiency-driven, performance-focused instructional ecosystem.

Why it Matters in L&D

This foundation directly informs my L&D approach:

• Performance before content

• Learner-centered design

• Authentic skill application

• Assessment that mirrors real-world tasks

The same principles that drive language acquisition (authentic context, communicative purpose, incremental skill growth, and performance assessment) are foundational to effective workforce development and leadership training. Whether in schools or organizational environments, my goal remains the same:Design learning that empowers people to perform with confidence in real situations.