On the morning of May 28, the Berkeley Carroll Middle School community came together for a celebration that was equal parts academic milestone and cultural festivity.

The occasion: honoring student growth in Spanish language proficiency, as measured by the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages, known as the AAPPL. Administered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the nation's leading organization for language teaching professionals, the AAPPL is taken annually by all BC Middle School students and serves as a meaningful benchmark of growth over time.

This year's results gave the community plenty to celebrate. Berkeley Carroll's 8th graders outperformed the national average across all four modes of communication, Interpersonal Listening and Speaking, Presentational Writing, Interpretive Listening, and Interpretive Reading, in each case by a significant margin. In Interpretive Reading alone, BC students averaged I4 (8.2), compared to the national average of I2 (6.3).

For the second consecutive year, Berkeley Carroll also recognized 8th graders who earned the Functional Language Global Seal of Biliteracy, a distinction requiring an Intermediate High rating across all four AAPPL components. This year, 34% of the 8th grade class earned the Seal, a remarkable achievement that reflects years of dedicated study and genuine linguistic growth.

The assembly also honored the rich cultural roots of the Spanish language. Mariachi Citlalli brought the celebration to life with a spirited live performance, and in a highlight of the morning, BC's own 7th grade orchestra musicians joined the band on stage for a memorable collaborative performance.

It was a morning that captured something central to the Berkeley Carroll experience: rigorous academic achievement, celebrated with joy, community, and a little music.

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