Ohio’s Resources for World Languages and Cultures
Ryan Wertz, Program Administrator for World Languages and Global Education Partnerships, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
Ohio world language teachers benefit from a growing collection of resources available from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. These tools support instruction, strengthen program design, and ensure that Ohio’s students gain the linguistic and intercultural skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world. This edition of Around the State highlights resources at education.ohio.gov for educators to access and share.
Building a Foundation for World Language Instruction
Ohio’s Learning Standards for World Languages and Cultures serve as a foundation for world language instruction. The standards emphasize communicative proficiency, intercultural competence, and literacy development. They outline learning progressions from Novice Low through Advanced Low, helping teachers design daily learning targets that lead students toward functional proficiency. The standards webpage also includes guidance documents, proficiency target-setting tools, explanations of the modes of communication, and clarifications on how literacy, culture, and communicative outcomes intersect in the world language classroom.
Providing a Roadmap for Educators
Complementing the standards is the Model Curriculum for World Languages and Cultures, which further supports teachers as they develop robust programs. The model curriculum breaks down the proficiency levels into functions, contexts, discourse types, and literacy behaviors to provide educators with concrete tools for lesson and unit design. It includes vertically aligned thematic progress indicators, sample intercultural units, assessment guidance, instructional strategies, and templates for interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational task design. Together, the standards and model curriculum serve as a roadmap to organize and connect meaningful language use and intercultural growth.
On the model curriculum page, educators can access an extensive collection of instructional supports, including language-specific resources across 12 languages, authentic cultural materials organized by topic and proficiency level, assessment templates, lesson planning tools, thematic unit samples, career connections materials, and guidance for incorporating intercultural communicative competence into daily instruction. The Educator Resources webpage links teachers to professional organizations, scholarship opportunities, study abroad options, curriculum maps from Ohio districts, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate information, and global education organizations that partner with educators across the state.
Measuring Growth in Language Use
The Department also provides a comprehensive suite of world language rubrics within the Model Curriculum for World Languages and Cultures, offering educators clear, proficiency-aligned tools for evaluating student performance. These include presentational speaking and writing rubrics, interpersonal communication rubrics, and interpretive reading, listening, and viewing rubrics, all of which are available for use across all language levels. Each rubric is available in both single-point and full analytic versions to support quick scoring, detailed feedback, and student self‑reflection. Performance rubrics help teachers assess end‑of‑unit learning, while proficiency rubrics offer holistic descriptors aligned to Novice through Advanced Low proficiency ranges. These rubrics are useful for scoring comprehensive tasks and integrated performance assessments and for gathering high‑quality student data. Together, these rubrics support consistent, standards‑aligned assessment practices and help Ohio educators measure communicative growth across all modes of language use.
Celebrating World Language Study
Ohio’s Seal of Biliteracy has become a major asset for high schools to celebrate multilingualism and promote advanced world language study. Awarded to graduating seniors who demonstrate high levels of proficiency in English and at least one other language, the Seal of Biliteracy is one of Ohio’s 12 graduation seals, and its attainment helps to signal a graduate’s readiness for college, careers, and global engagement. The Seal of Biliteracy webpage includes implementation guides for districts, details on qualifying assessments, EMIS reporting guidance, downloadable promotional materials, and answers to common questions about eligibility and procedures. Many districts now integrate communication about the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy into middle and high school planning so that students understand the long-term benefits of pursuing biliteracy.
Earning Credit Beyond the Classroom
For districts seeking greater instructional flexibility, the Department’s Credit Flexibility Guidance Documents webpage offers a resource for students to earn world language credit outside traditional classroom settings. Credit Flex allows learners to demonstrate proficiency through performance-based tasks, independent study, online coursework, or other locally approved methods. This expands access for heritage language learners, students seeking accelerated pathways, and those who benefit from alternative learning structures.
Reviewing Instructional Resources
The Department also offers a High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) Rubric for World Languages. This comprehensive tool helps educators and review teams evaluate how well instructional resources align with Ohio’s Learning Standards for World Languages and Cultures. The rubric guides users through alignment to standards, second language acquisition practices, use of authentic resources, assessment quality, and student and teacher supports. By offering clear indicators and evidence-based guidance, the HQIM rubric empowers Ohio educators to make informed decisions that strengthen language proficiency, intercultural competence, and overall instructional quality in world language classrooms.
Global Education Resources
Ohio’s commitment to global education extends beyond language study. The Global Education webpage provides resources that guide educators in weaving global competencies into instruction, helping students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to engage with complex global issues. These resources support teachers interested in integrating cultural perspectives, global career connections, and international themes into any content area.
Working with Exchange Participants
The Department’s International and Foreign Exchange Students information page offers guidance for schools working with international exchange participants. This includes enrollment considerations, awarding credit, cultural adjustment supports, and links to U.S. Department of State guidance. As Ohio schools continue welcoming students from around the world, these resources help ensure positive experiences for both exchange students and their Ohio host institutions.
The Department’s world language and global education webpages reflect new initiatives, improved guidance, and high-quality instructional materials. By exploring these resources, educators can stay informed, strengthen their programs, and help Ohio learners develop the multilingual and intercultural skills essential to thrive in a global society.