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This page gives school staff a short orientation to the ACTFL Proficiency Scale and how related ratings appear when you enter or review assessments in hFlow. It summarizes widely published ideas about ACTFL. You can read a clear introduction on Language Testing International’s page about the ACTFL Proficiency Scale. For authoritative guidance, curricula, guidelines, and professional resources, visit ACTFL. This article does not replace official ACTFL materials or tester training.
Reminder hFlow interprets proficiency using the fields and calculations built into your organization’s forms and reports. Follow your district’s interpretation policies when communicating with families or external partners.

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What the ACTFL Proficiency Scale describes (in plain terms)

The ACTFL proficiency scale organizes spoken and written communication along a continuum. In broad strokes, as summarized in public materials:
  • Proficiency is about what a learner can actually do with the language in realistic situations, not a score on one quiz or workbook page alone.
  • The framework groups abilities into ordered bands educators reference worldwide (commonly summarized as ranges such as Novice → Intermediate → Advanced → Superior → Distinguished, each with finer sub-steps at novice through advanced levels).
  • The same scale mindset applies across listening, speaking, reading, and writing, though a learner often shows different strengths in each skill.
For richer definitions and exemplar behaviors, rely on ACTFL’s own resources rather than this short overview.

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How this differs from hFlow reading tiers

Reading tiers in hFlow (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) come from fluency and accuracy results on scheduled reading screenings plus your organization’s tier rules per school year, grade, language, and period (BOY / MOY / EOY). They summarize risk and instructional grouping inside your program. They are separate from ACTFL proficiency levels captured on assessments. See Tiers overview for tier placement mechanics.

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How hFlow uses ACTFL-aligned levels

On assessment forms you can capture Listening, Speech, Reading, and Writing proficiency using discrete levels 1–9 that match recognizable ACTFL sub-level names and short codes (from Novice-Low (NL) through Advanced-High (AH) in pick lists). See Assessments for saving behavior, composites, and grade-level overall. Charts and summaries reflect those stored values. Charts, including Student progress charts (language tab) and Language Progress report, show domain levels across periods when your program enters them. Grade language level distribution offers cohort snapshots that lean on ACTFL-informed metrics filtered on that report screen. Treat hFlow visuals as aids for instructional planning and conversation alongside your governance, privacy, and communication policies.