From Data to Action: Building a Language Growth System
Many schools collect language assessment data but struggle to translate results into meaningful action. This session explores how one international school developed a comprehensive language growth framework using CEFR benchmarks, standardized assessments, intervention cycles, and progress monitoring to support student success. Participants will examine how language data can inform placement, instructional planning, intervention design, course selection, and promotion decisions while creating greater transparency for students, teachers, and families. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for building a sustainable, schoolwide language support system that moves beyond testing and focuses on measurable growth.
Presenter
Sabrina Waterfield
Principal
Shenzhen RDF International School
Sabrina Waterfield is an international school leader with more than 20 years of experience in education across the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and China. Her leadership work has spanned academic strategy, faculty development, language growth initiatives, and university preparation programs across multiple educational pathways.
Throughout her career, Sabrina has focused on building systems that improve student outcomes while supporting teacher growth and innovation. Her work has included leading accreditation efforts, developing language readiness frameworks, designing professional learning programs, and creating structures that help students successfully transition into rigorous international curricula. Under her leadership, students have gained admission to some of the world’s most selective universities, including Oxford, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, and University College London.
Sabrina is currently completing her Doctorate in Education at UCAM, where her research examines the transition from Chinese public schools to international private schools. She is passionate about educational leadership, equitable access to learning, and creating sustainable systems that support both student achievement and teacher excellence.
