World Languages Credit By Exam
Learn how to earn World Languages Credit By Exam
What is the World Languages Credit By Exam?
It is an exam that assesses linguistic proficiency in languages other than English. Linguistic proficiency is the ability to use language in real world situations in a spontaneous interaction, non-rehearsed context, and in a manner acceptable and appropriate to native speakers of the language.
Exam Benefits
- World Languages Credits: Students who take this exam may earn up to three world languages credits for the language of the exam.
- Diplomas: The credits may fulfill the world languages requirements for the Advanced Studies Diploma (below).
- Diploma Seal: Students may also meet the world languages criteria for the Virginia Department of Education's Seal of Biliteracy (below).
Languages and Testing Method
Beginning school year 2024-2025, most languages will be tested with the computer-based Avant Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP). A few languages will only be available by FCPS' paper-pencil test.
Avant STAMP WS
2 Skills: Writing and Speaking
- American Sign Language (ASL)*
- Amharic
- Arabic (Modern Standard)
- Armenian
- Bengali
- Cabo Verdean
- Chin (Hakha)
- Chuukese
- Czech
- Farsi
- Filipino (Tagalog)
- French
- German
- Greek
- Haitian Creole
- Hawaiian (Ōlelo Hawai’i)
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Hmong
- Ilocano
- Italian
- Japanese
- Kannada
- Khmer
- Korean
- Latin*
- Mandarin (Simplified)**
- Mandarin (Traditional)**
- Marathi
- Marshallese
- Nepali
- Pashto
- Polish
- Portuguese (Brazilian)
- Punjabi
- Russian
- Samoan
- Somali Maay Maay
- Somali Maxaa
- Spanish
- Swahili
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Thai
- Tigrinya
- Turkish
- Ukrainian
- Urdu
- Vietnamese
- Yoruba
- Yup’ik
- Zomi
*The Avant STAMP for ASL assesses expressive and receptive language skills. The Avant STAMP for Latin assesses reading skills only.
**For the Mandarin Chinese exam, when students register with their school counselor, they will select to take either the Traditional or Simplified Mandarin Chinese test.
FCPS Paper-Pencil
Writing only
This exam is only available for these languages:
- Sanskrit
- Twi
These are languages that FCPS has previously offered for the World Languages Credit by Exam.
They are not available through the computer-based assessment with Avant. Therefore they will continue to be offered as a paper-pencil test.
Exam Format and Expectations
The exam is administered on the computer.
Students need to be able to comprehend exam instructions in the language of the exam. Students respond by typing and recording their speech in the language of the exam.
Students earn credit based on the level of proficiency demonstrated by their writing and speaking (see proficiency level expectations below).
The exam is administered on the computer.
Students need to be able to comprehend signed video prompts. Students answer multiple choice comprehension questions and record signed responses in ASL.
The exam is administered on the computer.
Students need to be able to comprehend Classical Latin texts. Students answer multiple choice comprehension questions.
The exam is paper-pencil and is only available for:
- Sanskrit
- Twi
Students:
- Read exam instructions and writing prompts in the language of the exam.
- Respond to two separate essays on two separate topics related to personal experiences.
- Responses are in their own handwriting in the language of the exam.
- Each essay must consist of at least three well-developed, cohesive paragraphs.
- The essays need to be long enough for the assessor to determine the level of writing proficiency and must address the essay prompt.
Students earn credit based on the level of proficiency demonstrated by their writing (see proficiency level expectations below).
Eligibility
FCPS students in grades 7 through 12 who have proficiency in one of the tested languages.
- Students may take the exam a maximum of two times per language.
- Students may only take one exam per language per school year.
Students should meet with their counselor for academic advising to determine credit needs and eligibility for the exam.
If a student would benefit from the exam, read the proficiency level expectations (below) for the assessment before registering for the exam. Registration for the exam is recommended for students who can perform in the language according to the guidelines.
Proficiency Level Expectations
Are you wondering if you should take this exam this year? Think about what you can do in the testing language in a variety of contexts about familiar and everyday topics.
| Language | Novice High (1 credit) | Intermediate Low (2 credits) | Intermediate Mid (3 credits) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Languages |
|
|
|
| Latin | I can identify the topic and some isolated facts from simple sentences in informational and short fictional texts. | I can identify the topic and related information from simple sentences in short informational and fictional texts. | I can understand the main idea and key information in short straightforward informational and fictional texts. |
Registration
- Fill out and sign the World Languages Credit By Exam Notification of Registration Opportunity form.
- Bring the form to the school counselor.
Important Dates
- Registration opens Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 8 a.m.
- Registration closes on Friday, October 4, 2024 at 4 p.m.
Late registrations will not be accepted.
Testing Dates, Times, and Locations
Beginning in the 2024 school year, students will take the World Languages Credit by Exam at their own middle or high school in November.
There will not be evening division-wide testing sites or administration as in years past.
Contact the school counselor for more information about the school-based testing session.
Preparing for the Exam
Avant STAMP
Visit the Avant STAMP FCPS landing page
The Avant STAMP page includes many important resources for students and families including:
- Overview information about the test.
- Video tutorials on how to set up your device and language keyboards for the test.
- Instructions on installing a language keyboard for use during the test.
- Test taker guide.
- Rules for taking the test.
- Writing examples.
Sample tests to practice with the format of the test and available tools.
Students should practice typing and speaking in the testing language on the Avant sample test before the test.- Strategies to increase performance.
- Rubric and resources for understanding score results.
Special Characters
For some languages, students must install and activate virtual international keyboards on their FCPS-issued Chromebook.
All other languages that require special characters or diacritical marks will include a character box where the appropriate symbols and accented letters are included in the test and can be clicked.
American Sign Language (ASL)
Students testing in ASL should practice video recording themselves signing in ASL, paying attention to signing space.
Students are also encouraged to practice watching videos in ASL and identifying the following:
- Isolated facts.
- Topic and related information.
- Main idea and key information.
Latin
Students should practice reading Classical texts and identifying the following:
- Isolated facts.
- Topic and related information.
- Main idea and key information.
FCPS Paper-Pencil
Students taking the FCPS Paper-Pencil exam for only Pashto, Sanskrit, or Twi, should:
- Be able to consistently and accurately describe and narrate personal experiences in multiple-paragraph essays.
- Be able to use complete sentences and form coherent paragraphs.
- Take time to practice writing paragraphs and stories before the exam.
Download the practice topics (PDF) and scoring criteria (PDF).
To earn a higher score, students must:
- Elaborate on ideas and extend sentences
- Add details and use a variety of expressions
- Organize sentences into cohesive paragraphs
- Provide vivid descriptions
- Use accurate punctuation, spelling, diacritical marks, and word choice.
What Do I Bring?
Students may not bring any headphones, pens, pencils, paper, books, dictionaries, notes, other resources, or other materials into the exam room.
Avant STAMP
Students must bring their FCPS-issued, fully charged Chromebook.
Students that use their own laptop will need to borrow a Chromebook from their school.
All Exams
- Cell phones are permitted. They must be powered off while in the testing location.
- Students may bring backpacks and bags into the exam room. They must be left at the entrance to the exam room and retrieved by the students when exiting the exam.
Scoring and Results
An assessor, who is proficient in the exam language, scores the exam.
Results In SIS
Mid-January
- Exam results will be available and reported to Student Services at your school.
- Student transcripts are updated as Pass (P) credits.
Results By Mail
Students will receive a letter mailed to their home address to confirm their results with a basic summary of their performance on the test.
Due to the volume of tests, the letters will take more time to process for mailing.
After the Exam
- Students who earn one credit on the exam may enroll in level two.
- Students who earn two credits on the exam may enroll in level three.
- Students who earn three credits on the exam may continue their study of the language in the upper levels.
The option to enroll in the next level depends on whether the language is available at the base school, academy, or online.
Additional Ways to Earn World Language Credits
High school students may earn up to four World Languages credits from the ESOL 5720 and 5730 courses. These credits may apply toward graduation requirements and toward the Advanced Studies Diploma.
Middle school students may earn up to two World Languages credits from ESOL 5710, 5720, and 5730 courses. These credits may apply toward graduation requirements and toward the Advanced Studies Diploma.
Advanced Studies Diploma
The Advanced Studies Diploma requires students to either:
- Earn three credits in one World Language
- Earning two credits in each of two different world languages.
Students may earn up to three credits from the credit by exam. Students who earn three credits on the credit exam will fulfill this requirement for the Advanced Studies Diploma.
Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Seal of Biliteracy
In addition to earning world languages credits, students may also meet the world languages criteria for the Virginia Department of Education's Seal of Biliteracy.
- This seal certifies demonstrated proficiency in English and at least one other language.
- This accomplishment in biliteracy may be useful for future employment or post-secondary studies.
- Students who meet this criteria will receive notification with the results mailed to their home address listed in SIS.