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NYSAFLT would like to offer you, the public or private school
administrator, assistance in helping you with any foreign language
questions that you may have, from recruiting to assessment to curriculum
and professional development. Feel free to contact NYSAFLT for further
information at the bottom of this page. |
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Requirements |
Checkpoints | SLP |
Importance |
Standards/Assessments
| Issues |
Support |
Recruitment |
Resources |
Still have questions?
Let us know! |
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- What is the LOTE Requirement
for a Regents Diploma?
-
http://eservices.nysed.gov/vls/resources/loteqa.htm
- Students must successfully complete two units of
study* of Checkpoint A LOTE and must earn one high school
credit by the end of ninth grade.
- The Checkpoint A graduation requirement credit can be
earned by:
- Successfully
completing any combination of 2 units in grades K-8
and passing
a locally developed Checkpoint A exam. (Locally
developed versions of the former SLP must be aligned
to the Checkpoint A learning standards for LOTE and
must be approved for high school credit by the public
school district superintendent or the chief
administrative officer of a registered charter or
nonpublic high school.) ("Successful completion" is as
determined by the local school district and may
include credit recovery options, AIS, etc. in order to
help students meet the district's minimum standard for
"successful completion". “Passing” is defined as a
minimum score of 65).
- Passing a high school course that is aligned to
the Checkpoint A learning standards for LOTE after
Grade 8.
- To earn a Regents Diploma with Advanced
Designation, the student must complete one of the
following: two additional sequential units in a language
other than English including taking and passing a locally
developed Checkpoint B exam that is aligned to the
Checkpoint B learning standards for LOTE in the language
studied (3 LOTE credits total); career and technical
education (5 credit CTE sequence); or the Arts (5 credit
sequence). Students with disabilities who are exempt from
LOTE requirements as indicated on the IEP may earn the
advanced designation as long as the required number of
credits to graduate is met. (source)
*unit of study = 180 minutes per week. Half unit of study
= 90 minutes. There are no other variations.
- What does Checkpoint A, B & C
mean?
- Checkpoint A - first level of student
proficiency in NYS
Assessment for Checkpoint A: SLP (Second Language Proficiency
Exam)
- Checkpoint B - second level of
proficiency in NYS
Assessment for Checkpoint B: Comprehensive Regents Exam
Credit by examination - earn credit without LOTE class units.
- Checkpoint C - third level of proficiency
in NYS (which includes any LOTE study after a student has
passed the Comprehensive Regents Exam
Assessment for Checkpoint C: Teacher-generated examination,
portfolios or projects
- What happens if the student fails the course and the
SLP by the end of grade eight?
- If the student passed the locally developed exam but did
not successfully complete one of the units of study (per local
definition of successful completion) the student may earn the
credit through credit recovery or other means designed to show
successful completion of the unit of study.
- If the student failed the exam, he/she is required to
complete a Level I/Checkpoint A course and earn the one high
school credit. This should be a Level I course in the high
school that is aligned to the Checkpoint A learning standards
for LOTE. The student would then need to either pass the Level
I LOTE course in order to earn the credit. The high school
Level I course for those who fail in middle school is a true
Checkpoint A high school level course and NOT a modified
curriculum for those who failed. The student could:
- take the Level I/Checkpoint A course in grade nine and
pass the course (minimum score of 65)
OR
- repeat the grade 8 portion of the two-year
Checkpoint A course and pass the locally developed
Checkpoint A exam (minimum score of 65).
- While the spirit of the SED regulations is that students
will have two units of instruction over a two year period, some
students or classes may be ‘accelerated’. In order for a student
to be designated as ‘accelerated’ and be approved to take a
locally written Checkpoint A exam before 9th grade for high
school credit, the course curriculum must be aligned to
Checkpoint A as defined in the NYS Syllabus: Modern Languages
for Communication. If such a student does not pass the exam,
he/she is required to complete a Level I/Checkpoint A course and
earn the one high school credit.
- May the student be advanced to Level 2 LOTE ( first
half of Checkpoint B) even if they have not earned credit for
Level 1 (Checkpoint A)?
- Yes. The student may advance to Level 2 with teacher
recommendation. Upon passing Level 2, the student will have
earned 1 high school credit for the Level 2 course. It is
neither necessary nor recommended that students be required to
concurrently take a Checkpoint A course and/or exam to “buy
back” that credit. With the Checkpoint B credit, they will
have satisfied the requirement and may move on from there.
*A student may change languages but, this is not advisable
since the student might suffer academically crossing from one
language to another. The two year sequence is advised so the
student has the classroom time necessary to reach the
Checkpoint A Level of Proficiency and pass the SLP. The SED
regulations state that at least 50% of study must be in one
language.
- Credit by Examination vs. making up a missed exam
- Currently, there is no mechanism (as there used to be) for
students to earn credit by examination by “challenging” the
now locally written versions of the former SLP and Regents
exams. For example, in the past students could earn three high
school credits by passing the Regents exam with an 85 or
higher. NYSAFLT has requested that SED address this inequity.
- If a student is ill or misses a final exam, an alternate
exam my be offered to that student.
- Why is LOTE important to a child?
- K - 4/6
- Since research shows that an early language learning
experience generally results in the development of native
or near-native pronunciation and intonation, it is
recommended that students be provided the opportunity to
learn a second language as early as possible in school.
This early language learning experience not only helps to
develop native-like pronunciation, but also promotes
higher levels of proficiency if the student continues in a
well-articulated sequence of language learning. Research
corroborates additional benefits including strengthening
of literacy in students’ first language, raising
standardized test scores in other subject areas, and
developing comfort with cultural differences. These
benefits accrue with instruction that is continuous
throughout the school year, connected grade to grade, and
more frequent than twice per week, adding up to at least
90 minutes per week, at both the elementary and middle
school levels (ACTFL, 2006).
- Middle School
- A student taking and passing (minimum score of 65) the
New York State Proficiency Second Language Proficiency
Examination will receive one HS credit in LOTE.
- High School
- Most colleges and universities expect students to
study three to four years of foreign language study in
high school. Many of these institutions will consider
waiving the foreign language requirement if students have
shown advanced study in HS. Additionally, a three-credit
sequence in LOTE fulfills one of the requirements for a
New York State Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation.
- LOTE Standards & Assessment
-
LOTE Standards
- Students will be able to use a language other than
English for communication.
- Students will develop cross-cultural skills and
understandings.
-
LOTE Assessments
- Locally developed Checkpoint A Examination for
high school credit: students take this exam at
the end of the first two units of LOTE study (typically in
8th grade), also known as Checkpoint A. The exam assesses
the four language skills (Speaking, Listening, Reading and
Writing). Prior to 9th grade students must successfully
complete two units of study and pass the Checkpoint A
exam. See above for “what if” situations involving not
passing one component or another.
- Locally developed Checkpoint B Examination for
Regents credit: students take this exam at the
end of three years of LOTE study, also known as Checkpoint
B. This exam assesses the four language skills (Speaking,
Listening, Reading and Writing).
- Checkpoint C is the level of LOTE studied beyond the
Regents Examination. Schools districts typically offer one
or more of the following programs: AP Language and
Literature program, International Baccalaureate program or
courses affiliated with post-secondary colleges or
universities
- Resources
- The Annenberg Foundation publishes
this video series in 2003 regarding the
teaching and assessment of foreign languages
- LOTE Issues in Education
- The National Council of State Supervisors for
Languages (NCSSFL), a professional association of
leaders in the field of elementary and secondary foreign
language education, firmly advocates for the inclusion of
foreign language education in the school curriculum for ALL
students, pre-kindergarten through grade twelve and beyond.
http://ncssfl.org/papers/index.php?allstudents
- Research indicates that effective language instruction
must provide significant levels of meaningful communication
and interactive feedback in the target language in order for
students to develop language and cultural proficiency.
ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)
therefore recommends that language educators and their
students use the target language as exclusively as possible
(90% plus) during instructional time and, when feasible,
beyond the classroom (ACTFL, 2009).
- National Network for Early Language Learning
(NNELL)
The period of early childhood is considered an optimal time to
begin learning a second language, as the methods and materials
used in early childhood classes are multi-modal and may
facilitate second language acquisition and learning
(Bialystok, & Hakuta, 1994).
http://nnell.org
- The College Board eliminated the AP
examinations of three foreign languages (French Literature,
Italian Language and Latin Literature) in 2008. The AP
Italian program was restored in 2011 and the exam will be
administered again beginning in May 2012. There is
concern that this will impact the students enrolled in those
language programs as well as possible elimination of district
language programs.
http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/Index.cfm?pageID=4868
http://www.iacelanguage.org/news_folder/discontinuation-of-the-italian-ap-exam-
for-2009-2013-2010
- Examples to Support LOTE
Teachers & Programs
- The best way to find professional development
opportunities for LOTE teachers is to contact the National,
State and Regional LOTE Professional Organizations (see links
below)
- Recruitment of LOTE Teachers
- The best place to find candidates is local colleges and
universities that have Foreign Language Teacher Preparation
programs. You should also consider contacting other LOTE
administrators in neighboring districts. LOTE Supervisors have
a wealth of information and they tend to know the good
candidates seeking positions.
- Characteristics of good LOTE teachers:
- Communicates well: When interviewing LOTE candidates, be cognizant of the
person’s communication skills. An excellent LOTE teacher
knows how to communicate well in the target language, as
well as in English.
- Fluent in LOTE: While most candidates will not be native-speakers,
they should be fluent in the language. Please ask another
language teacher to sit-in on the interview in order to
speak with the candidate in the target language.
- Differentiates instruction: Candidates describing a typical lesson should include
student-student interaction and activities that cover
most, if not all, of the four language skills (speaking,
listening, reading and writing).
- International experience: Strong candidates will have studied abroad, or at
least have foreign-travel experience.
- Additional NYSAFLT Resources
- The James E. Allen Award - this award
honors an outstanding LOTE department. Contact
NYSAFLT
for details.
- Scholarships for Teachers - numerous
scholarships
are available for LOTE teachers who are members of NYSAFLT
-
Speakers Bureau - search and connect with a LOTE
professional who could offer your staff an in-service workshop.
-
Regional
Director Contacts - connect with your regional
NYSAFLT representative
- Sister Rose Aquin Caimano Distinguished
Administrator Award - this annual award seeks to
celebrate the contributions made by an administrator to the LOTE
profession. Contact NYSAFLT for details.
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The information on this page was compiled by:
William Anderson (Massapequa School District), Chair
Ken Hughes (Elizabethtown-Lewis Central School District)
Cindy Kennedy (Kenton School District)
Al Martino (Guilderland Schools)
Jennifer Nesfield (Northport-East Northport School District)
Marie Nuzzi (Garden City High School)
Rosa Riccio-Pietanza (NYCBOE)
Updated September 2011 by:
John Carlino, NYSAFLT Executive Director (Kenmore West High
School)
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