LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE GUIDE

Transcription

1 TITLE: NUMBER: Procedures for Administering the LAUSD Spanish Equivalency Examination and Guidelines for Placement REF ISSUER: Jaime R. Aquino, Ph. D. Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Gerardo Loera, Executive Director Office of Curriculum, Instruction & School Support ROUTING Local District Superintendents Local District Administrators of Instruction Local District Principal Leaders Local District PreK-12 Counseling Coordinators High School Principals Middle School Principals Assistant Principals, SCS World Languages and Cultures Department Chairs High School Counselors Middle School Counselors DATE: January 9, 2012 PURPOSE: MAJOR CHANGES: The purpose of this reference guide is to provide instructions on procedures for administering the LAUSD Spanish Equivalency Examination, including guidelines for student placement, award of credits to eligible students, and documentation of language proficiency and credit information on Secondary SIS. This reference guide supports implementation of policy outlined in BUL , Using the Spanish Equivalency Examination, January 9, This is a new reference guide. INSTRUCTIONS: I. BACKGROUND The LAUSD Spanish Equivalency Examination (SEE) was designed during the school year in collaboration with District teachers and university personnel. The purpose of the SEE is to assess whether a student in grades 8-12 can demonstrate proficiency in Spanish to be placed in Spanish for Spanish Speakers courses and, by extension, establish equivalency of up to 2 years of Spanish and meet the minimum criteria for the University of California s admissions A-G E requirement (for Language other than English). In addition, students in grades 9-12 may receive up to ten credits for Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1AB by passing both the reading and writing sections of the SEE. The complete policy may be found on BUL , Using the Spanish Equivalency Examination, January 9, Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and School Support Page 1 of 8 January 9, 2012

2 II. IMPLEMENTATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS Secondary schools should develop a SEE planning and implementation team that includes administrators, counselors, and the school s World Languages and Cultures department. The school site teams are responsible for identifying students eligible to take the SEE, and for determining when to administer it, and by whom. The exam may be taken at any time of year. Students and parents should be notified of the option of using the Spanish Equivalency Examination for fulfilling the University of California s A-G E requirement. Schools are directed to send the parent notification letter (see Attachments A and B) to the parents and guardians of students in grades 8-12 who have Spanish as their home language, and/or students who are enrolled in Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 classes. Students in grades 8-12 eligible to take the SEE are identified through any one of the following criteria: a student who is identified through the Home Language Survey (HLS) indicating that Spanish is spoken at home [in SSIS program ID01: Field 310 = 60], or a student, regardless of current enrollment or placement in Spanish coursework, who reports that he/she is able to read and write in Spanish, and would like to challenge the examination, or a student enrolled in Spanish (as a foreign language) level 1 or level 2 courses who claims that his/her language abilities are better met in a Spanish for Spanish Speakers course, or a student enrolled in Spanish (as a foreign language) level 1 or level 2 courses when the Spanish teacher determines by in-class assessments and observations that the student s language abilities exceed expectations for the Spanish (as a foreign language) course and are better met in a Spanish for Spanish Speakers course, or a student enrolled in Spanish for Spanish Speakers courses who claims that his/her language needs are better met in a Spanish (as foreign language) course, or a student enrolled in Spanish for Spanish Speakers courses when the Spanish teacher determines by in-class assessments and observations that the student s language abilities do not meet expectations for Spanish for Spanish Speakers and the student s needs are better met in a Spanish (as a foreign language) level 1 or level 2 course. Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and School Support Page 2 of 8 January 9, 2012

3 Bridging Middle and High Schools. In addition, the SEE may be administered to 8 th graders in the second semester to assist in their placement into the appropriate Spanish or Spanish for Spanish Speakers course as they enter high school. For this purpose, the middle school staff administers the exam (includes scoring the multiple-choice reading comprehension section to determine which students qualify to take the writing section) and then gives the writing section of exam to the appropriate staff of the receiving high school (e.g., APSCS, World Languages Department chairperson, or principal s designee) for scoring and student placement. Information on students SEE results is entered into SSIS at the receiving high school. High school and middle school counselors make the necessary arrangements for this collaboration during the end-of-year articulation visits. Alternatively, high schools may arrange to offer and score the SEE during summer orientation/enrollment for incoming 9 th graders. Examination materials may be downloaded by school staff by accessing with their LAUSD SSO login. Schools are responsible for making their own copies and securing the exams in a safe place. It is recommended that the exams be numbered for control purposes prior to administration. The exams should be retained and re-administered as needed from one school year to another. III. TEST ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING Schools are responsible for the administration and scoring of the SEE. Instructions, answer keys, writing rubrics and sample essays are included with the SEE. The SEE consists of two sections: 1) reading comprehension, and 2) writing, each section designed to be delivered in 45-minute sessions. Only students who pass the reading comprehension section may take the writing section. The reading comprehension section consists of 30 multiple choice questions and is scored by any appropriate school staff, which may include middle and high school teachers of Spanish, using the included answer key. The writing section is to be scored by high school teachers of Spanish, using the included rubric. Schools (including Options schools) without Spanish language teachers to score the writing portion of the exam should coordinate with the World Languages Department of the local high schools with Spanish teachers for assistance. The SEE is intended to be administered only once for each student as there is only one version of the exam. Students may not retake this exam. It is not recommended for the SEE to be administered to students who have taken a Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and School Support Page 3 of 8 January 9, 2012

4 Spanish class but received failing marks. However, the decision to administer the SEE to students who have failed Spanish courses, on a case-by-case basis, is left as the school principal s prerogative. IV. PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS Students are placed into the appropriate level of Spanish for Spanish Speakers or Spanish based on the performance demonstrated through the SEE. Students who pass both the reading and the writing sections of the exam: Should be placed in Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2AB. Will have satisfied the University of California s A-G E requirement. Receive 10 credits for Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1AB, with a P (proficient), if the test was taken after completion of 8 th grade. Do not earn a letter grade because students did not take a class. Students who pass only the reading section of the exam: Should be placed in Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1AB, or in a Spanish 2AB class differentiated for Spanish speakers, only if Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1AB is not offered. Will not have met the University of California s A-G E requirement and will need one additional year of Spanish to meet the minimum requirement. Do not earn high school credit. Students who do not pass the reading section of the exam: Should be placed in Spanish 1AB. Will not have met the University of California s A-G E requirement and will need two additional years of Spanish to meet the minimum requirement. Do not earn high school credit. Schools should consider the implications of adding sufficient periods of Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1AB/2AB or Spanish 1AB on their master schedule in order to accommodate student placement resulting from performance on the SEE. Examples of study pathways for students who pass the SEE include, but are not limited to: Enrollment in Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2AB, then in the AP Spanish Language course. Enrollment in Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2AB, then in Spanish for Spanish Speakers 3AB, or an advanced level Spanish literature class. Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and School Support Page 4 of 8 January 9, 2012

5 Enrollment in Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2AB, then in courses in another language other than English. Enrollment in courses in another subject or elective. V. DOCUMENTING LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY, CREDIT INFORMATION, AND CERTIFYING EQUIVALENCY IN SSIS Use the following procedure to accurately document proficiency by the Spanish Equivalency Examination in Secondary SIS. 1. In ID01, field 844, indicate if the student performance on the Reading Comprehension section of the exam by entering a P for Pass, or a F for Fail. If the student did not pass the reading comprehension section, no entry is needed for the Writing section of the exam. 2. In ID01, field 845, indicate if the student passed or failed the Writing section by entering a P for Pass, or a F for Fail. 3. In ID01, field 846, enter the date the student took the exam. 4. In TR01, for students who pass both sections of the exam, enter course (Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1A) for 5.0 credits and a P mark. If Spanish for Spanish Speakers is not offered, enter course (Spanish 2A). 5. Record the grade level and the date the test was taken. 6. For the location, type CRED BY SPAN EQUIV EXAM. 7. Press the <F5> key, then type 1 to verify the entry and press the <F6> key to update the verification. 8. Repeat steps 4-7 for course (Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1B). If Spanish for Spanish Speakers is not offered, enter course (Spanish 2B). V. COURSE EQUIVALENCIES For reference, the following section summarizes the equivalency between Spanish for Spanish Speakers courses and Spanish (as a foreign language) courses: Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1AB* (equivalent to Spanish 1AB & 2AB) Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2AB (equivalent to Spanish 3AB) Spanish for Spanish Speakers 3AB (equivalent to Spanish 4AB) * Completion of this course satisfies the University of California s A-G E requirement. Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and School Support Page 5 of 8 January 9, 2012

6 RELATED RESOURCES: ASSISTANCE: BUL-307.1, Graduation Requirements for Graduating Classes of 2010 and 2011, dated February 22, BUL , Procedures for Granting Credit and Achievement Marks for Foreign Language, May 26, BUL , The LAUSD Spanish Equivalency Examination, January 9, University of California Quick Reference for Counselors. For assistance, please contact William Chang, Coordinator, World Languages and Cultures at (213) or via at For assistance with credit-related questions, please contact your Local District PreK- 12 Counseling Coordinator. Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and School Support Page 6 of 8 January 9, 2012

7 ATTACHMENT A Dear Parent/Guardian: Did you know that students in grades 8-12 can take the LAUSD Spanish Equivalency Exam (SEE) to demonstrate their proficiency in Spanish to be placed appropriately in courses for Spanish for Spanish Speakers or Spanish as a new language? The SEE may be administered to students in grades 8-12 at any time during the year, at the student s or the teacher s request. The SEE may only be taken once. Students who pass both the reading comprehension and writing sections of the exam will be placed in Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2AB. High school students who pass both sections of the exam will receive ten (10) high school credits for world languages coursework. For more information, please contact your child s counselor at your child s school. Sincerely, Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and School Support Page 7 of 8 January 9, 2012

8 ATTACHMENT B Estimado padre, madre, o tutor: Sabía usted que los estudiantes en los grados 8 al 12 pueden tomar el Examen de Equivalencia en Español (o SEE, por sus siglas en inglés) del LAUSD para demostrar sus competencias en español y para que se les asignen cursos apropiados en español para hispanohablantes o español para estudiantes que lo aprenden por primera vez? El examen SEE puede ser administrado a los estudiantes en los grades 8-12 en cualquier momento durante el año, por solicitud del estudiante o la maestra. El examen SEE se puede tomar solo una vez. Los alumnos que aprueben tanto la parte de comprensión de lectura como la de escritura de examen serán asignados al curso Español para hispanohablantes 2AB. Estudiantes en escuelas preparatorias que aprueben ambas partes del examen, recibirán diez (10) creditos de preparatoria para cursos en un idioma distinto del inglés. Para más información, comuníquese con el consejero de su hijo en su escuela. Atentamente, Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and School Support Page 8 of 8 January 9, 2012