October 10, 2013
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(X)
Action Required
Informational
MEMORANDUM NO. 049-13M TEACHING AND LEARNING
TO:
Educational Service District Superintendents
School District Superintendents
School District Assistant Superintendents
Educational Service District Assistant Superintendents
Middle and High School Building Principals
School District Curriculum Directors
Middle and High School Counselors
FROM:
Randy I. Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
RE:
2013–14 World Language Assessment Day Opportunities
CONTACT: Michele Anciaux Aoki, Program Supervisor, World Languages
Phone: (360) 725-6129 or email: michele.aoki@k12.wa.us
Please share this memorandum with the following individuals in your districts and
communities: bilingual, English Language Learner (ELL), and world languages staff;
middle and high school counselors; and community programs that offer world languages to
8th to 12th grade students.
Opportunities Available
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is partnering with the Washington
Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT) and the State Board of Education (SBE) to
offer "World Language Assessment Day" opportunities for 8th to 12th grade students in
Washington State to demonstrate their language proficiency and possibly earn high school
credits. Throughout this school year students will have the opportunity to take world
language proficiency assessments in a proctored environment at schools, districts,
colleges, and universities across the state as one way to earn competency-based high
school credits.
To learn more about the assessment options and how to register, visit:
http://www.k12.wa.us/WorldLanguages/AssessmentDays.aspx. Districts are invited to
collaborate with OSPI and WAFLT to offer World Language Assessment Days to students
in their districts: http://www.k12.wa.us/WorldLanguages/HostAssessmentDays.aspx.
MEMORANDUM NO. 049-13M T&L
Page 2
October 10, 2013
Background
In July 2010, the Washington State Board of Education (SBE) endorsed a model policy
and procedure developed by the Washington State School Directors' Association
(WSSDA) in collaboration with OSPI for districts to offer competency-based credits for
world languages (i.e., based on a student's demonstrated proficiency in a language). Over
the past three years, a number of Washington school districts have adopted the policy and
procedure, and over 2,000 students have earned credits by participating in Washington
World Language Assessment Days, offered by OSPI, in partnership with the Washington
Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT) since 2011.
In order to accommodate the range of languages found in Washington schools, WAFLT
and OSPI have made arrangements for several different nationally available proficiency
assessments to be used during Washington World Language Assessment Days. In
addition, OSPI has worked with the Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS)
at the University of Oregon to offer proctored writing and oral language tests for languages
that do not yet have nationally available proficiency tests. For details about which
languages use which assessments, visit:
http://www.k12.wa.us/WorldLanguages/StudentsEarnCredits.aspx.
Process and Cost
Middle and high school students who sign up for Washington World Language
Assessment Days and complete the assessment receive a certificate of recognition with a
cover letter indicating proficiency levels attained in the tested language and high school
credit equivalencies based on the recommendations in the state’s model procedure for
competency-based credits. (Whether the students’ districts are able to award high school
world language credits would depend on the district-adopted policy and procedure
regarding competency-based credits.) Students also receive a copy of the assessment
report provided by the testing company. If students request it, a copy of the letter and
report can also be sent to the students' school counselor or district office.
Testing costs vary according to which assessment instrument is used. Many districts
“sponsor,” or cover the testing costs for students. These districts must confirm in advance
that they are willing to sponsor students. If the district is not sponsoring testing, students
can pay on-site, send a check to WAFLT, or pay online. For details, see the online
registration form at: http://tinyurl.com/Register-WA-WL-Assessment-Day.
Resources for World Languages Assessments
 Learn more about the tests:
o American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Writing
Proficiency Test (WPT), Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), OPI computerbased (OPIc), offered through Language Testing International.
o Proctored Writing Test and Proctored Oral Language Test are offered
through OSPI. Contact michele.aoki@k12.wa.us for details.
o Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP) offered through
Avant Assessment. (Find the Practice Tests there.)
MEMORANDUM NO. 049-13M T&L
Page 3
October 10, 2013


Brochures for Students and Families: A series of colorful brochures about World
Language Credits in English and ten other languages are available for download at:
http://www.k12.wa.us/WorldLanguages/StudentsEarnCredits.aspx.
Road Map World Language Credit Program
This two-year grant funded by the Gates Foundation is expanding the resources for
serving less commonly taught languages and assisting heritage language learners
to develop literacy skills in order to qualify for competency-based credits in their
home language: http://www.k12.wa.us/WorldLanguages/RoadMap/default.aspx.
If you have any questions, please contact Michele Aoki, Program Supervisor, World
Languages, at (360) 725-6129 or email michele.aoki@k12.wa.us.
The agency TTY number is (360) 664-3631.
K–12 EDUCATION
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Alan Burke, Ed.D.
Deputy Superintendent
Jessica Vavrus
Assistant Superintendent
RD: ma
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion,
color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender
expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or
service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to
the Equity and Civil Rights Director at (360) 725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-7200.