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Greetings!
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As
you wrap up your school year, head towards summer adventures, and consider
what's in store for next year,
please take a few minutes to discover the great resources enclosed in this
issue of STAMP News.
First, the National STAMP Data provides you with a nationwide picture of
levels of language proficiency for various languages after one, two, three
or four years of study. In Opportunities, you'll find helpful ideas about
programs and resources for teachers and students as well as specifics about
federal stimulus funding. The Spotlight on You story from Bryan
Emmert of Fremont Union High School District in California tells a powerful
story about the role that appropriate placement of students plays in
contributing to optimal learning and efficient use of funding.
Also, as
the school year draws to a close, we have had a number of school districts
asking about spending leftover 2008-2009 dollars on 2009-2010 STAMP tests,
ClassPak subscriptions, and Professional Development. If you have such a
need, please let us know so that we can expedite the process for you
-- info@avantassessment.com
or 888.718.7887.
Please forward this to your colleagues and send your insights, feedback and
ideas to news@avantassessment.com.
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National
STAMP Data
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"What 'should' our student scores be?" is a
question frequently asked in conversations about use of STAMP for student
assessment and program evaluation. Now, after years of analyzing STAMP
scores across all levels and languages, Avant Assessment has National STAMP Data,
a snapshot of national averages that can provide some perspective. The
results are presented by skillset (reading, writing, speaking), years of
study (based on 120-140 hours of instruction per year), and language
category (European and character-based languages). To view and/or download
these results, please visit http://www.avantassessment.com/resources/stamp_results.html
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Opportunities -
Programs and Funding
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Professional
Development for STAMP Administrators
If you administer the STAMP test, you have a wealth of information at your
fingertips to inspire your language educators. STAMP data provides you with
a consistent lens to measure progress towards a proficiency-based language
program. Avant's Professional Development offerings will help you move
forward efficiently by applying best practice use of STAMP data to your
program. Whether you utilize Avant's virtual Training via Webex to bring
Avant expertise to your staff or bring Avant's assessment experts to your
site for a half-day or more, you'll see the results as your team applies
the objective perspectives gleaned from STAMP to the growth of your
proficiency-based language program. To learn more, please contact Avant at info@avantassessment.com
or 888-718-7887.
ARRA Stimulus Dollars and World Language Education
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of February 2009 is
pumping billions of dollars into education with the goal of improving
standards-based outcomes for students. How can you leverage this
opportunity for your language programs? Check with your school, district,
and state leaders to find out what their proposals for those stimulus
dollars included, then put on your most innovative hat and Make the Case to
tie a standards-based assessment of language proficiency to some of those
proposals. For example, are Title I Part A funds being tapped to improve
student achievement by measuring progress through assessment? How are EETT
(Enhancing Education Through Technology) funds being attached for
technology that will support student achievement in foreign language
learning? The ARRA dollars being dispersed now and through the summer are
large and student achievement is the ultimate goal. Research shows that
acquisition of foreign languages is correlated with improved student achievement
across the board - Make the Case that your program contributes to the
overall ARRA goals and utilize Avant's STAMP test, Professional
Development, and ClassPak instructional support tool toward those ends. Use
resources at the following Web-sites to help Make Your Case:
My China Village from CASLS (Center for Applied Second
Language Studies)
Help your college-level students succeed in learning Chinese
language and culture by encouraging them to participate in the MyChina Village Virtual Chinese
Immersion Camp August 3-28. Students will interact in the
Internet-based "virtual world" known as Second Life with native
speakers, learn about global environmental issues, and taste college life
in China. For more information, visit http://casls.uoregon.edu/mychinainfo.php.
21st Century Skills and Your Language Program
Partnership for the 21st Century Skills
( http://www.21stcenturyskills.org) is a leading advocacy
organization focused on ensuring that 21st century skills are incorporated
into education. Specifically, they have included World Languages in their Core Subjects and 21st Century
Themes, and have a rich set of resources in their Route 21 database
for instruction and assessment (including the STAMP test). Please take the
time in Route 21 to discover
the resources that you can use, contribute a resource that you're aware of,
and make a comment about STAMP's role
in your program.
CASLS Field Testing
Avant Assessment's research partner, The Center for Applied Second Language
Studies at the University of Oregon (CASLS), works to support teachers'
efforts by creating assessments to evaluate students' language proficiency.
In the development phase, CASLS's assessments are known as the Computerized
Assessments of Proficiency (CAP) and involve the development and field
testing of the items and questions that ultimately become a STAMP test
delivered by Avant. Teachers who participate in CAP field testing get a
sneak peak of features that may become part of STAMP: new languages, new
levels, and new items, new functionality, etc. Feedback from teachers who
use the CAP tests in this development phase contributes to the adjustments
that CASLS makes as it shapes the assessment. If you would like to get
involved and learn how you can review the field test for free, contact
Assessment Director Martyn Clark at martyn@uoregon.edu or visit the CASLS Web site at http://casls.uoregon.edu/pilot.php.
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News about Avant
Assessment
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World of Reading
Avant Assessment is very pleased to announce that Cindy
Shapiro Tracy of World of Reading has agreed to represent Avant's products
and services, including STAMP and ClassPak in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Tennessee. She can be contacted at polyglot@wor.com or
404.233.4042.
Conference Appearances
The Spring of 2009 was a busy season for Avant leaders as they presented at
conferences including NECTFL in New York, CSCTFL in Chicago, and the
National Chinese Language Conference also in Chicago. Additionally,
professional development workshops focused on applying STAMP data and
ClassPak resources to enhance program improvement were delivered across the
country. We look forward to seeing you at fall conferences including ACTFL,
so please let us
know which conferences you'll be attending this coming year.
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Spotlight on You
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 Bryan Emmert,
Coordinator of Curriculum and Assessment
Fremont
Union High School District, Sunnyvale, California
In a high-school district where 8000 students enroll in
world language courses every year, the need to place students in the
appropriate classes at the outset is critical. Bryan Emmert, Coordinator of
Curriculum and Assessment at Fremont Union High School District in
Sunnyvale, California, has worked creatively with staff and community to overcome
those challenges and improve educational experiences for students and
fiscal efficiencies for the district. Read more in the Focus on Users
section of www.avantassessment.com.
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