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Student Placement

When placing students in middle school and high school courses, the LOTE teacher, in cooperation with the guidance counselor, should consider the entry level of each individual student. Students entering established programs with home language ability and / or previous instruction in the language should be tested, receive credit, and be placed according to their demonstrated proficiency level. The chart below illustrates the approximately correlation between course levels; the chart is just a guideline, so not all students fit strictly into this scheme.

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High School course Levels Proficiency Levels (as defined by ACTFL)

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Levels I and II Novice

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Levels III and IV Intermediate

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Levels V, VI, and VII Advanced

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In order to reach Levels V and above students will need to begin their study of a language in middle school or elementary school. Middle school programs that include only some exploration of languages will not provide sufficient instruction for students to go beyond Level IV in high school. Middle school programs that focus on the same Level I functions in at least grades seven and eight will make it possible for students to enter Level II in ninth grade. The only way for students to attain Advanced level proficiency by the end of high school (Level V and above) is to begin language study in elementary grades.(Click arrow to view time on task.) Proficiency levels in classical languages will reflect students' reading ability, the interpretive skill. Speaking, listening and writing, the interpersonal skills, reinforce the reading skill. Therefore, for classical languages, students reach intermediate proficiency in reading by the end of Level III and advanced proficiency in reading by the end of Level IV.

Credit by Examination

In the state of Texas, credit by examination must be offered free of charge to students at district-designated times and dates for acceleration purposes and to earn credit for a particular course or grade without having prior formal instruction. If the examination score is 90% or higher, the score must then be entered on the academic achievement record.

Credit by examination may be offered if the district adopts such a policy to address students who have prior instruction in a course. This could apply, for example, to students coming in with experience in earlier bilingual education classes or from summer programs or educational experiences abroad, as well as to students who have failed courses or have had excessive absences (refer to specific district policy). When students are given course credit based on a criterion-referenced examination selected by the district, the score is recorded on the students academic achievement record. In the case of LOTE, such assessment should address the Essential Elements of the course for which the student wishes to receive credit. During the 1998-99 school year, the TEKS for LOTE will replace the Essential Elements. (Click arrow for the state's formal credit examination policy). Students entering a district from an accredited school, from another state, or from another country may have their records examined to determine appropriate placement and / or credit. Although districts are not required to use examinations to verify credit from these student records, they may use a variety of methods to verify the content of the courses for which the transfer student has received credit. Districts may opt, for example, to have a policy to test foreign exchange students with a criterion-referenced test in areas where some prior instruction has taken place and grand credit based on the examination score. Districts may opt, in cases of prior formal instruction, to make the decision to grand credit based purely on professional judgment about the content of the prior instruction. Click the arrow to return to New Teacher.

Block Scheduling

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Some school districts schedule courses in different configurations of "blocks" rather than in traditional, daily 45-55 minute periods. Popular models of block scheduling include (but are not limited to):

a four-block schedule where courses run for a semester with students taking four 90 minute classes, five days a week a rotating block schedule where courses run all year, with students taking one set of four, 90 minute classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (A) and another set of four, 90 minute classes Tuesday and Thursday one week (B), then rotating the schedule so that students take (B) classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and (A) classes Tuesday and Thursday the next week a combination block where, for example, students have two, 100 minute blocks in the morning and continue with 45-55 minute class periods in the afternoon

Questions to consider Regarding Block Scheduling and LOTE

When high school facilities are involved in the process of deciding which, if any, form of block scheduling to adopt,it is important for all teachers to be involved in the planning process. Teachers of LOTE should be proactive in involving themselves positively in faculty discussions and decision making on the block scheduling issue. In so doing, teachers of LOTE may wish to consider the following questions in regard to their discipline:

Are language courses offered sequentially? Students should have the option to continue language study without long lapses of time in between Extended time lapses may have an adverse affect on the level of proficiency students are able to attain. Are language courses available to all students at all proficiency levels? Courses should be available to all students, novice through advanced (including AP students), in a variety of languages. This will help ensure that the needs of both those students with prior experience in the language (such as students continuing a long sequential language program, transfer students, or native speakers) and students new to a LOTE (such as those wishing to begin a new language later in their high school career) are met. Does the schedule promote development of language proficiency? Some LOTE teachers are concerned about the possible impact of scheduling on the development of language proficiency. Language proficiency most often develops during long, uninterrupted sequences of language instruction. Because language instruction in longer blocks of time is relatively new in U.S. public education, national data addressing this concern are largely anecdotal rather than research-based. However, many European countries have taught languages in block schedules, with positive results, for decades. Is there adequate planning time for teachers? Moving from traditional 45 minute class periods to longer periods requires a different kind of class preparation, including working with the team of LOTE teachers to determine articulation (i.e., smooth transition from one level to another in a progressive fashion), course content, and academic pacing among courses. In addition, longer blocks of class time create more opportunities for teachers to make corrections with other subject areas. LOTE teachers, therefore, must have sufficient individual, departmental, and cross-curricular planning time. Will teachers receive adequate professional development on how to teach for longer blocks of time? Daily lesson plans for traditional 45-55 minute class periods vary greatly from those for longer blocks of instruction. Teachers should receive adequate professional development in the content, pacing, and instructional strategies and materials that are most effective for use in longer blocks of time.

Class Size

Based on research showing the impact of reduced class size on student achievement, some states, such as California, Texas, and Wisconsin, have funded a reduction in class size in some elementary grades. Strong evidence comes from Tennessee's Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio), that while the addition of a teacher's aide in classes of 25:1 resulted in modes student improvement, gains were far greater when the class size was reduced to 15:1. The follow-up Lasting Benefits Study found that those who had spent time in small classes were still ahead of their peers (Viadero, 1995). While class size limits are not currently mandated for LOTE classes, the evidence clearly shows the value of smaller class size in order to deliver the high level of interactive instruction needed to learn a language.

An ideal class in any subject area should have no more than 25 students (and even fewer in elementary school). This number should represent the number of students per class and not a departmental average. Counselors involved in assigning students to classes should take class size into consideration. With respect to language classes, multi-level classes should be avoided whenever possible and scheduled judiciously when it is not. If multi-level classes prove necessary, they should be limited to upper levels where students with widely differing proficiency levels in the language, such as placing a Spanish I student with Spanish IV students.

When class size is 25 or below, teachers are better able to facilitate and guide the kinds of activities (e.g., cooperative learning group, small group, and pair activities) that benefit language learners and provide opportunities for practicing language. Teachers are also better able to respond to the needs of all students and their diverse learning styles. In addition, on-going, authentic performance assessments, especially for oral proficiency, cannot take place effectively in classes with more that 25 students.