AATSP Student Involvement Resources
National Portuguese Examination
Sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Executive Director, Emily Spinelli.
Portuguese Examination Coordinator:
Maria Branco mbranco@falmouth.k12.ma.us
The National Portuguese Examination is sponsored by the AATSP. Teachers administer the exam in their own schools with the help of a proctor. The examination, developed by the AATSP Projects and Development committee in 2002, requires the students to produce Portuguese both in writing and orally. Examinations are graded separately by two graders who consider accuracy, accent, fluency, and creativity. Students are evaluated according to the particular variant of Portuguese that they use. Each participant receives a Certificate of Participation. National winners receive plaques from AATSP. To participate in the National Portuguese Examination, students must be enrolled in Portuguese classes at the time of the examination. Teachers whose students participate must be AATSP members in good standing.
How to order tests:
Each teacher who wishes to enter his/her students should contact Maria Branco mbranco@falmouth.k12.ma.us
Proctoring of exams by administrators or counselors is the preferred choice. It his is not possible for a school, language teachers may be used, PROVIDED THEY DO NOT PROCTOR ANY OF THEIR OWN STUDENTS. Proctors will need to prompt and time students during the oral expression part of the test.
Testing time:
The current NPE will take a maximum of 50 minutes to administer.
10 minutes for directions and completion of individual information 10-12 minutes for each of the three parts.
National Spanish Exams
The National Spanish Examination is an online, standardized assessment tool given voluntarily by over 3000 teachers throughout the United States to measure proficiency and achievement of students who are studying Spanish as a second language.
From 1957 until 2005, the National Spanish Examination was administered in a written format. Beginning in 2006, the National Spanish Examination was administered in an online format through the Quia Corporation and will continue as the first online national foreign language exam.
The mission of the National Spanish Examination is to recognize student achievement and to promote language proficiency in the study of the Spanish.
NSE is committed to providing teachers with assessment tools and offering students opportunities to practice their language skills and know their Spanish language proficiency rating through taking the exam.
The purpose of the National Spanish Examination is
1. to recognize achievement in the study of the Spanish language
2. to promote proficiency in interpretive communication in the Spanish language
3. to assess the national standards as they pertain to learning Spanish
4. to stimulate further interest in the teaching and learning of Spanish
In addition:
Many teachers state that they use the National Spanish Examination to prepare students to take other standardized tests such as AP, IB, SAT II and college placement exams. Many administrators state that they can use data from the National Spanish Examination to create reports to show how their schools have improved over an academic year.
Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH)
The Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica is an honor society for high school students enrolled in Spanish and Portuguese and is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Formally organized as the Spanish National Honor Society in 1953, the name was changed in 1959. At present there are over 1,700 national and international chapters.
The purpose of the society is to recognize high achievement of high school students in the Spanish and Portuguese languages and to promote a continuing interest in Hispanic and Portuguese studies.
All secondary schools of recognized standing are eligible for membership. Chapter sponsors must be active members of the AATSP. Annual membership is now $65.00 for continuing members. First time members are eligible for a special first year member rate.
Any secondary school student who has maintained an honor average in the study of Spanish or Portuguese for a minimum of three semesters and is in the 10th grade or higher is eligible. Definition of “honor grade” is left to the discretion of the individual sponsor but it should be remembered that the SHH is an honor society for those students of high academic achievement.
For more information please visit www.sociedadhonorariahispanica.org
Sociedad Hispánica de Amistad (SHA)
Sociedad Hispánica de Amistad is a new organization for elementary and middle school students and their teachers. In order to have a chapter, the teachers must be members of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, our parent organization. We have a “sister society”, the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, which is an honorary society for high school students.
Because there are almost an infinite number of program styles for Spanish in elementary and middle schools, we designed the SHA to be flexible and curriculum friendly. Schools may elect to have either Regular Members, Honor Members, or both. Elementary and middle schools which offer only exploratory programs usually have Regular Members only. Middle schools which offer Spanish I and above usually have Honor Members, since this membership requires that the chapter establish minimum grade requirements. Some middle schools offer both types of memberships, with the Honor Membership for their most outstanding students. Both Regular and Honor Members are required to participate in projects.
AATSP Certificates and Medals to Recognize Student Excellence
High-quality AATSP certificates and medals are available for purchase through National Awards. For information and orders, call 1.800.748.8663 or email jackson@nationalawards.com
Click here for printable order form to send by mail.
AATSP FLES Elementary/Middle School POSTER CONTEST
The National FLES Committee of AATSP is pleased to announce its POSTER CONTEST for elementary and middle school students of Spanish and Portuguese in grades Kindergarten through eighth. Students enrolled in both public and private schools are eligible. AATSP Chapters will organize and publicize the contest, and submit the best posters in each of the three grade-specified categories to the AATSP FLES Poster Contest Committee.
Click here for more information and entry forms.
Click here to see the Winners of 2005 Fles Poster Contest.
Click here to see the Winners of 2006 Fles Poster Contest.