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National Portuguese Exam

2009 National Portuguese Exam Winners announced!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2009 Portuguese National Exam and their teachers! They are:
 
Level 1: 
1st Prize: Frank Miller, Kecoughtan High School; Virginia
Teacher: Deborah Sommer

2nd Prize: Diane Mickelson, St. Davis School; South Carolina
Teacher: Matthew Offner

3rd Prize: Adam Van Dyke, St. Davis School; South Carolina
Teacher: Matthew Offner

Level 2:
1st Prize: Alyssa Russell, Falmouth High School; Massachusetts
Teacher: Maria Branco

2nd Prize: Stefanie Ribeiro, Brockton High School; Massachusetts
Teacher: Americo Motta

3rd Prize: Calee Therrien, Coyle and Cassidy High School; Massachusetts
Teachers: Sonia Pires and Tony Nunes

Level 3:
1st Prize: Justin Mendes, Falmouth High School; Massachusetts
Teacher: Maria Branco

2nd Prize: Sara Cabral, St. Mary Bay View Academy; Rhode Island
Teacher: Virginia Craveiro Davis

3rd Prize: Rute Santos, Brockton High School; Rhode Island
Teacher: Americo Motta

Level 4:
1st Prize: Alexandra de Sousa, Coyle and Cassidy High School; Massachusetts
Teachers: Sonia Pires and Tony Nunes

2nd Prize: Igor Souza,  Falmouth High School; Massachusetts
Teacher: Maria Branco

3rd Prize: Leticia Gomes, Falmouth High School; Massachusetts
Teacher: Maria Branco

Contact information and important dates:

NPE DIRECTOR INFORMATION

  • Maria Branco is the Director of the National Portuguese Examination. She teaches Portuguese at Falmouth High School in Falmouth, MA. Her contact information follows:
  • PHONE: 508-540-2200 X5203 for voice mail

IMPORTANT DATES

  • 2010 Deadline for NPE Registration: Dates to be announced. Please check back on this site at a later date.  

All orders for the NPE materials must be placed with the National NPE Director in February. Deadlines to be announced.

  • Testing Dates: March 2010 dates to be announced.

The test window for the 2010 NPE is to be announced. You can give the test on any day during the test window.

  • Exam Returns: April, 2010. Dates to be announced.

All exam booklets and audio testing tapes must be returned to the national NPE Director by April, 2010, dates to be announced.

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL PORTUGUESE EXAMINATION

  • The NPE was developed by the Projects and Development Committee of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) in 2002. The NPE requires students to produce Portuguese both in writing and orally.
  • Teachers administer the exam in their own schools with the help of a proctor.
  • The current NPE will take a maximum of 60 minutes to administer: 10 minutes to provide directions and complete individual information; 10 minutes for each of the four exam sections; 10 minutes for a general review.
  • 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. Local AATSP chapters may choose to provide additional prizes for the participants.

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE NPE

  • Teachers whose students participate in the NPE must be AATSP members in good standing.
  • Students who take the NPE must be enrolled in Portuguese classes at the time of the examination. It is the responsibility of the NPE sponsor to certify the eligibility of the students taking the NPE.
  • Students who are native speakers of Portuguese are allowed to participate if they identify themselves as a native speaker.

HOW TO ORDER TESTS

Each teacher who wishes to enter his/her students should contact the NPE Coordinator: Maria Branco mbranco@falmouth.k12.ma.us

NPE TESTING WINDOW

The test window for the 2010 NPE will be in March. Exact dates to be announced. The test can be given on any day during the test window.

NPE PROCTORS

  • A proctor must be present in the testing room while students complete the test.
  • Proctors serve two functions: (1) maintain test security and (2) supervise the time allotments for the various sections of the test.
  • School/district administrators or counselors are the preferred proctors for the NPE.
  • If a testing site cannot use an administrator or counselor, language teachers may be used provided they do not proctor any of their own students.

RETURN OF COMPLETED EXAMS

  • Each testing site must return all completed text booklets and audio testing tapes to the NPE Coordinator for scoring.
  • All exam booklets and audio testing tapes must be in the hands of the national NPE Director on the specified deadline (usually early April).
  • Please make certain to ask for a return receipt from the post office in case questions arise about the time or delivery of tests.

 FURTHER QUESTIONS AND REGISTRATION

  • If you have additional questions and/or wish to register your students for the NPE, contact : Maria Branco, Director, National Portuguese Exam
  • Deadline for NPE Registration: To be announced. (Usually in mid-February)
  • PHONE: 508-540-2200 Extension 5203 for voice mail

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.

    • For more information please visit: www.nationalspanishexam.org.

    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.

    Click here to see the Winners of 2007 Fles Poster Contest.

    Click here to see the Winners of 2008 Fles Poster Contest.

    Click here to see the Winners of 2009 Fles Poster Contest.