Question about foreign language

[ucbalumnus]

<p>

@lookingforward

The issue can come up when a kid stops at, say, Lang 3 in soph year, thinking that adds to 3 years in hs- and not maxing out the offerings.

</p>

<p>Well, that typically does count as level 3 – but for the most selective colleges, completing level 4 or higher would be advantageous.</p>

[lookingforward]

<p>I agree to get to level 4 or AP. All this is more critical for kids applying to tippy tops, who just think they can stop after soph year. In that sort of competition, there’ll be plenty of kids who did continue. </p>

<p>Some kids do run into serious sched conflicts- maybe that intense math or sci class is offered at the same time and the kid is a serious STEM candidate. But that’s more often a senior year issue.</p>

[ucbalumnus]

<p>An issue that some have reported on these forums is choosing a less common language and then the only teacher of that language retires or otherwise leaves while the student has only completed level 2 (or lower than planned), with not enough years in high school left to start a new language to get to level 4 or even level 3.</p>

[SomeOldGuy]

<p>

I don’t know where this idea comes that middle school counts- most transcripts show high school only.

</p>

<p>That also varies. In our school system, kids can take certain HS level math and language classes in middle school. But the grades for those classes DO go on the HS transcript. </p>

[sybbie719]

<p>

I don’t know where this idea comes that middle school counts- most transcripts show high school only. Many (if not most) selective colleges refer to high school or secondary preparation.

</p>

<p>In NYC/NYS, there are a number of ways that a student can receive foreign language credit for work taken before the student got to high school.</p>

<p>Op has a child who attends high school in NYS. If the student has taken foreign language in 8th grade and has taken the LOTE exam (Languages Other than English - this exam replaced the NYS foreign language regents exam) or the Foreign Language Proficiency Exam, usually given in middle school, they can receive high school credit for the course taken in middle school.</p>

<p>NYSED Part 100.2
Section D Part 5.</p>

<p>

Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, students enrolled in grades eight or earlier may be granted one unit of credit by successfully completing two units of study in a language other than English and passing a locally developed test, both of which are aligned to the Checkpoint A learning standards for languages other than English, which has been approved for high school credit by the public school district superintendent or the chief administrative officer of a registered charter or nonpublic high school.

</p>

<p><a href=“100.4 Program requirements for grades 5-8 | New York State Education Department”>100.4 Program requirements for grades 5-8 | New York State Education Department;

<p>See section d2, d3</p>

<p>

[quote]
</p>

<p>d. Grade eight acceleration for diploma credit.</p>

<p>

ii the student passes the course and the associated State proficiency examination or Regents examination, when available. The credit must be accepted as a transfer credit by all registered New York State high schools; or</p>

<p>iii in cases where no appropriate state assessment is available, the student passes a course in the middle, junior high or intermediate school that has been approved for high school credit by the public school district superintendent(s), or his or her designee(s), of the district(s) where the middle, junior high or intermediate school and the high school are located.

</p>

<p>NYSED Part 100.5
Section d1. Part g</p>

<p><a href=“100.5 Diploma requirements | New York State Education Department”>100.5 Diploma requirements | New York State Education Department;

<p>

g. A student who, prior to the commencement of the 2010 - 2011 school year, earns a score of at least 85 on the State second language proficiency examination in accordance with 100.2(d)(3) and meets the requirements of subparagraphs (i), (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph shall receive one unit of credit.

</p>

<p>Page 22 of the NYC DOE Academic Policy discusses awarding transfer credit. UNder the FAQ’s (the link takes you to the NYC DOE Intranet, where you must be an employee to log in states)</p>

<p><a href=“http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/27BF8558-B895-407A-8F3F-78B1B69F030A/0/AcpolicyHighSchoolAcademicPolicyReferenceGuide.pdf”>http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/27BF8558-B895-407A-8F3F-78B1B69F030A/0/AcpolicyHighSchoolAcademicPolicyReferenceGuide.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

</p>

<p>4. Can students earn course credit for documented residence in an other-than-English speaking
environment?</p>

<p>Yes, schools may award units of credit for** documented residence and school attendance in an other than– English-speaking environment, provided that the experience occurs at age 11 or older and that the residence resulted in direct contact with that environment and its people. ]/b]No more than ten
(10) NYC (five [5] NYS) units of Languages Other Than English (LOTE) credit may be awarded for
school attendance and residence in an other-than-English-speaking environment, regardless of the
length of the experience.

</p>

<p>This process usually will benefit students who have recently come to the US from a non speaking country and when attending school in the US English is their second language or have Limited English Proficiency. In this scenario, the student must attend high school in US for the first time after age 11. The school would round a series of reports from ATS including place of birth report and registration reports. In addition, school would check the registration packet in the school’s permanent record report, and home language survey. Student would be advised to take the LOTE (which now can be used for the just recently release proposal for a new 4 +1 pathways to obtain a regents diploma. This should be effective January 2015)</p>

<p><a href=“Regents Meeting for February 2024 | Board of Regents”>Regents Meeting for February 2024 | Board of Regents;

[LBowie]

<p>@Ynotgo the way the teacher described it it is the same class with different content, not a literature class. But I am not really sure. (I’d more like to convince my high school junior to stick with Spanish for AP next year but I think he wants to stop at 4 honors that he is taking this year.)</p>

<p>I should also add that even though my son stopped Spanish after junior year in high school, he did fine in an intermediate Spanish writing course in college sophomore year. That’s the only Spanish he has taken in college.</p>

[hawkbird]

<p>We live in Virginia. My children took 2 years of high school level math and 1 year of a foreign language in middle school. All these classes do show up on their official transcripts and count towards their GPA. I would have your child ask his counselor what his school’s policy is. </p>

[lookingforward]

<p>But I was referring to college admissions.<br>
Even if the state has tests or the high school counts m/s language, now it’s what the selective colleges expect or suggest, in high school preparation. Eg, if for some reason, some special middle school allowed a kid to take 3 years of language and it did get credit on the hs transcript, do you really think the competitive colleges will say, fine he only took freshman language in high school? As if? </p>

[ucbalumnus]

<p>

@lookingforward

Eg, if for some reason, some special middle school allowed a kid to take 3 years of language and it did get credit on the hs transcript, do you really think the competitive colleges will say, fine he only took freshman language in high school? As if?

</p>

<p>If the high school language course taken in 9th grade were level 4 or AP level, would that be bad? It is probably not that rare for 9th graders to enter high school ready for level 4, due to the existence of elementary school immersion programs, heritage speakers, and the like. (It may be the case that some colleges prefer the stronger heritage speakers to start an additional non-heritage language as well, though.)</p>

[cbdnyc]

<p>I appreciate everyone’s input. It seems that since my son received a 4 in AP Spanish language in 11th grade, and that the school does not offer any higher level course (nor allow them to start a second language), and since he has a full challenging schedule, we don’t need to offer an explanation on the common application. Thanks so much.</p>

[lookingforward]

<p>Ucb, no, not “bad.” But in that example, there can be an expectation that kid continued language studies. When the selective colleges say, ‘we recommend four years of language study in high school,’ I wouldn’t reinterpret that they meant middle school or sooner. A lot of this is about choices a kid does make, through his hs years, as he/she is maturing. </p>

<p>We shouldn’t make more of this than we can. If the hs doesn’t offer four years, adcoms will recognize that. Some hs only offer two years. But don’t assume adcoms automatically feel m/s classes are the equivalent. </p>

<p>I think OP’s son is fine.</p>

[anon94785555]

<p>Middle school grades do not appear on the HS transcript. However, when a student finishes level 4 = 4 years of a HS foreign language it does not matter if the first HS year was done in middle school. It counts as 4 years of HS foreign language. The important thing is finishing 4 years’ worth, not having taken it in HS. One reason to take the language in middle school- save a year in HS or switch languages in HS if you don’t like it. Very straightforward. Schools don’t insist on 5th year if 4th done already. There is no point in doing an extra year of any language if you do not intend to continue with it in college- that 5th year is literature and culture. Likewise 4 semesters in college complete the basics, future courses are again lit and culture. The U of Wisconsin system, including the flagship in Madison, has been using this standard for eons. Likewise many other major U’s do as well.</p>

<p>I doubt colleges also care if math is done in 3 years if 4 HS courses are taken and so forth. Give credit to the kids who get ahead.</p>

<p>btw- the NY state Regents Exam is an interesting concept. Do any other states have such a test?</p>

[hawkbird]

<p>In response to above. I know for a fact that algebra 1, geometry, and German 1 that my kids took in middle school do appear on their high school transcripts. I am looking at my son’s transcript right now. It is also calculated into their GPA. I guess it depends on where you live. We live in Virginia and In our district it is considered a high school class and they receive a verified credit for their diplomas.</p>

[mathmom]

<p>@wis75, like hawkbird, some middle school grades can appear on transcripts. In our system Algebra 1 and Biology taken in middle school appear with grades on the transcript and are factored into the high school GPA. Languages appear on the transcript as “Credit” and are not factored in, but students who took languages (for two years) in middle school start at Level 2 in high school. Every school system is different.</p>

<p>I know other states have tests, but am also curious if the scores appear on transcripts or are factored into the class grades, which appears to be typical in NYS, though exactly how they are factored in can vary. (Ours uses the grades as though they were a fifth marking period and I think always ended up improving my kids’ class grades, since they test well.)</p>

[thumper1]

<p>Our small CT high school does not list courses taken in middle school on the high school transcript…and the course grades are not included in the HS GPA.</p>

[mathyone]

<p>My daughter completed her AP language as a junior and did not take any foreign language as a senior. She didn’t explain anything about this on her college applications.</p>

[ucbalumnus]

<p>

@lookingforward

But in that example, there can be an expectation that kid continued language studies. When the selective colleges say, ‘we recommend four years of language study in high school,’ I wouldn’t reinterpret that they meant middle school or sooner.</p>

<p>We shouldn’t make more of this than we can. If the hs doesn’t offer four years, adcoms will recognize that. Some hs only offer two years. But don’t assume adcoms automatically feel m/s classes are the equivalent.

</p>

<p>However, completing level 4 in high school, whether or not any of the lower level courses were completed before high school, would show a level of proficiency equivalent to that of one who took levels 1 through 4 in high school. A college that looks at it in terms of proficiency would look at the highest level completed, rather than counting years of courses in high school. Of course, there may be some colleges more concerned with counting courses in high school than the level completed; if that is a concern, ask the colleges directly.</p>

[MiamiDAP]

<p>The level of Foreign language is determined by the placement test before one register for first semester of college freshman year. All these years calculations will be irrelevant. Depepnding on requirements of future major, he still may need to take Spanish in college. However, he may be able to place in 3rd year. It is a worthwhile to take a college Spanish and more so as high level as possible. </p>

[thumper1]

<p>Miami…read the thread! The parent is asking about PREREQUISITES to get into colleges…not what it will take to be placed into a class once there.</p>

<p>Read the thread!</p>

[cap]

<p>I just pulled out transcripts. The middle school courses that counted for high school credit (math & language) appear on the transcript, with grades and how many credits. This was from two high school is two states on opposite sides of the country.</p>

<p>They all had enough foreign language credit in high school that college requirements were waived and they never took placement tests.</p>