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World Language Credit by Proficiency
LWSD is part of a statewide initiative to recognize our students' diverse language competencies. For more information on the statewide initiative, please refer to OSPI Competency-Based Credits for World Languages.
In addition to American Sign Language (ASL), French, Japanese and Spanish high school courses, Lake Washington School District (LWSD) also offers World Language Credit by Proficiency for any language.
High school students can earn up to a maximum of four credits and the Seal of Biliteracy through this program. Students are assessed in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Watch the video to learn more about the World Language Credit by Proficiency program (video available in more languages).
World Language competency credit assessment
Please note: Registration for testing during the 2021-22 school year is now closed. Test dates for the 2022-23 school year will be posted on this page by the end of June.
Step 1: Register
Please register below for the World Language Biliteracy Testing. Registration closes two weeks before each test date. You will receive confirmation of registration via the email you register with at least two weeks prior to test date. In order to earn credit, students must be able to read, write, speak AND understand the language in which they are being tested.
Step 2: Test day
- For the STAMP, WorldSpeak and custom tests: bring your photo ID, fully charged laptop and laptop charger.
- For the ALTA test: bring your photo ID and a black pen.
We will schedule the speaking test, which is a phone interview, for a later date at your home school, during the school day. This portion of the test will take a half hour and your absence from class will be excused.
Step 3: Receive test results
Six to eight weeks after taking the test you will receive a letter from the district informing you of your scores and how much credit you earned, as well as official score reports from the testing company. The credits you earned will be available in Skyward under the "Test Scores" and “Portfolio” tabs. Scores and credits will also be shared with your counselor and the registrar at your school. They will add this information to your transcript.
Questions?
If you have any questions about testing, please contact Teaching and Learning World Languages Specialist, Theresa Vásquez, at tvasquez@lwsd.org. Se habla español.
Test information
LWSD uses different tests to accommodate all languages. The three most common tests used are Avant STAMP 4s, Avant WS (WorldSpeak) and ALTA.
TEST | languages | Sample tests, examples & benchmarks |
---|---|---|
Avant STAMP 4S | Standard Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Brazilian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish |
|
Avant WS (WorldSpeak) | Amharic, Armenian, Chin (Hakha), Chuukese, Czech, Filipino (Tagalog), Haitian-Creole, Hawaiian, Hmong, Ilocano, Kannada, Marshallese, Marathi, Samoan, Somali Maay Maay, Somali Maxaa, Tamil, Telugu, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yup'ik, Zomi |
|
ALTA | See all languages tested by ALTA. |
|
Avant STAMP 3S | Swahili, Yoruba |
|
Custom test | All other languages including ASL | Please register and a specialist will reach out to you regarding your custom test. |
Credit by proficiency FAQs
- Who can earn World Language Credit by Proficiency?
- Can I take the test if am still learning English?
- Which languages are eligible for credit?
- How many credits can I earn?
- How much does testing cost?
- How do I know if I’m ready to take the test?
- What happens if I don’t do well on the test?
- Can I test more than once?
- When can I test?
- Will the writing section be handwritten or typed?
- What kind of keyboard can I use for typing the written section?
- How is the test assessed?
- How can I get help to develop my language skills?
- How can I continue learning languages?
- What if I already took classes in and earned credit in the language I am testing in?
- What happens if I am currently in a language class and I take the test in the same language?
- What happens if I am in a Spanish-for-Heritage Learners course?
- What kind of credit will this generate?
- When will credits be posted to my transcript?
- Will this affect my GPA?
- Can I use these proficiency credits to satisfy high school graduation requirements?
- Will earning language credits via the Credit by Proficiency Program be considered on my college applications?
- What is the Seal of Biliteracy?
- How do students find out their scores?