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actualizado: 23-IX-07

1.  Why would a student want to take this test?  Why would a teacher want students to take it?

• As the NSE website points out, the NSE is a national, proficiency and achievement-based test of reading and listening comprehension.  It is norm-referenced & based on the national standards for foreign language education (ACTFL). As of the 2006 exam, the test is given entirely on-line.
• From the student point of view, it enables them to see how their skills measure up against other members of their age group and language level.  It also looks good on applications for college & for scholarships (participation in extracurricular academic competitions).
• The exam may give teachers a clue as to how their programs stand vis-a-vis others in the nation.  And, of course, there are always bragging rights.
• The state winners receive medallions (1st, 2nd, 3rd) or ribbons (4th-10th place), and everyone gets a certificate of participation.  The national office groups winners into "oro," "plata" and "bronce" categories, for which the state coordinator orders certificates.

2.  What must I do to participate? top

• If you did not belong to AATSP in 2007, then pay your AATSP dues between November 1 and 30, 2008. Get your membership number and put it where you can find it. Then, if your brain works the way mine does, put another copy somewhere else. Everyone else must pay their AATSP dues and register for the exam by January 31, 2008. 
• Meet the deadlines for online registration and mailing of payment.
• Arrange with your IT person to handle the computer needs.
• Give the test within the designated window.

3.  What happens if I miss a deadline? top

• Dues for new teachers must be in the national AATSP office by November 30 to allow the office personnel to process the forms & log you into the database. You cannot register for the exam without supplying either a current AATSP number or paying the non-member sponsor fee. Save the e-mail and the canceled check/credit card receipt that confirm that you paid!
• Registration. If you miss this one, there is a late registration period from February 15-29th, but there is an additional charge of $2.00 per exam, for a total of $6.00 (¡ay!).
• Mailing in the money. I don't know what they'll do if you miss this one. Please mail in the money as soon as you've finished registering, so you don't forget.

In the past the non-membership sponsor fee has been the same as the annual dues. Assuming that's still the case, why not get the benefits of membership (subscription to Hispania, access to the web site, etc.) instead of nothing? Also, this puts you on the chapter list, meaning that $6.00 of the dues you paid goes back to Kentucky for AATSP--Kentucky activities, and automatically gets you on the president and the NSE coordinator's e-mailing lists for the next year.

5. What if I need to change my registration form after I submit it? top

Best advice, read everything carefully before you start. However, "life happens" to all of us, so (1) if you accidentally register twice, you should e-mail Quia at nseregistration@quia.com to correct the problem. (2) If you need to delete a name, you may do so, but once the invoice has been generated, you will have to pay for that quantity of exams, even if the student does not participate. (3) You may also add names, but then you will receive an additional invoice for the additional students. At this point I do not know if one can substitute one name for another, but whatever you do, do not give the username/password issued to Student A to Student B. The online exam will not accept the discrepancy, and your student will be unable to take the exam.

Block scheduling, for NSE purposes, is when students complete in one semester what would normally take a full academic year. Students who take Spanish on block schedules in the fall, but not in the spring, may participate in the NSE.  Their level & category will correspond to the course they were in during the fall.  They should keep their language skills up by doing the on-line practice exercises. Students enrolled in the spring blocks may take the exam five weeks before the end of term at the level where they are enrolled, provided they can complete all testing by April 10.

The best way to get these is to go to the national website, go to the general information page, and find the link to Quia's requirements. Then show the list to your IT person. You will need a computers with internet access and sound capability, and a set of headphones for each student taking the exam. Apparently many computers can use the headphones from personal CD players, iPods, and other devices that students often have, so if you need them, perhaps some of your students can bring their own.

11.  What do I submit to the coordinator? top

¡NADA! You don't send anything to me any more: no forms, no lists, no money. Everything goes to the national office and then they will send me the chapter fees. I wil be copied on the online invoice, so I'll know well in advance that you are participating.

12. When will we get the results? top

You should be able to get your school's results as soon as the exam window closes on April 10. I got the chapter results for the 2007 exam on April 22. When I do receive them it usually takes me 3-5 days to sort the information and check for problems. Once that's done, I start ordering certificates and prizes, which can take another week or two to arrive. Be assured that I don't dawdle. There isn't enough room in my office to hold all the stuff once it begins to arrive :-)

Please help matters along by following the instructions on how to practice the test prior to your test date and by making sure your students know exactly what information they will be required to type in. The more errors that occur in this part of the process, the longer it will take to get the final results, and your students may be disqualified.

13. How will the on-line exam be scored? top

The spreadsheet document that I will send you will have the following scores and percentiles for each student: Vocabulary, Grammar, Achievement, Reading, Listening, Proficiency, and Total. The national office uses the total percentile results to award the "Oro," "Plata," and "Bronce" categories. The state chapter uses the total scores to award the 1st-10th place medals and ribbons.

actualizado: 23-IX-07

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