World Language Credits for 8th Grade Dual Language Immersion Students

The Seattle Schools International Education Program currently sponsors 8th grade Dual Language Immersion Continuation Students to take the Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP) test to earn Competency-Based Credits for their language (Japanese, Spanish or Mandarin).

Testing Opportunities

Testing is arranged by Hamilton International Middle School, Denny International Middle School, and Mercer International Middle School. A testing date and registration will be posted on this site each spring. Families will receive the test results and letters as soon as they are ready from their teacher.

Awarding Credits

Credit will be granted if students meet the following levels of proficiency across the four skills tested on the STAMP (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking):

• Novice Mid earns 1 credit
• Novice High earns 2 credits
• Intermediate Low earns 3 credits
• Intermediate Mid earns 4 credits

Credit will appear on the high school transcript with a “P” for pass as the grade mark.

Placement in High School

Specific high school language course placement decisions are up to the school based on conversations with the language teachers, student, and family. The high school language teachers will work with the middle school language teachers to assess students for course placement and make recommendations. Students will need to specifically request to have the credits added to their high school transcript. We will provide more information to you about that when you receive the STAMP results in the spring or early summer.

Questions and Answers

How can a student best prepare for the STAMP test?

The STAMP is a computer-adaptive assessment of proficiency. It is based on general expectations of what a person should be able to read, understand, or talk about at various proficiency levels (from Novice to Intermediate to Advanced).

While there is no particular “test prep” course to take, it is a good idea for students to do the following:

1. Review the Test Taker Guide for STAMP
2. Take the Practice Test so they are familiar with the technology and “feel” of the STAMP
3. Review the STAMP Benchmarks and Rubric

If students demonstrate proficiency higher than Intermediate Mid, can they earn more credits?

No. The procedure for Competency-Based Credits allows students to earn at most 4 Competency-Based Credits in one language. (However, they can earn credits in multiple languages.)

Can an 8th grade Dual Language Immersion student retake the STAMP later?

Yes. Any student can retake the STAMP test (or any of the other World Language Credit testing assessment options) by registering for another date when the test is offered. However, the district will only sponsor the test once, so the student who is retaking the test would need to pay the registration fee.