If you take Latin, French, or Spanish and are at level 4 or 5 here at H-B, you might be taking a STAMP test later this month. A STAMP test is an assessment that evaluates your proficiency in world languages. The test will take place on April 22.
What is a STAMP test? STAMP stands for standards-based on measure of proficiency. A STAMP test is given all across the United States to test personal and group proficiency as well as program performance. The test consists of four sections: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The purpose of the test is to help provide information for analysis and data for program development that helps educators better understand how students learn in the classroom. STAMP assessments utilize audio and text from all parts of the world to better prepare students what it is like to converse in the language they are learning in the real world, not just inside the classroom.
STAMP tests aren’t graded based like a test like the SOL’s are, where your score is a number. They use standards based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. ACTFL stands for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. The guidelines are based on the level of proficiency in the language you study. For example, instead of scoring a 450 out of 600 on a test, you get a score like “Intermediate-Low.” The test demonstrates whether you understand the basics of the language, but more than if you had just started learning two months before.
The most important thing to remember before taking any type of test is to review. If you have any questions about the test, ask your teacher!
