World Languages

Please note that the New York State Education Department has approved of the Revised NYS World Language Standards. These gradual changes to the standards will be implemented at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The world language department has been making changes to the program over the years to ensure that language learning is more accessible to students, and not a list of vocabulary words or grammar topics. The department is ready for the revised standards due to the changes we have made over the years. The information below reflects the standards currently in place. For an overview of the revised standards, please click HERE.  To review a two-page document that gives an overview of our programs, click here. 

The documents below will assist in understanding our programs and requirements for students in grades 6-12

Click HERE for a 2023-2024 flow chart of our course offerings

Click HERE for our digital portfolio requirement for all students in our courses

The WL curriculum includes universal topics that are part of the 6th-12th grade scope and sequence. These topics, as needed, are revisited each year because of the cumulative and spiraling nature of language acquisition. Please note that a few of the topics are introduced at the upper levels of instruction due to their abstract nature and the linguistic demands that are needed in order to carry out high level discussions. As a student moves through the program, the expectation is that they handle each topic with greater confidence and control over grammatical structures in order to clearly and effectively communicate in Mandarin Chinese, French, Italian and/or Spanish. The topics are:

Middle School 6-8: Our learners begin language instruction in grade six in Mandarin Chinese, French, Italian or Spanish. The WL teachers engage our children in age and level appropriate activities to develop Checkpoint A (novice level) fluency. Students at the Checkpoint A level can...

Required Assessment: Students complete Checkpoint A at the end of grade eight and take a locally developed assessment to ensure that they have met the Checkpoint A requirements. Upon successful completion of Checkpoint A, students receive one unit of credit for high school and are encouraged to continue their studies beyond Checkpoint A.

High School 9-12: Students continue their study of Mandarin Chinese, French, Italian or Spanish. Incoming ninth grade students begin Checkpoint B to build their fluency beyond memorized responses. Students at Checkpoint B can...

• comprehend simple language consisting of basic vocabulary and structures in face-to-face conversation with peers and familiar adults 
• comprehend the main idea of more extended conversations with some unfamiliar vocabulary and structures as well as cognates of English words
• call upon repetition, rephrasing, and nonverbal cues to derive or convey meaning from a language other than English
• use appropriate strategies to initiate and engage in simple conversations with more fluent or native speakers of the same age group, familiar adults, and providers of common public services. 
• comprehend messages and short conversations when listening to peers, familiar adults, and providers of public services either in face-to-face interactions or on the cell phone/telephone
• understand the main idea and some discrete information in television, radio, streaming video, or live presentations
• initiate and sustain conversations, face to face, via Skype, or on the phone, with native-speaking or more fluent individuals
• select vocabulary appropriate to a range of topics, employ simple and complex sentences in present, past, and future time frames, and express details and nuances by using appropriate modifiers
• exhibit spontaneity in their interactions, particularly, when the topic is familiar, but often rely on familiar utterances
• and use repetition and circumlocution as well as gestures and other nonverbal cues to sustain conversation.

Required Assessment: Checkpoint B is completed at the end of grade ten with a locally developed Checkpoint B assessment to ensure that they have met the Checkpoint B requirements. Successful completion of Checkpoint B provides students with three Regents credits for graduation.

Checkpoint C at the 11th and 12th Grade: Our rigorous WL course offerings prepare our students to enter our AP or upper level courses. Our WL programs ask students to handle, discuss and present a variety of topics and issues in the spoken and written form based upon readings, discussions and listening activities. It is our goal to provide students with the tools to think critically to compete and engage others in our global community in a language other than English. Our upper level course offerings are available for college credit through Stony Brook University. More information is provided in our course catalog. 

Required Assessment: Based on the course, students either take a locally developed integrated-performance assessment or the AP Exam.

The Herricks Public Schools is excited to announce that students have the opportunity to achieve the New York State Seal of Biliteracy (NYSSB). The NYSSB recognizes students who develop high levels of proficiency in English and one or more world languages. Students have multiple pathways to achieve this recognition by their senior year. Students can demonstrate high levels of proficiency in Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish that are offered at Herricks, or in a language that may be spoken at home. There are over 33 languages that are spoken by our diverse student population. The NYSSB affirms and recognizes our diverse population by encouraging high achievement in English and languages other than English. Our goal is to continue to engage, excite, and motivate our learners to be bilingual, biliterate, and respectful of others. We are Herricks strong!

Requirements to Earn the NYS Seal of Biliteracy

Students must complete all requirements for graduation with a NYS Regents Diploma. Students must earn 3 points in each of the two categories (English and World Languages) listed below. The rubrics to evaluate the portfolios for French, Italian, and Spanish can be found HERE, and for Chinese, please click HERE.

ENGLISH (3 points needed)

• (1 point)  Score 80 or higher on the NYS Regents Examination in English Language Arts (Common Core)* or English Language Learners (ELLs) score 75 or above on two Regents exams other than English, without translation.
• (1 point)  Complete two ELA courses with an average of 85 or higher beginning in 11th grade
• (1 point) ELLs score at the Commanding level on two modalities on the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT).
• (1 point) Score a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement (AP) English Language or English Literature examination,
• (2 points) Present a culminating project, scholarly essay or portfolio that meets the criteria for speaking, listening, reading, and writing established by the district’s NYS Seal of Biliteracy Committee to a panel of reviewers with proficiency in English.  A score of 85 or better must be achieved. 

WORLD LANGUAGE (3 points needed)

• (1 point) Complete a Checkpoint C level World Language (11th and 12th grade) course, with a grade of 85 or higher, or a comparable score using another scoring system set by the district and approved by the Commissioner, for both the coursework and final examination consistent with Checkpoint C standards. 
• (1 point)  Provide transcripts from a school in a country outside of the U.S. showing at least three years of instruction in the student’s home/native language in Grade 8 or beyond, with an equivalent grade average of B or higher.
• (1 point) Score at a proficient level on an accredited Checkpoint C World Language assessment. A score of 4 or better on the AP Language & Culture Exam
• (2 points) Present a culminating project, scholarly essay, or portfolio that demonstrates intermediate-high proficiency in the Italian, French, and Spanish language and an intermediate-mid for the Chinese language to the Herricks High School NYSSB Committee. (Culminating portfolio is included as part of your senior language course curriculum. Proof of completion of your research and presentation should be included in your NYSSB Portfolio). The world language department requires students to keep a portfolio. Click here to view the portfolio requirements. 
• All students must meet with the Director for final determination. 

Please have the following information available to help you complete the online application with accuracy via a Google form. You will need to sign in with your HerricksK12 account to complete the form. You will receive an email confirmation, with your responses, once the form is submitted. 

• HHS transcript
• AP English Language or Literature Scores
• Immersion Students: AP Spanish Language Score 

To complete the online form, please click HERE. You will receive an email with your responses as proof that you have successfully submitted your application - please save the email! You will be informed if the committee will proceed to consider your candidacy for the NYS Seal of Biliteracy. If you meet the criteria, you will receive the NYS Seal of Biliteracy in June once you achieve the required points in both languages. We are excited to work with each and every student that is interested in the Seal of Biliteracy. An outline of the process for the committee and students can be found by clicking here.