Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Standards Review
The New York State Education Department is currently seeking feedback on the draft of the New York State Learning Standards for Languages Other Than English (LOTE), which we are proposing to be renamed as World Languages. The proposed revisions to the standards and to the checkpoints (levels of achievement) are informed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (national standards). The World Languages Leadership Team, comprised of 19 leaders in the field from across the state, was formed in 2018 in order to assist the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages in this process. The review of the national standards and development of the proposed New York State World Languages Standards was conducted by this team in collaboration with seven Regional Standards Committees and three Language-Specific Committees (American Sign Language, Classical Languages, Indigenous Languages), which, in total, are comprised of over 200 New York State teachers and administrators. Below are links to sections of this website that address the revision of the standards including: background information, the proposed draft of the New York State World Languages Learning Standards, performance indicators, and the standards workgroups, as well as the link to the Public Comment Period Survey (open from Monday, December 16th through Saturday, February 1st). For the convenience of the public, a master document containing all of these sections of the website has been created and can be downloaded here.
Please read the following sections and then click on the link to the Public Comment Survey to give your feedback.
The proposed New York State World Languages Standards introduce four major changes on which we are seeking stakeholder feedback:
- a renaming of Languages Other Than English to World Languages in the Commissioner’s Part 100 Regulations;
- a revision of the New York State Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Learning Standards informed by the national standards;
- a redefinition of the three checkpoints in terms of expected performance indicators informed by the national standards;
- an adoption of overarching themes and updated topics that districts can use to frame instruction.
Proficiencies are the descriptions of competence in all the skill areas of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and understanding of culture. They describe how well students are learning. Because learning a language other than English may begin at any time, proficiencies are keyed to checkpoints which are neither age nor grade specific. Checkpoints are measured at three distinct intervals—A, B, and C—which can be reached at any point in the K-12 continuum, instead of elementary, intermediate, or commencement levels which traditionally imply specific grade levels. Achievement of learning standards at any checkpoint varies according to the age when students begin study, the frequency and length of lessons, the student’s previous experience with second language learning, and motivation. In the most traditional program where language study begins in 7th grade, Checkpoint A is designated as 7th and 8th grades, Checkpoint B as 9th and 10th grades, and Checkpoint C as 11th and 12th grades.
Proposed Draft of the New York State World Languages Learning Standards
The Public Comment Period will be open from Monday, December 16th at 9:00 a.m. through Saturday, February 1st at 11:59 p.m.
Link to public comment survey for the proposed draft of the World Languages Standards
If you have questions about the standards review process, please contact the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages at obewl@nysed.gov or (518) 473-7505.
Thank you for giving your feedback through the public comment survey.
