This document describes general information on FLACS exams and overall procedures and guidelines.

Access FLACS SAM HERE

This booklet provides specific information on how to administer the speaking portion of the FLACS exam. It also contains examples of items with scoring explanations.

We ask that you read the guidelines carefully. ALL items in our speaking task booklets may be used for either practice or as secure testing items. It will be up to individual districts to decide which and how many items from each theme will be used for testing purposes. Once secure testing items are selected, districts may then use the other items as practice throughout the year.

Secure Speaking task booklets are released to current members of NYSAWLA. If you have not received them, check your membership status in your account. If you are a current (or pending) member, then the email may have landed in your junk email folder! Please take us out of “junk” by asking your IT Department to add @nysawla.org and nysawla@gmail.com to their Safe Senders list.

Administration Guidelines, including sample tasks for scoring.

NYS delineates two (2) categories of modern languages based on the time needed for English speakers to develop proficiency.

Category 1 and 2 modern languages include those that use a Roman-based alphabet (e.g., Spanish, French, German, Italian, Swahili).

Category 3 and 4 modern languages include indigenous languages (e.g., Seneca, Tuscarora), those languages that are character-based (e.g., Japanese, Korean, Mandarin), and those that use non-Roman-based alphabets(e.g., Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Russian). This rubric is also used for ASL.

Category 1&2 Presentational Speaking        Category 1&2 Interpersonal Speaking

*Category 3&4 Presentational Speaking        *Category 3&4 Interpersonal Speaking

FLACS Speaking Reporting Sheet

*REVISED 2/24 to include ASL-specific descriptions

These password-protected booklets contain both secure and practice items for the Presentational and Interpersonal Speaking sections of the FLACS exam. Only current NYSAWLA members receive password information to these booklets.

FLACS Interpersonal Speaking Task booklet – password protected

FLACS Presentational Speaking Task booklet – password protected

The Writing and See-to-Sign Guidelines booklets include a description of the writing and see-to-sign sections, writing rubrics and scoring sheets.

Checkpoint A & B Writing Guidelines – Revised Spring 2024

Checkpoint A ASL See-To-Sign Guidelines

ASL Part 4 See-To-Sign Scoring Sheet

ASL See to Sign Part 4 Rubric

(Checkpoints A and B exams share one rubric)

Category 1 & 2 Writing Rubric  – French, German, Italian, Spanish

Category 3 & 4 Writing Rubric – Chinese

Checkpoint A&B Writing Score Sheet

Part 4 ASL See-to-Sign

Part 4 See-to-Sign Rubric — ASL

ASL See-to-Sign Score Sheet

Checkpoint A Hand-scored answer document

Checkpoint A Scantron answer document

Checkpoint A-ASL Hand-scored answer document

Checkpoint A-ASL Scantron answer document

Checkpoint B Hand-scored answer document

Checkpoint B Scantron answer document

Districts will be responsible for creating their own audio recordings of the Interpretive Listening section of the exam. Scripts for all exams will be shared well in advance of the start of testing in order to give districts time to prepare. Below are suggested guidelines for making a recording of the interpretive listening section.

Checkpoint A Recording Guidelines

Checkpoint B Recording Guidelines

General test administration directions for proctors.

Sample ASL Proctor Instructions