NYSAWLA Membership Page
NYSAWLA Membership for the 26-27 school year is now OPEN.
Learn more about NYSAWLA’s FLACS Exam Consortium, including the benefits of membership and participation requirements, in our Letter to Superintendents.
For district purchasing and procurement purposes, NYSAWLA provides an annual Sole Source Certification. Please click HERE to access the current Sole Source Certification.
Membership in NYSAWLA is open to those officially charged with supervising and directing world language instruction in New York State. This includes, but is not limited to, department chairpersons, school or district supervisors and directors, lead teachers, team leaders, principals, and college or university faculty involved in preparing future world language educators.
Active NYSAWLA membership is required to access FLACS Checkpoint A and B exams and the FLACS Exam Archive. All secure exam materials are housed exclusively within the NYSAWLA Member Portal and are available only to members in good standing.
Payment Options
Credit Card Payment: Select PAYPAL option and fill out the required information. No PayPal account is required, simply check out as a guest. You will not be charged any additional fees.
Purchase Orders or Checks: Select OFFLINE PAYMENT and fill out the required information.
Membership Fees as of August 2026:
$250 for Standard Membership: This membership is for districts with four or fewer secondary schools. Your annual membership not only connects you with colleagues across the state but also provides exclusive access to FLACS exams and resources to support your world language program’s success.
$550 for Large Organizations and NYC Schools Standard Memberships: This membership is for districts with 5 or more secondary schools. Your annual membership not only connects you with colleagues across the state but also provides exclusive access to FLACS exams and resources to support your world language program’s success.
Large Organizations have the option to assign an additional administrator with full access to the FLACS Exam Archive and June FLACS Exams (when published) for an additional fee of $50.00. An active organizational membership is required, and additional administrator accounts are subject to NYSAWLA approval.
$20 for Retired Members: Your passion for world language education doesn’t end with retirement! As a valued retiree member, you’ll stay connected to NYSAWLA’s vibrant community and share your expertise with colleagues across the state. Membership includes access to our general membership meetings, item writing workshops, and end of year luncheon. Retiree membership does not include access to our current or archived FLACS exams.
Registration Timeline
🗓 Regular Registration: September 1 – March 14
⏳ Late Registration: March 15 – May 1
• Standard Membership – $300
• Large Organization – $600
🚨 Registration closes May 1. No memberships can be accepted after this date.
We encourage districts to register early to ensure uninterrupted access to member benefits and FLACS materials.
NYSAWLA NEW LEADERS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
As new administrators join our field we believe mentoring can foster success. Please let us know if you are new to your position as a World Language administrator, or if you know someone who is new to the role. We will pair experienced members with new administrators in mentoring relationships. This can be a wonderful way to give back to our field and ensure continuance of excellence from one generation to the next. Open to members, only.
Please email David Balsamo, dbalsamo@nysawla.org, if you would like to participate in this program!
Exam Consortium Terms
The NYSAWLA FLACS Checkpoint A and B Examinations are locally developed world language assessments created and maintained by the New York State Association of World Language Administrators (NYSAWLA) for use by member districts through the NYSAWLA Exam Consortium. These secure, field-tested, standards-aligned exams are administered in over 200 districts statewide. Since NYSED discontinued producing the World Language Proficiency and Regents language exams in 2011, districts have been permitted to use locally developed, vendor-, or consortium-provided assessments to meet state credit and diploma requirements. NYSAWLA provides exams in American Sign Language, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Checkpoint A exams are administered after the successful completion of two units of study in a world language, most often following a 7th and 8th grade language sequence. Passing the Checkpoint A exam is required to grant one (1) unit of high school credit to 8th grade students. Checkpoint B exams are administered after the successful completion of three units of study in a world language and must be passed to meet the requirements for a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation.
Member districts must adhere to the following guidelines in order to participate in our consortium:
- Exam Administration Date: For security purposes, all participating districts are required to administer the NYSAWLA FLACS Checkpoint A and B Examinations on the common date and time announced by NYSAWLA in early fall. Districts unable to follow the designated administration schedule will not be able to administer the examinations for that year.
- Item Development: Participating districts are encouraged to support exam development by allowing teachers to attend NYSAWLA item-writing workshops and by submitting items developed independently directly through our website for review and consideration.
- Exam Access: Access to the NYSAWLA FLACS Checkpoint A and B Examinations will be released to the Superintendent’s designee in early June to allow time for reproduction and secure storage consistent with NYSED guidance for Regents exams.
- Listening Section: NYSAWLA will provide AI-generated audio files for the Part 2 Listening Section for all languages except American Sign Language. Districts may use their own recordings or read the scripts live on the day of the exam.
- Item Analysis: NYSAWLA permits districts to conduct their own item analysis when scoring exams and to award credit for individual items if 50% or more of their students answered the item INCORRECTLY. This adjustment applies only within the district’s own scoring process.
- Make-up Exams: The NYSAWLA FLACS Checkpoint A and B Examinations may not be used as make-up exams or administered on any date other than the stated administration date. Districts that require a make-up exam should use an alternative assessment, such as their own locally developed assessment.