For most students on campus, two years of a foreign language is the minimum requirement to graduate, but for some students, one test could replace two years of classes.

Frisco ISD has partnered with Avant Assessments to offer students the ability to earn up to four years of foreign language credit through a single assessment.

“As part of the strategic plan for Frisco ISD we wanted to expand world language options to Frisco students,” Frisco ISD district world languages coordinator Allison Ginn said. “We know that we have many cultures in many languages represented and so we wanted to make sure that we had a program or solution that was for students that was able to meet their needs and their ability level in their proficiency in languages. Our home language survey shows the top ten languages students speak in Frisco and each of the top ten  languages are offered through Avant assessments and so now kids are able to show their proficiency in language that they are learning or already speaking at home and we can compare that proficiency with learning in our classes as well and they can gain endorsement areas that we were never able to offer previously.”

The test can be taken to satisfy the two language credits required for graduation or begin a higher level course. while most credits typically earned are in Spanish, students can also earn credit in over 20 other world languages such as Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, and Russian.

“I tested out of German 1 and 2. I tested out of German 1 my 8th grade year and German 2 in my freshmen year,” junior Lucas Barr said. “This has opened a lot of opportunities to take other classes for me. I have been able to do Wingspan, Orchestra, law classes at the CTE center all at the same time, which is something I wouldn’t have been able to do without foreign language classes.”

The test takes about two hours and is made up of four parts which include writing, speaking, listening, and reading. the registration deadline for the upcoming january test is friday. Students interested in participating in the assessment should contact their counselor.

“The assessment allows for students to earn the performance acknowledgment for bilingualism and biliteracy which is a line on the transcript and something that we’re really excited to be offered to students,” Ginn said. “In our first first trial run of it last may we gave over 400 assessments and we were able to offer over thousand credits to Frisco ISD students and a lot of the students are still continuing on in language and so perhaps they place in Hindi or Tamil and they can pair that with a Spanish or French course or even a Chinese Course perhaps even ASL and so I am just more excited for just what this means for Frisco ISD and the students and in their ultimate goals with language.”