Effective October 1st, 2017, Bilingual Counselors choosing to perform Spanish assessment in individual areas of expertise with Denver Public Schools will be required to successfully complete a Spanish language proficiency exam administered by Berlitz Languages, Inc..
Cost and reimbursement process
The first attempt (speaking, reading and writing) costs $150.00. The Department of Student Equity and Opportunity will reimburse for the first attempt at the assessment. If a candidate requires more than one attempt, the Department of Student Equity and Opportunity will reimburse for the first attempt as well as the attempt that was passed (no more than two payments total).
About the exam
Administered by Berlitz, the Spanish Language Proficiency (SLP) Exam for bilingual counselors consists of three components: speaking, reading, and writing.
If an applicant fails any portion of the exam, he or she is allowed to retake that portion of the test only two more times within a school year. Applicants are recommended to wait 30 days between test administrations.
Results and passing scores
The Berlitz Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI) is an oral proficiency testing system designed to accurately measure the examinee’s oral communicative ability in a professional setting.
The SOPI consists of six situations where the examinee speaks to a native speaker of Spanish. In each situation, the examinee reads and listens to a description of the situation and sees on the computer a picture of the person or people to whom he or she will speak. The examinee is then given 15 to 40 seconds to plan his or her response, and 30 to 90 seconds to respond.
This 20 minute test of speaking skills is delivered via a computer-based platform. The Berlitz SOPI combines the efficiency and reliability of online administration with the validity of human scoring.
The passing score is a B2 on the CEF Scale.
The Berlitz Writing Proficiency Exam (WPE) is a 60 minute assessment of writing skills.
The Berlitz WPE consists of 3 prompts that were chosen based upon research as the most relevant and authentic in a general professional context. Examinees will be given access to a virtual keyboard for Spanish.
The passing score is a High B1 on the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) Scale.
The reading test consists of five paragraphs with 25 questions. Examinees are given 30 minutes to complete the reading comprehension portion.
The passing score is 18 correct answers minimum using a DPS 1-25 possible reading comprehension answer test.
Denver Public Schools and Examinees will receive results within 5 business days of the test date.