2008 NLE Newsletter - The National Latin Exam

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Exam Report 2008 continued from page 1 There were 1,062 perfect papers in Latin I-VI. A congratulatory letter has been sent to the principal of each school with copies for the student, the Latin teacher, and the student's permanent record. In addition, a special hand-lettered certificate was sent to each of these students. The 5 students who have three years of perfect papers and the 1 student who has four years of perfect papers are being sent the Carter Stubbs Drake Goad Memorial book award in addition to the special certificate. In the Introduction to Latin Exam, which was taken by 16,923 students, 7,813 students won awards. As the average number correct on this Exam was 30, students who scored 31-33 correct out of forty received Certificates of Achievement, and those with scores of 34-40 received Certificates of Outstanding Achievement and purple ribbons. The 356 students who answered all 40 questions correctly were sent a special congratulatory letter from the NLE Committee. There were 1,204 seniors who won gold medals on the Latin III-IV Prose, III-IV Poetry, or the Latin V-VI Exam. These students are eligible for one of the twenty-one $1000 scholarships, including one from an anonymous donor. In addition, a $2000 scholarship will be awarded for post graduate study leading to the teaching of Latin or Greek at the elementary, intermediate, or high school level. These Scholarship awards and those for the National Greek Exam will be announced by NLE Scholarship Chair, Ephy Howard, at the ACL Institute at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH, in June. The National Latin Exam Scholarship Committee, formed in 1983, consists of Ephy Howard, Chair, and members Conrad Barrett, Judith de Luce, Gaylan DuBose, Edith Foster, Sara T. Gibson, and Sue Gillen. Linda S. Montross serves as the Scholarship Liaison. The scholarship recipients from 2007, 2006, and 2005, are eligible for an additional $1000 if they continue their study of Latin or Greek. In 2007, the National Latin Exam awarded $47,500 in scholarships. The Maureen O'Donnell Oxford Classical Dictionary Award, given to students who win four gold medals, is being sent to 537 students this year in recognition of their outstanding achievement. The 77 students who have won five gold medals will be sent special book awards. In September, the National Latin Exam office sent the application for the 2008 National Latin Exam to teachers who participated in the 2007 NLE. Upon receipt of the application and payment, a postcard was sent from the NLE office to the teacher, verifying the number of applicants and informing the teacher that the exams and answer sheets would be mailed to the Exam administrator or principal by February 20, 2008, by the United Parcel Service. Clement Testing Service mailed out the exams, answer sheets and instructions and scored the returned answer sheets. The company mailed out the results, awards, exam answers, and a congratulatory letter to the teacher by April 20, 2008. A copy of the congratulatory letter for the principal was included in this package. The national percent correct for each question was also included as well as the percent correct 2 on each question for the individual school. Both percentages were provided in order to help teachers and students assess strengths and weaknesses. The 2008 PERFECT PAPER and GOLD MEDAL winners will be published in Torch U.S., the publication of the National Junior Classical League. The chart given below indicates the states with the greatest number of students taking the 2008 exam and those showing the greatest increase in percentage of those participating. The states with the greatest number of students taking the 2008 Exams: The states with the greatest % increase in number of students taking the 2008 Exams: continued on page 10 Massachusetts 12,214 New York 10,913 Virginia 10,729 Pennsylvania 9,090 Texas 8,803 New Jersey 8,753 Ohio 7,378 California 7,347 Connecticut 6,065 Georgia 5,526 New Mexico 182% South Dakota 36% Nevada 32% Alaska 13% Missouri 13% North Dakota 12% West Virginia 12% Vermont 9% Arizona 8% Michigan 8%
✴ ✴ ✴ NEW LATIN III EXAM AVAILABLE FOR 2009 ✴ ✴ ✴ The NLE is offering a brand new exam! Beginning in 2009, teachers of level three students will be able to choose between Latin III-IV Prose, Latin III-IV Poetry, and a generic Latin III exam. Because of the many requests and suggestions offered by teachers who do not complete the study of Latin grammar and syntax in two years, the NLE Writing/Steering Committee would like to introduce a separate exam to serve students who are in those programs. Many teachers also stated that their third year students were not prepared for the literary questions on the Prose or Poetry exams. After the Committee reviewed the responses to our survey announced in the Fall Newsletter, they found overwhelming support for this new exam. The emergence of new textbooks and teaching philosophies has brought changes to the traditional Latin curriculum. Many programs across the country complete the second year textbook in the third year of Latin and then make the transition to authentic Latin literature by reading artificial or adapted passages and stories. There are many schools that do not expose their students to authentic Latin literature until late in the third year or the beginning of the fourth. Furthermore, the study of Latin prose, traditionally Caesar, Cicero, and Pliny, continues to decline in favor of the Roman lyric and epic poets. The proposed syllabus for the Latin III exam will contain items typically encountered at the end of the second year textbook and will strive to represent the middle ground between the Latin II exam and the Latin III-IV Prose exam. Language items will focus on, but are not limited to, the uses of the subjunctive mood, indirect statement, the uses of gerunds, and gerundives, and case uses determined by special verbs and adjectives. In keeping with the format of the Latin I and II exams, there will be questions on the geography of the Roman world, the history of the Roman Republic and Early Empire, the myths of Greek and Roman heroes and typical Roman and Italian deities, and ceremonies in which Romans participated throughout their lives. Please see the entire proposed syllabus for the Latin III exam on pages 4 and 5. The new Latin III exam does not replace the Latin III-IV Prose exam; the syllabus for that exam will not change for 2009. Future changes may be necessary after the committee reviews the impact and effectiveness of the Latin III exam. The committee looks forward to hearing from teachers who give this new exam as we strive to offer a meaningful and rewarding experience for all Latin students. The committee asks that teachers, after studying the proposed new syllabus for this exam, send any concerns and suggestions to: National Latin Exam, New Latin III Proposed Syllabus, University of Mary Washington, 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401, or email us at NLE@umw.edu. These suggestions need to be sent to the NLE office by August 1 if they are to have an effect on the 2009 exam. 3 Latin III Exam Syllabus on page 4
Page 1: SPQR NATIONAL LATIN EXAM NEWSLETTER
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Page 7 and 8: ANALYSIS OF THE 2008 NLE SCORES OF
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Page 11 and 12: DEAR NELLY National Latin Exam Univ
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2008 NLE Newsletter - The National Latin Exam

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