| Editor’s Note: This letter is prepared by Professor Scott McGinnis of the University of Maryland for you to write to the College Board and Educational Testing Service to urge them to consider offering a Chinese Advance Placement (AP) test. This test can be used by incoming college students to prove their Chinese language skills and receive college credits, and by college teachers for placing the students if they wish to take more advanced classes. |
(Date)
Wade Curry, Director
AP Program
The College Board
45 Columbus Avenue
New York, New York 10023
(and/or)
Walt MacDonald, Executive Director
School and College Services
Mail Stop 39 L
Educational Testing Service
Princeton, New Jersey 08541
Dear Dr. Curry (and/or) Dr. MacDonald:
On behalf of the [YOUR SCHOOL OR ORGANIZATION], I am writing to express our support for the development of a Chinese Advanced Placement (AP) Program and Exam.
As has become clear during the course of the first five years of administration of the SAT II Chinese Test with Listening, the target test population of second/foreign language learners of Chinese in fact constitute but a very small minority of the present test-taking population -- for the November 1997 test administration, less than 2%.
Given the present profile of the Chinese language learning population in the United States, limiting the means of assessing such excellence to an SAT II metric is insufficient. The establishment of a Chinese AP Program/Exam in addition to the existing SAT II Chinese Test can serve to promote not only superior student performance but also superior academic programs at the primary and secondary levels. In light of the already present and ever-increasing demands for Americans with Chinese language competency, such an initiative would serve to further enhance the already significant contributions of (The College Board/Educational Testing Service (depending on to whom the letter is addressed) to Chinese language instruction in the United States.
We offer to you our very best efforts toward this very important opportunity. With all good wishes,
Sincerely yours,
[YOUR NAME/AFFILIATION]