High School Credit

*See the preliminary dates for summer 2009!  A full schedule and rates will be released in September.

What is a four-week high school credit session? 
Concordia Language Villages’ high school credit programs are approved by Commission on International and Transregional Accreditation and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement for providing the equivalent of 180 hours of classroom instruction in the language.

Is a credit session for you?
You’re a high school student and you’re interested in another language. You want to use your summer to learn, have fun, and get ahead. You're ready to jump in with both feet. If that's the case, then a four-week high school credit session may be the perfect answer for you!

In just four weeks of language and cultural immersion at the Language Villages, you can earn a full year of high school language credit. Credit session villagers enjoy the same delicious foods, the same fun-filled games, songs, and activities, and the same classic camp favorites like canoeing and swimming, as one-week and two-week villagers enjoy. They also hone their grammar and written skills with additional focused group sessions. Who knew that one full year of language learning could equal one short month of fun? Nine great reasons to enroll in Language Villages’ high school credit sessions

• To skip a level at school, advancing to the next level.
• To be better prepared for a school class.
• To note on college or scholarship applications.
• To learn a language not offered at school
• To add another language already studied at school.
• To fulfill school language requirements and thereby making room for music, science, other college prep courses.
• To get a head start on a school language course.
• To participate in immersion learning
• To develop literacy (reading and writing) skills.

Please note that you will need to check with your high school administrators to see if they will accept the credit at your school.

Grades 9-12 (entering high school freshman year, but not a fully enrolled college student).

The four-week high school credit session is offered at all language Villages except English. It offers at least 180 hours of instruction and is designed for learners at all levels – beginning to advanced. No previous language study is required.

A thematic curriculum, experiential immersion techniques and performance-based assessments are the basis for this academic program. Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a credit equivalent to one year of high school language study; students not wishing to receive credit also must participate fully in all activities and assignments.

Receiving Credit for Your Concordia Language Villages Experience

Concordia Language Villages' high school credit program is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, which is the same organization, or an affiliate of the association, that accredits your own high school. If you achieve a C- or above for your work at Concordia Language Villages, we will grant credit and recommend that your school accept the transfer of this credit. It is the decision of your school or school board whether or not to accept your credit upon successful completion of the credit session, and how that credit will appear on your record. By September, if you have requested it, an evaluation of your work and a grade will be sent to your school.

Most schools accept full credit for work done at Concordia Language Villages and will treat the Language Villages course just like any other class that you take at your school. However, some schools may only offer partial credit, advancement in language studies, notation of the work on your transcript, or other ways of validating your work. Some schools may even ask you to take an exam in order to see what progress you have made. It is very important that you speak with your principal or other school officials before you come to the Village in order to determine what will be required for your credit to be accepted by your school.

If your school officials say they will NOT accept the credit, here are some suggestions:

Share the Concordia Language Villages high school credit programs brochure and Web site address with your school official. These publications will offer them valuable information about our program, which may help them make the decision to accept the credit.

Ask if they will allow you to skip a level, even if they didn't award credit.
(That's not a problem! Being enrolled in Japanese 3 is tacit recognition that you've completed the equivalent of Japanese 2.)

Ask if they will hold off on their "no" and wait to see your grade, written evaluation, course outline (syllabus), portfolio, and linguafolio (a type of language portfolio) in the fall when you've completed your session and school resumes.

Explain that they will receive a written evaluation of your language proficiency with a letter and percentage grade and a copy of your course curriculum from your Language Villages teacher in September.

Offer to take their end-of-year exam for the language level you took at Concordia Language Villages.  You'll want to request their syllabus and a copy of the textbook. You'll want to spend some time on your own comparing and studying, and you'll want to request some individual help at the Village for any material not being covered in the Village. This is your responsibility. Please note that we are NOT able to provide an entire individualized course for any villager nor replicate a particular school syllabus.

See if they will award partial credit.

Should your school be unable or unwilling to accept the credit you earn here, you will be able to submit the official transcript from Concordia Language Villages to colleges and universities along with your high school transcript.

If your school is concerned that our curriculum matches closely with its curriculum, please bring a copy of that curriculum or syllabus with you to the Village and share it with your credit facilitator and teacher. We can try to incorporate particular aspects of your school' s syllabus into your Language Village class or provide individualized extra help. It is your responsibility to request this special help. Please note that the syllabus for your Village class cannot be furnished ahead of time, as it is determined during the session based on the abilities of you and your classmates.

Other useful materials:

High School Credit Brochure (pdf)
High School Credit Philosophy (pdf)
High School Credit Request Form and Questionnaire (pdf)

clv@cord.edu
1.800.222.4750