American Association of Teachers of French
Le Grand Concours 2018Manual for Contest Administrators
American Association of Teachers of French /
Prepared by the National Committee: Lisa Narug
Geneviève Delfosse, George Diller, Elizabeth Esper and Ken Tindle
Nous sommes tous des gagnants
Le Grand Concours 2018
Manual for Contest Administrators
Table of Contents
Eligibility for Le Grand Concours
Primary Purpose of Le Grand Concours
Contest Dates: 2018
Major Deadlines 2018*
Advice to Contest Administrators (Especially to New Administrators)
Un coup d’oeil
Responsibility of the Contest Administrator
Contest Materials
CDs
Entrance Fees:
Practice Material:
Recruitment:
National Committee:
What to do in September:
Banking information
Mailing #1:
What to do in November:
Review the eligibility rules carefully.
Mailing #2:
What to do in December:
What to do in January:
The count-down begins!
Mailing #3:
What to do in February and March:
What to do in April
What to do in May:
What to do in June:
HOW TO CONTACT US
Eligibility Rules
Placement
Introduction
Concours Levels
Division Categories:
General Guidelines
Division Rules:
FLES Contest (Grades 1-6)
General Information
Levels and Divisions
Additional Rules
Speaking
Ranking Winners
Students with Learning Disabilities
Eligibility Guidelines for Students Receiving French Instruction via Homeschooling or with a Private Tutor
Privacy Rights of Students
Special Cases
Campuses Not in the United States
Special Competitions
Scheduling difficulties
Interrupted Contest Principle
Noise
Difficulties connecting to on-line test
Test booklet defect
Illness during testing
Electronic Device Policy for paper and pencil testing
Electronic Device Policy for on-line testing
Awards
Chapter Awards
National Awards
How to Report a Change
Contest Administrators
Contact Information
Final Deadlines
Notes
Appendix
Sample letters to solicit prizes
Informational Letter for Parents
Sample Permission Slip
Sample Mailing #1
Samples to send with Mailing #1
Sample Proctor’s Instructions
Sample FLES Answer Sheet
Sample 01-5 Answer Sheet
Links to Some Chapter Websites
Eligibility for Le Grand Concours
All students studying French are eligible. No student shall ever be denied entrance to Le Grand Concours. Any arbitrary exclusion is in violation of the precepts of AATF
Teachers need to be members of the AATF in order to enter students at the membership rate. AATF (302 N. Granite St., Marion, IL 62959) must have membership fees by December 1st to qualify the teacher’s students for the Concours at the membership rate.
Primary Purpose of Le Grand Concours
To stimulate more students to begin and continue with their study of French
To recognize and reward individual student and teacher achievement
Contest Dates: 2018
FLES: February 11-24
Secondary: February 24–March 25
Major Deadlines 2018*
To make certain that there is sufficient time to accommodate every phase of the Contest,
the following deadlines must be observed:
December 1, 2017 / AATF Membership Dues / Executive Director, AATF
302 N. Granite
Marion, IL 62959 or by
December 15, 2017 / Deadline for ordering paper and pencil tests – no additional orders for paper and pencil tests can be made after this date /
January15, 2017 / Early bird deadline for 2016 on-line testing (additional orders can be made but may require late fee) /
February 11-24 / FLES Contest Dates
February 24 – March 25 / Middle School/Secondary (Levels 01-5) Contest Dates
March 2, 2018 / FLES Answer Sheets / Survey Systems
790 5th St NW
New Brighton, MN 55112
March 12, 2018 / Preliminary FLES results of eligible speakers / National who will forward to individual teachers)
March 26, 2018 / Recordings of eligible speakers / Elizabeth Esper
r via DropBox
March 30, 2016 / Levels 01-5 Answer Sheets / Survey Systems
790 5th St NW
New Brighton, MN 55112
Mid-April 2018 / National Results / Teachers
*Note: these dates may change
Advice to Contest Administrators (Especially to New Administrators)
- Know the eligibility rules and enforce them.
- Adhere to deadlines. See page 6.
- Work with teachers to verify that they register their students correctly.
- Keep in close touch with your Regional Representative.
- Exercise good judgment, common sense, and strong leadership.
- You are the key person in the Contest. You are the expert for your Chapter.
- Feel free to write to the Director or a member of the National Committee (see p. 17) if you have a question. We will answer promptly!
- Select a working committee. Do not attempt to do the entire task alone.
- Finally, keep your sense of humor, despite the many little problems that invariably arise.
Un coup d’oeil
Responsibility of the Contest Administrator
The Contest Administrator is the one person in each Chapter who assumes full responsibility for the administration of the Contest. The Administrator:
- May be elected by the Chapter or selected by the President with the approval of the Chapter.
- Receives information from the National office for dissemination among Chapter colleagues.
Contest Materials
There are eight levels of competition, as follows: FLES A; FLES B; Level 01; Level 1; Level 2; Level 3; Level 4; and Level 5
Level FLES: FLES is for students in Grades 1-6. The Contest is available in Form A (speaking and listening comprehension) and Form B (all of A plus reading comprehension). The Contest consists of a series of pictures accompanied by recorded questions with multiple choice responses; Form B contains some short reading comprehension along with pictures. There is no writing. Note: students who score in the top 20% record answers in French to questions given to the teachers to pose. Names of eligible students are sent to the administrator via email. Administrators must relay this information to adhere to our deadlines.
Levels 01-5: The levels for middle/secondary school are 01, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Each of these levels consists of two parts: an aural section which is pre-recorded on CD and a multiple-choice written section. The on-line version includes both sections as well.
The total administration time for all Contest levels/divisions is 60 minutes.
CDs
The listening comprehension sections of both the FLES and the Secondary School Contest are pre-recorded on CD, with a separate CD for each level. The same CD, however, is applicable to all levels/divisions of FLES.
Entrance Fees:
The National Office will set a basic fee for both tests (and cds if required). The cost for tests: members: @$3.50, non-members: @ $7.00; CD @ $7.00. The cost for tests is the same for both paper and pencil and on-line testing. However, teachers choosing the paper and pencil testing will need to order listening comprehension CDs.
We have two separate rate structures because the National French Contest is an approved activity of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. As such, we offer the Contest to all teachers: members and non-members. However, non-members pay double the amount of the National fee ($7 instead of $3.50).
NOTE: Chapter Contest Administrators may increase these fees to defray local Contest-related expenses. If you wish to add an additional fee to national fees, please contact the Director.
Practice Material:
Former tests and CDs may be utilized for review purposes. Order from: National French Contest, PO Box 3283, St. Charles, IL 60174. Note that the on-line version includes a practice version of the test in the entrance fees.
Recruitment:
Contest Administrators are requested to keep in close contact with other teachers of French in the area. Keep up-to-date records of current and newly-appointed French teachers and keep them informed of Contest information. In any mailing to a school, it is prudent to send a copy to the Principal.
National Committee:
We are available to help you: see contact information on p. 15.
RECOMMENDED CALENDAR 2018
What to do in September:
Get ready for an information mailings to teachers: either electronic or hard copy
Make sure your bank account is set up and meets national guidelines (see below).
Update or prepare your mailing list of participating teachers in a computer data base or spreadsheet to save time. AATF National HQ can provide you with mailing labels or an Excel spreadsheet for members of your chapter (email request to ). You might also make up a separate mailing list of potential participants, past participants, etc., to use for recruiting new students. Create an email list of past participants and add new teachers to make communication easier and quicker.
URGENT: Keep in contact with the Director. Notify her at once of any changes to your mailing information (physical mailing address or email address).
Write to your State Foreign Language Supervisor to request a current list of teachers of French in your area. Write a similar letter to local supervisors, chairpersons, and school administrators.
Say bonjour to your Regional Representative (see listing at
Consider presenting information on the Contest at a local FL meeting, an institute day, back to school night, etc. Check the Contest Administrator’s website for ideas and sample presentations. Contact Lisa Narug for supplies, giveaways, etc.
What to do in October:
Read your Contest Bulletin (Infobulletin) and the Contest newspaper (Le Grand Concours) for the latest Contest Information.
If you are new to your position, please consider contacting your predecessor for some words of guidance, caution, and comfort.
Remind your FLES colleagues about the FLES Concours. Distribute Contest information to schools in your Chapter. Put teachers in contact with the National Chair for FLES if you are not able to answer their questions.
Mailing #1:
- Prepare a mailing to French teachers. Include:
- A reminder that teachers who enter students in the National French Contest at the discounted membership fee need to be members of the AATF by December 1st. Be sure to tell teachers the total cost – including your chapter fees, if any.
- Contest dates and deadlines.
- Request that each teacher keep you informed of additions to the French staff in his or her school
- Copies of the Secondary and FLES Contest Specifications
- Be sure to advise teachers about the Le Grand Concours Web Page:
What to do in November:
Collect a list of local book, record, and periodical publishers. Search your professional journals and telephone directories for firms that are French, deal with French products, or do business with Francophone countries. Write for donations of prizes.
Review the eligibility rules carefully.
Mailing #2:
- Send a detailed letter to your teachers concerning every phase of your local procedure with a reminder about the earlier registration deadline for paper and pencil testing.
- Remind teachers that the price of Contest is double the cost for non-members and thatDecember 1st is the deadline for membership payments.
- Remind your FLES colleagues about the FLES Contest. Teachers may receive additional information from the National Chair for FLES. Information is also available via the Concours website.
What to do in December:
Continue to write for prizes.
Follow up with teachers who may have questions regarding new on-line ordering.
What to do in January:
The count-down begins!
Remind teachers that ONLY original answer sheets will be scored. NO photocopies can be accepted as they cannot be scored by machine.
Mailing #3:
- Send a final reminder to all teachers urging their participation.
Answer questions on new procedures.
What to do in February and March:
The Concours must be completed in a single one-hour block of time, unless arrangements have been made in advance to take advantage of divided testing procedure.
Send reminders of the following rules to teachers using paper and pencil testing:
- All students in a school in a level must test at the same time.
- Students should not leave testing room until all answer sheets have been collected.
- Contest materials should be stored in a secure location until after the national testing dates have ended.
- Teachers may send their answer sheets directly to the scoring center. If you prefer, you may continue to collect the entire chapter’s answer sheets, and send them in one batch, but this is not a requirement. Full details and directions will be available on the Contest Administrator’s website
- FLES ANSWER SHEETS MUST BE RECEIVED AT THE SCORING CENTER BY MARCH 2nd.
- SECONDARY ANSWER SHEETS MUST BE RECEIVED AT THE SCORING CENTER BY March 30th.
- Those received late will NOT be included in the initial release of National results but may be included in supplemental results if proper testing procedures were followed.
What to do in April
You will receive notification when your chapter’s results have been sent. Results delivery may vary.
Notify Director of any early prize ceremonies so she can schedule earlier shipments where possible.
Teachers of winning students are invited to send photographs of their students to be published in Le Grand Concours newspaper. Electronic photos are preferred and may be submitted via email or on CD via mail. Complete information for each student should be included: name, Concours level, school, teacher, and chapter. Be sure that the name of the photo file is matched to the student information. Contact Lisa Narug for requirements.
Round up your prizes.
Send notes of merci! to all those who assisted you and include their names in your program. A little merci goes a long way!
Plan a Distribution des Prix ceremony. Invite your Regional Representative, parents, local dignitaries, photographers, former winners, participants, etc.
What to do in May:
Review the local school calendar to ascertain the most convenient testing dates for next year. Please advise the Director.
Prepare a report for your Chapter, with a copy to the Regional Representative and the Director of Le Grand Concours, based on: the number of entrants by level, increase or decrease over the previous year; number of schools involved; awards given by the Chapter and by private donors; evaluation of the examinations; specific problems, recommendations for next year, etc.
What to do in June:
Determine if you would like to be re-appointed for the following year. Then, check with your Chapter President. If both responses are in the affirmative, inform the Director by June 15th.
If you cannot continue as Contest Administrator, please ask your Chapter President to make a new appointment and to notify the Director by June 15th.
May you enjoy a well-deserved summer vacation!
HOW TO CONTACT US
All general questions:
Lisa Narug
National Director
PO Box 3283, St. Charles, IL 60174 | Tel: 630/677-2594 | e-mail: | Skype: lisa.narug
Content of the secondary Contest (Levels 01-5):
Geneviève Delfosse
National Chair for Test Development (Secondary)
TJHSST, 6560 Braddock Rd., Arlington, VA 22312
e-mail:
Information on eligibility and placement of students in appropriate level/division:
George Diller
National Chair for Eligibility
11528 SW 8th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32607-1120
Tel: 352-332-9780 | e-mail: (Indicate “Concours” in the subject line of your message)
Content of the FLES Contest:
Elizabeth Esper
National Chair for Test Development (FLES)
e-mail:
Scoring procedures:
Kenneth Tindle
National Chair, Scoring Center Operations
e-mail:
Concours web site:
AATF web site:
Contest Administrators information web page (source of documents, mailings, samples, links, etc.):
Ordering Website:
Eligibility Rules
Placement
Introduction
The following Eligibility Rules include the criteria necessary to place most students in Le Grand Concours. There are always exceptions and borderline cases which the teacher and contest administrator must decide on the basis of good judgment, fairness, and consistency. The level at which the Contest Administrator registers a student is irrevocable. Therefore, in case of doubt, be sure to contact the National Chairman for Eligibilitybefore registering the student.
No student shall take the same level of Concours more than once.
In particular, where a high school obliges all entering ninth graders to take French 1, this rule applies and the student, who has already taken Concours at level 1, will have the choice of:
- taking Contest level 2;
- abstaining for a year; or
- taking level 1 hors concours (results unranked and ineligible for National awards).
If it is discovered that a student has been registered at the same level two years in a row (without having received prior written permission—see below), or that a student has entered the Concours at two different levels or divisions for the same competition, that student’s registration shall be nullified. Teachers and Contest Administrators will keep registration records in order to prevent such repeat registrations and to simplify record keeping from year to year.
There are only three exceptions to this rule: (1) Level 5 and (2) FLES students may take the same level more than once (3) Students will be permitted to take the Concours at the same level two years in a row provided they submit evidence to the Contest Administrator, through their teacher, that they are repeating the same French course because they did not pass it when they took it previously.
Concours Levels
FLES Level: Grades one through six.
However, sixth-grade students beginning a two-year course sequence leading to French high school level 1 credit or the equivalent at the end of their second course will take Concours level 01, as below(note: here “credit” means credit for knowledge of the course; not high school credit hours)
Level 01: Students who began a two-year French course sequence in the fall of the current school year and who are not receiving high school level credit or equivalent for their French course. 01A = up to 1 previous year of French at school (FLES or any other French program); Level 01B = more than 1 previous year of French at school (FLES or any other French program). Note: here “credit” means credit for knowledge of the course; not necessarily high school credit hours. A student may enter Concours at level 01A/01B once only. See Grades 6, 7 & 8 at a Glance, on the following page.