New Mexico State-Funded STAMP Testing

The New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) has contracted with Avant Assessment to deliver annual Spanish Language Proficiency testing in all participating state-funded Bilingual Multicultural Education Programs (BMEPs). The Avant STAMP test is the statewide Spanish Language Proficiency assessment for state-funded Bilingual Multicultural Education Programs (BMEPs) for school year 2023-2024.

Approved Spanish Language Proficiency Assessments for BMEPs: 

For state-funded BMEP students to be identified as proficient, they must earn a minimum composite score of 6 (Intermediate-High) on the STAMP 4S assessment.

NMPED is covering the cost of once-a-year assessment of students enrolled in a state-funded BMEP who have not yet been identified as proficient (Level 6, Intermediate-High) in the Spanish Language through the annual assessment. All other testing conducted through Avant must be paid for by the district or charter school.

State-funded BMEPs must conduct the annual Spanish Language Proficiency Testing during the 2023-2024 School Year. Students must take the assessment in person.

• Bilingual Multicultural Education Programs must deliver the Avant STAMP assessment for Spanish Language Proficiency to qualifying students annually.
• During the 2023-2024 school year, the STAMP assessment is to be administered in person.
• The testing window for state-funded Avant STAMP assessment administration is Monday, October 23rd, 2023 – Friday, March 15th, 2024. Please ensure all students in a state-funded Spanish BMEP, who have not yet scored at the proficient level, complete the Avant STAMP assessment by, Friday, March 15th, 2024.

Testing Window

You will be able to assess students at any time during the state-funded testing window timeframe. The testing window for state-funded Avant STAMP assessment administration is Monday, October 23rd, 2023 – Friday, March 15th, 2024. Please ensure all students in a state-funded Spanish BMEP, who have not yet scored at the proficient level, complete the Avant STAMP assessment by Friday, March 15th, 2024.

Test Quantity

Please determine your total test quantity estimate based upon current enrollment in the state funded BMEP. NMPED will approve each district and charter for a specific quantity as determined by the 40-day enrollment counts, but we recognize that enrollment may change throughout the year and that some students in the BMEP may have already achieved the desired proficiency score on previous annual assessments.

For districts and charters who have tested with STAMP in the past, the process to determine which BMEP students are eligible for testing and which students have already reached proficiency will look like this:

• Review list of historical STAMP test data, sorting by the “Composite Score”.
• Highlight or sort out all students who have a composite score of “6” or higher on the STAMP 4S test.
• From your list of students that scored a “6” or higher on a previous STAMP 4S test, remove those who have left the district, including:
  • Seniors who have graduated out of the district/charter.
  • Students who have transferred out of the BMEP or district/charter.
• The remaining count should be the number of students, still currently enrolled in the BMEP, who have already reached proficiency.
• Deduct the number of students who have already reached proficiency from the 40-day data count to determine the number of eligible students for annual Spanish Proficiency testing.

There are two methods for setting up testing. If you have not yet initiated testing setup for the 2023-2024 School Year, please refer to the Setup Method instructions for Group Rostering or Clever.

Setup Method 1: Steps for requesting access to the Avant STAMP test using Group Rostering:

For districts and charters that do not use Clever, we have a Group Rostering method that will allow you to control which students have access to the assessment. Rostering gives testing coordinators or teachers the ability to roster test takers into testing groups (classes) before testing begins. Rostering ensures the following:

• Controlled access to the assessment (only rostered test takers can access the assessment)
• Cleaner test taker data (prohibits test takers from creating more than one test instance, easier test taker identification within the report)
• User-friendly experience for younger test takers with pre-filled fields within the profile screen

To request access to test with Group Rostering, please click here to complete this survey.

 Please note: this process can take up to two weeks.

 For more information on the Group Rostering process, click here.

Setup Method 2: Steps for requesting access to the Avant STAMP test through Clever:

Select this setup method if the students in your BMEP are currently using or planning to implement the Clever Platform, and you would like to utilize Clever to deliver the Avant STAMP assessments. Clever allows us to offer:

• Smooth test data integration with Student Information System (SIS)
• Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities
• Automatic Rostering
• Secure, user-friendly testing

To request access to Avant’s tests through Clever, please click here to complete this survey.

Please note: this process can take up to two weeks.

For more information on Avant STAMP testing through Clever, click here.

Setup Method 3: Steps for requesting access to the Avant STAMP test through ClassLink:

Select this setup method if the students in your BMEP are currently using or planning to implement the ClassLink Platform, and you would like to utilize ClassLink to deliver the Avant STAMP assessments. ClassLink allows us to offer:

• Smooth test data integration with Student Information System (SIS)
• Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities
• Automatic Rostering
• Secure, user-friendly testing

To request access to Avant’s tests through ClassLink, please click here to complete this survey.

Please note: this process can take up to two weeks.

For more information on Avant STAMP testing through ClassLink, click here.

Avant Spanish for Heritage Learners (SHL) Assessment 

The Avant SHL test can be used as a screener at the secondary grades to measure Spanish language proficiency for students who are newcomers and who have Spanish as their dominant language. The SHL test will provide a suggested level of course placement for these students entering your program. The cost of such a screening at the secondary level is covered once per newcomer student by the NMPED. Elementary students who are newcomers and who have Spanish as the dominant language should use the STAMP 4Se assessment.

Testing for New Arrival Students (from Spanish speaking countries) in 7th – 12th grade who take the Avant STAMP as part of the state-funded BMEP:

• In the Avant STAMP 4S assessment for grades 7 and above, the Reading and Listening section questions are in Novice to Intermediate level English.
• Students in 7th grade and above taking STAMP 4S who are not yet at a 7th grade equivalency for their English proficiency, will require accommodations from a Spanish-speaking aide to complete the Reading and Listening sections of the test.
• In the Avant STAMP 4S assessment for grades 7 and above, the Speaking and Writing section prompts are in written English with Spanish audio support.
•  STAMP 4S Accommodations Guide – for assisting students who are not yet at a 7th grade equivalency for their English proficiency in the Reading and Listening sections of the test.

Avant SHL test as an alternate assessment option for New Arrival Students (from Spanish speaking countries) in 7th – 12th grade who are a part of the state-funded BMEP:

• Using the Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) Test as a screener when they arrive at the district/charter to place them into an appropriate level course.

 Any New Arrival Students (from Spanish speaking countries) in grade 6 and below who take the Avant STAMP as part of the state-funded BMEP, will take the Avant STAMP 4Se assessment.

Avant STAMP Testing Resources

• Avant Test User Guides

2023-2024 School Year

• NMPED Language & Culture Division – Avant – STAMP Virtual Training – Grades 7-12
• NMPED Language & Culture Division – Avant – STAMP Virtual Training – Grades K-6

The assessment cost for juniors and seniors who take the assessment for the purpose of earning the State Seal of Bilingualism-Biliteracy on the Diploma of Excellence will be covered by the NMPED. NMPED is covering the cost of up to two assessments for juniors or seniors assessing for the SSBB for approved Districts and Charter Schools that have an approved SSBB adoption.

Testing should be conducted during the 2023-2024 school year.

The deadline for the Avant STAMP assessment administration to earn the SSBB is Friday, March 15th, 2024.

Please ensure all students who are taking the Avant STAMP assessment for the SSBB take the assessment by this date.

Approved assessments for the NM SSBB: 

As of School Year 2021-2022, students need to score a minimum of 5 (Intermediate-Mid) in all four sections of the STAMP 4S test to qualify for the second language piece of the SSBB. Students need to score a minimum of 5 (Intermediate-Mid) in both sections of the STAMP WS test to qualify for the second language piece of the SSBB. 

Test coordinators will have access to all score reports online with their own results account login and oversee relaying the scores to NMPED and to the students. More information on score reports can be found in our STAMP 4S Reporting Guide.

The AvantProctor Remote Proctoring option through Avant is only available for seniors who are unable to test in-person. NMPED is covering the cost of remote proctoring for seniors in this situation.

More information on the Avant Remote Proctoring option can be found here.

We encourage test takers and test coordinators to review Avant’s online resources to help students understand what the expectations will be on the test, with a special focus on the productive skills of Writing and Speaking. Avant has user guides available for each of our assessments. Find the name of the assessment you are taking and click the drop down to review the guides available for that assessment.

They can review our Writing Response Examples and Power Up Guide to see what is expected at the Intermediate-Mid level. If you are testing juniors, they will have the chance to focus on improving their low score areas before testing again their senior year.

There are also sample tests available for test takers to have an idea of what it’s like to take an Avant assessment, and to test that their technology works. Sample tests are not given scores.

Contact Bonnie Buck with your estimated count of students and the languages you need to test students in.

Available SSBB Assessment Languages for the 2023/24 School Year:

End of grade 8th – 12th grade assessments taken for SSBB