AP Spanish (Sem 1)

Course Description:

This is the first course in a two-course sequence. The AP® Spanish Language and Culture course is a rigorous course taught exclusively in Spanish that requires students to improve their proficiency across the three modes of communication, further divided into six course modes. The course focuses on the integration of a wide variety of authentic resources from all over the Spanish-speaking world. These resources include online print, audio, and audiovisual resources; as well as traditional print resources that include literature, essays, and magazine and newspaper articles; and, also a combination of visual/print resources such as charts, maps, tables, and graphs; all with the goal of providing a diverse learning experience. Through these authentic texts, students gain meaningful linguistic and cultural growth and insight, leading to greater communication and also interculturality, using rich, advanced vocabulary and language structures as they build proficiency in all modes of communication toward the intermediate high to advanced low proficiency levels. Also central to the course are thirteen task models, to be scaffolded, taught, and practiced often, preparing students for the same tasks on exam day in May. These task models represent the six course modes and the eight skill categories of AP® Spanish Language and Culture, each further broken down into skills and learning objectives, all leading to greater proficiency in communication and culture.

The course will also utilize the AP Classroom practice activities at the College Board site to maximize the AP Exam preparation experience. Course does not include the AP Exam; students can contact their school’s AP Coordinator or the College Board to sign up to take the Exam. There are required due dates in AP courses. The pacing of due dates in AP courses aligns to the completion of all lessons and required assignments and assessments prior to the national AP exam date related to this course title. This course requires purchase of a textbook.

Course Details:

Course Title (District): AP Spanish (Sem 1)
Course Title (NCES SCED) : AP Spanish Language and Culture
Course Provider : Michigan Virtual
Content Provided By : Vista Higher Learning
Online Instructor Provided By : Michigan Virtual
Standards Addressed : National Collegiate Athletic Association, CollegeBoard
Alignment Document : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T7OVNWVGLAohvW_zopiLu3JjOwUa-D_m/view?usp=share_link
Academic Terms : Semester
NCES SCED Code :
Subject Area : World Language
Course Identifier : AP Spanish Language and Culture
Course Level : High School (Secondary)
Available Credit : 0.5
Sequence : 1 of 2

How To Enroll:

Enrollment Website : https://slp.michiganvirtual.org/
Email : [email protected]
Phone : (888) 889-2840

Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with your school after submitting a registration request.

Start Registration Request

Additional Course Information:

Additional Cost Description:

Michigan Virtual prepares students for the AP exam but does not offer the AP exam. It is the responsibility of the school or parent to register for a local administration of the AP exam. AP courses often require students purchase a College Board approved textbook. See required textbook information below.

Temas, 2nd Edition: AP Spanish Language and Culture by Parthena Draggett, Elizabeth Millán, Cole Conlin and Max Ehrsam (Vista Higher Learning, 2020) Digital access only: ISBN: 978-1-54330-625-5 | Print + Digital Access: 978-1-54330-628-6. 

NOTE: Digital Access is required, as the course assignments will make use of Vista Higher Learning’s VHL Central Supersite. Purchase access through Michigan Virtual’s VHL dedicated storefront: https://vistahigherlearning.com/store/school/michiganvirtual/temas-2nd-edition.html?pgi=a3W4w000000oF8dEAE

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...

  • Comprehend written, audio, audiovisual, and visual text (text, pictures, and numbers)
  • Make interdisciplinary and cultural connections
  • Interpret the content of written or audio text (words)
  • Make meanings from words and expressions
  • Communicate interpersonally by speaking with others
  • Communicate interpersonally by writing to others
  • Communicate through spoken presentations
  • Communicate through written presentations
  • Utilize advanced vocabulary and grammatical structures encountered within authentic reading, writing, speaking, and listening assessments
  • Apply interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication skills, reflecting all eight skill categories of the AP Course and Exam Description (CED)

NSQ National Standards for Quality Online Courses

Rating Comments
A1. A course overview and syllabus are included in the online course Fully Met
A2. Minimum computer skills and digital literacy skills expected of the learner are clearly stated.* Fully Met
A3. The instructor’s biographical information and information on how to communicate with the instructor are provided to learners and other stakeholders. Fully Met
A4. Learner expectations and policies are clearly stated and readily accessible within the introductory material of the course. Fully Met
A5. Minimum technology requirements for the course are clearly stated, and information on how to obtain the technologies is provided.* Fully Met
A6. Grading policies and practices are clearly defined in accordance with course content learning expectations. Fully Met
A7. The online course provides a clear description or link to the technical support offered and how to obtain it.* Fully Met
A8. Learners are offered an orientation prior to the start of the online course. Fully Met
Rating Comments
B1. The online course objectives or competencies are measurable and clearly state what the learner will be able to demonstrate as a result of successfully completing the course.* Fully Met The Vista Higher Learning Temas textbook site lists the unit objectives at the beginning of each unit.
B2. The online course expectations are consistent with course-level objectives or competencies, are representative of the structure of the course, and are clearly stated. Fully Met The course-level objectives are clearly stated at the beginning of each unit. Additionally, each "Tema" asks several Essential questions. The unit wrap up circles back to these questions to check that the student has been able to answer each question.
B3. The online course content is aligned with accepted state and/or other accepted content standards, where applicable.* Fully Met Objectives and competencies are aligned with the national ACTFL standards.
B4. Digital literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum.* Fully Met
B5. Supplemental learning resources and related instructional materials are available to support and enrich learning and are aligned to the specific content being delivered.* Fully Met
B6. The online course content and supporting materials reflect a culturally diverse perspective that is free of bias.* Fully Met The course presents perspectives culturally diverse perspectives from different countries, ethnic and socio-economic groups.
B7. The online course materials (e.g., textbooks, primary source documents, OER) that support course content standards are accurate and current. Fully Met The material consist of articles, videos, and outside resources. A good depth of material is covered.
B8. The online course is free of adult content and avoids unnecessary advertisements.* Fully Met
B9. Copyright and licensing status for any third-party content is appropriately cited and easily found. Fully Met
B10. Documentation and other support materials are available to support effective online course facilitation.* Fully Met The Getting Started section contains information about the structure of the course, use of the Vista Higher Learning site, student purchase of that access and how to proceed once the student has access to the VHL Supersite.
Rating Comments
C2. The online course’s content and learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives or competencies. Fully Met
C5. The online course design includes introductory assignments or activities to engage learners within the first week of the course. Fully Met
C9. Online course instructional materials and resources present content in an effective, engaging, and appropriate manner.* Fully Met
C1. The online course design includes activities that guide learners toward promoting ownership of their learning and self-monitoring. Fully Met There is a broad range of formative and interactive opportunities for learner-content interaction that support active learning. Additionally, written assignments, discussion, and projects ask students to analyze the material and themes presented, and discover information.
C3. The online course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Fully Met The linked course textbook organization, as well as the course shell organization are consistent and logical. Once students are accustomed to the navigation from the course out to the linked textbook site, students will find this navigation is logical and consistent.
C4. The online course content is appropriate to the reading level of the intended learners.* Fully Met The course content is designed to be challenging, at an AP level. However, a student who is sufficiently prepared who has the equivalent experience of Spanish levels 1 - 4 will find the level appropriate, but may need some assistance with unknown vocabulary words.
C6. The online course provides learners with multiple learning paths as appropriate, based on learner needs, that engage learners in a variety of ways. Fully Met There is a broad range of formative and interactive opportunities for learner-content interaction that support active learning. Additionally, written assignments, discussion, and projects ask students to analyze the material and themes presented, and discover information.
C7. The online course provides regular opportunities for learner-learner interaction. Partially Met The course provides very regular opportunities for learner-instructor interaction. The course begins with learner-learner interaction in the instroductory discussion board. However, there are no other opportunities after that for learner-learner interaction.
C8. The online course design provides opportunities for learner-instructor interaction, including opportunities for regular feedback about learner progress.* Fully Met The course provides very regular opportunities for learner-instructor interaction. The course begins with learner-learner interaction in the instroductory discussion board. However, there are no other opportunities after that for learner-learner interaction.
Rating Comments
E2. The online course design facilitates readability.* Fully Met
E1. Online course navigation is logical, consistent, and efficient from the learner’s point of view.* Fully Met
E3. The online course provides accessible course materials and activities to meet the needs of diverse learners.* Partially Met The VHL course textbook provides an interactive textbook with opportunities to hear the vocabulary read out loud. There are opportunities for audio activity. However, it does not appear that there is a dedicated, built-in screen reader access at the VHL Supersite.
E4. Course multimedia facilitate ease of use.* Fully Met Windows can be resized. The course videos are brief. The content is broken up into smaller, managable segments.
E5. Vendor accessibility statements are provided for all technologies required in the course.* Fully Met
Rating Comments
D1. Learner assessments are linked to stated course, unit, or lesson-level objectives or competencies. Fully Met
D2. Valid course assessments measure learner progress toward mastery of content. Fully Met
D3. Assessment practices provide routine and varied opportunities for self-monitoring and reflection of learning.* Fully Met
D4. Assessment materials provide the learner with the flexibility to demonstrate mastery in a variety of ways.* Fully Met
D5. Rubrics that clearly define expectations for varied levels of proficiency are created and shared with learners.* Fully Met
Rating Comments
F1. Educational tools ensure learner privacy and maintain confidentiality of learner information in accordance with local, state, and national laws for learner data. Fully Met
F2. The online course tools support the learning objectives or competencies.* Fully Met
F3. The online course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate learners’ needs and preferences.* Partially Met Instructor role permissions within Michigan Virtual's learning management system permit instructors to add supplemental content and external resources both within lessons and announcements. Additionally, the learning management system permits online accommodations including text-to-speech tools, extended testing time, provision of multiple attempts, and scoring exemptions for extenuating circumstances. Course content is desgined, however, to meet state and national content standards alignment and provide a guaranteed and viable curriculum to all enrolled learners, and therefore there are restrictions on instructor permissions to modify the scope and sequence of course assessments.
F4. The course allows instructors to control the release of content.* Partially Met Michigan Virtual provides for flexible pacing and asynchronous delivery of its online course offerings. In order to maximize these opportunities for personalized learner preferences and flexibility concerning frequency or timing of individual learner availability or participation in courses during academic terms, with few exceptions, all course content is made available at all times throughout the term, and generally only midterm or final exams are password protected. Conditional release of content is intentionally avoided or used sparingly within Michigan Virtual course design and instructional delivery models.
F5. The course provides the necessary technical functionality to score and record assessments and calculate earned course points or grades.* Fully Met
Rating Comments
G1. The online course uses multiple methods and sources of input for assessing course effectiveness. Fully Met
G2. The online course is reviewed to ensure that the course is current. Fully Met
G3. The online course is updated on a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness based on the findings from ongoing reviews. Fully Met

Review Conducted By: Michigan Virtual
Date of Review: 08/17/2023

Tema 1: Families and Communities / Las familias y las comunidades

Tema 2: Science and Technology / La ciencia y la tecnología

Tema 3: Beauty and Aesthetics / La belleza y la estética

Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends Random Draw Date Enrollment Drop Date Course Starts Course Ends # of Seats Course Fee Potential Additional Costs
Semester 03/29/2024 09/20/2024 07/01/2024 09/13/2024 08/30/2024 01/17/2025 100 $440
Drop Policy Completion Policy Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends
Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. Students may access their course from their enrollment start date to their enrollment end date. A completion is a 60% final score or higher. Semester 03/29/2024 09/20/2024
Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.

Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.

Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/

Additional Technical Requirements specific to Vista Higher Learning’s VHL Central Supersite.