The individual members of the Writing and Steering Committee, all seasoned teachers with experience using a wide variety of textbooks and teaching methods, begin writing the exams each spring. By the middle of August the members, meeting together as a committee, begin the difficult task of reviewing each exam with respect to the level of difficulty, content, and accuracy. After several revisions, the exams are sent to the consultants for their in-depth critiques. Acting upon their suggestions, the committee makes further changes. After a final review, proofing, and fine-tuning, the exams are printed and sent to the schools.

It usually takes the committee twelve to fifteen sessions averaging three to four hours each to complete the work associated with the exams. In addition to the general working sessions, each committee member spends hours taking care of specific tasks such as answering correspondence, word processing, record keeping, publicizing the exam, and writing newsletter articles.

Janine Kuty, Office Manager, Fredericksburg, VA

Ellen Smith, Administrative Assistant/Data Entry Specialist, Fredericksburg, VA

TBD, Student Aide, Fredericksburg, VA

Every fall the Writing and Steering Committee sends drafts of the seven exams to the consultants who are current high school teachers, college professors, or former educators. These consultants are split into two groups, the first group receiving the exams around mid-September and the second group in mid-October. David Perry, our macron specialist, adds the macrons to all the Latin words on the exams. The consultants carefully critique every question on each of the exams, offer suggestions for improvement, and return their comments to the Writing/Steering Committee within a week’s time. Their ideas and contributions are invaluable in the process of preparing the exams for distribution to national and international Latin students.

The NLE Scholarship committee is composed of seven readers: three college professors and three high school teachers plus the Chair. Only two professors and two high school teachers serve as readers each year. The applications are read several times prior to the selection of the twenty-one scholarship winners and five alternates. The first screening is done by the Chair. A second screening is then done to determine which applications will be sent to the readers. Approximately ninety applications are sent to the readers for a third reading. Each reader selects his top thirty-five applications and returns these selections to the chair. At this time, the committee members’ choices are collated, and the winners are chosen. The names of the Scholars are announced at The American Classical League Institute late in June.

The members of the new Outreach and Resources Committee work to promote the National Latin Exam at area, regional, and state conferences and to create and distribute materials of interest to Latin teachers for success on the NLE and for the study of Latin in general.