INFORMATIONAL

  Action of the Board of Education on Tuesday, February 25,
  1997, approved the attached participation and accommodations
  guidelines for students with disabilities and limited
  English proficient (LEP) students as they participate in the
  Virginia State Assessment Program (VSAP) and the Standards
  of Learning (SOL) field test.


  A.   Notes Related to the Accommodations for the VSAP
       Administration

       Students with Disabilities

       As was the case with the previous guidelines for
       testing students with disabilities in the VSAP, the
       student's participation in VSAP and the specification
       of any needed testing accommodations are to be
       addressed in the student's Individual Educational Plan
       (IEP) or 504 Management Tool.  Accommodations used for
       VSAP testing should be consistent with those the
       student uses in classroom assessment and instruction. 
       The list of accommodations available for use in the
       VSAP testing may be found beginning on page 4 of the
       attached document entitled "Students with Disabilities:
       Guidelines for Testing in the Virginia State Assessment
       Program."

       Limited English Proficient Students

       The guidelines recommend that a committee decide how
       LEP students will participate in the VSAP and determine
       what, if any, testing accommodations are needed. 
       Accommodations used for VSAP testing should reflect 

  SUPTS. MEMO. NO. 39
  Page 2
  February 28, 1997


  those the student uses in classroom assessment and
  instruction. The list of accommodations available for use in
  the VSAP testing may be found beginning on page 4 of the
  attached document entitled "Limited English Proficient
  Students: Guidelines for Testing in the Virginia State
  Assessment Program."  Appropriate forms that school
  divisions may use in documenting student participation and
  testing accommodations to be used are included.  


  B.   Notes Related to the Accommodations for the SOL Field
       Test Administration

       Students with Disabilities

       As noted on page 2 of the "Students with Disabilities:
       Guidelines for Participation in the 1997 Field Test of
       the Standards of Learning Assessments," it is required
       that the parents of all students with disabilities be
       notified of the upcoming SOL field test.  Since this is
       a field test, the accommodations that currently are
       listed in the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP)
       or 504 Management Tool with respect to instructional
       and classroom assessment may be used as the
       accommodations in the SOL field test.  This does not
       necessitate a meeting of the student's IEP or 504
       Committee.  All parents of students with disabilities
       must be notified of the upcoming field test and sign an
       acknowledgment of the use of the existing
       accommodations in the SOL field test.  However, should
       the parent wish the IEP or 504 committee to convene,
       the school division must comply with that request. 
       Sample parental notification forms are included in this
       memo.  School divisions should feel free to use these
       forms or those they might devise which contain the same
       information.  The key points here are:

         a)      parental notification of the intent to use
                 the existing accommodations for classroom
                 instruction and assessment during the SOL
                 field test
         b)      convening the IEP or 504 committee should the
                 parent request it
         c)      documenting the above actions

       Limited English Proficient Students

       As with the VSAP administration, the guidelines
       recommend that a committee decide how LEP students will
       participate in the SOL field test and determine what,
       if any, testing accommodations are needed. 
       Accommodations for limited English proficient students
       should reflect those used in regular instruction and
       classroom assessment.  Appropriate forms for
       documenting participation of LEP students in the SOL
       field test are provided for school division use.

  Should you have questions, please feel free to contact the
  Division of Assessment and Reporting at (804) 225-2102.  You
  may direct your questions to any of the following staff
  members: Cam Harris, Shelley Loving-Ryder, Dan Keeling,
  Kevin Hughes, or Judy Singh.

  RTL/jc

  Attachments:   A hard copy of this memo and its attachments
                 will be sent to the superintendent's office.