INFORMATIONAL

  The Virginia Department of Education is requesting your
  assistance in nominating teachers, administrators, and
  supervisory personnel to participate in standard-setting
  and validation studies for Praxis II subject area tests
  and the School Leaders Licensure Assessment for
  principals and supervisory personnel. As you are aware,
  the Board of Education requires individuals seeking
  initial licensure to take and pass Praxis I Academic
  Skills Assessments (reading, writing, and mathematics)
  and Praxis II subject area examinations.  The Educational
  Testing Service (ETS) has developed several new subject
  area assessments, including content tests for middle
  education in English language arts, mathematics, science
  and social studies. Prior to establishing passing scores
  on these new assessments, standard-setting and validation
  studies must be conducted.

  The Licensure Regulations for School Personnel, effective
  July 1, 1998, allow an option that individuals seeking an
  endorsement in administration and supervision may
  complete a beginning administration and supervision
  assessment or participate in a full-time internship. A
  School Leaders Licensure Assessment has been developed.
  This assessment will undergo standard-setting and
  validation studies during the summer.

  Please use the following criteria as stipulated by ETS in
  nominating participants for the studies.

     *    each individual must hold a valid Virginia
          Collegiate Professional or Postgraduate
          Professional license in the subject to be
          reviewed;
     *    each individual must be currently employed in 
          one or more areas being reviewed;

     *    each teacher must have at least one year, but
          not more than seven years, of classroom
          experience;

     *    each administrator (principal or assistant
          principal) or supervisor must have at least one
          year, but not more than seven years, of
          administrative or supervisory experience.

  If teachers have more than seven years of experience and
  you would like to nominate them to participate, they must
  have recently supervised a student teacher or have been a
  mentor to a first-year teacher.  Experience parameters
  have been established because the Praxis II Subject
  Assessments are required for an initial teaching license. 
  Teachers in your division who are teaching with a
  Provisional License and who will need to take one or more
  of the subject assessments in the future to be eligible
  for the Collegiate Professional or Postgraduate
  Professional License will not be eligible to participate
  in the study.

  Teachers who are selected for the middle education tests
  will participate on June 24 or 25, 1999.  Principals,
  assistant principals, and supervisors will participate
  for two days, June 22-23, 1999. The site will be in the
  greater Richmond area. Participants must agree to be
  present for the full time required to conduct the study.
  Participant expenses (travel, meals, and lodging)and a
  $50 per day honorarium will be provided. Please share
  with your nominees the fact that not all of them may be
  selected.  ETS must assure that appropriate
  representation on each panel includes diversity of race,
  gender, ethnicity of individuals, and rural, urban, and
  suburban school divisions.

  A nomination form is enclosed for your use that may be
  copied for each nominee.  Please send the completed forms
  to Ms. Marlene Leggett of ETS at the address below no
  later than April 23, 1999.  Individuals will be notified
  directly of their selection and logistics for
  participation in the studies.

                    Ms. Marlene Leggett
                    Program Administrator
                    Educational Testing Service
                    Rosedale Road, Mail Stop 15-D
                    Princeton, NJ 08541
                    FAX: 609-734-5450

  Thank you for your assistance in this project.  If you
  have questions regarding this request, please do not
  hesitate to contact Thomas A. Elliott, Assistant
  Superintendent for Teacher Education and Licensure, at
  (804) 371-2522.

  PDS/sa
  Attachment:  A hard copy of this memo and its attach-
               ment will be sent to the superintendent's
               office.