ADMINISTRATIVE

 The Department of Education is in the process of planning for the 2000-2001 
Standards of Learning (SOL) test administrations.  To accomplish this, we need 
information from your school division concerning the 2000-2001 school calendar, 
summer school dates, and estimated summer school enrollments.

2000-2001 School Calendar

To the extent possible, we will continue to base SOL testing windows on division 
calendars; thus it is necessary that we receive calendar information from your 
division.  We are asking your Division Director of Testing (DDOT) to forward a copy 
of your 2000-2001 division calendar to the Division of Assessment and Reporting by 
Friday, May 19, 2000.  To avoid the need for you to respond to another request for 
the same information, we will share your calendar with the Department of Education's
Division of Management Information Systems. 

Summer 2000 SOL Administration

Summer administration of the SOL tests, which will continue in 2000, is designed to 
accommodate two groups of students:

1. students enrolled in courses for which there are SOL tests (all of whom must be 
tested); and

2. students in the class of 2004 (rising ninth-graders) who desire to retake an SOL 
end-of-course test that they failed previously, and need an additional opportunity 
to retake the test to earn verified credit.  Students in this group need not be 
enrolled in a summer school course to take a test, and their participation is at 
their own option.

A.      2000 Summer School Dates

The Department of Education is requesting the starting and ending dates of summer 
school programs that offer courses requiring end-of-course tests. The information 
is being collected on the SOL Test Enrollment Request included in a mailing to your 
DDOT and will be used to determine your division's summer test window(s) for 
non-writing tests.  Note that the SOL writing test is to be administered statewide 
July 24-26, 2000. Students are to be administered the multiple-choice component of 
the English: Writing test on either Monday, July 24, or Tuesday, July 25, 2000.  The 
direct writing component of the English: Writing test will be administered statewide 
on Wednesday, July 26, 2000.

B.	Estimated Summer School Enrollment for Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests

To determine the number of SOL test booklets and answer documents required for the 
summer 2000 administration, we need to know the number of students planning to take 
SOL high school tests.  For each SOL test, this will include students in both of the 
groups described above.

The SOL Test Enrollment Request forms are being sent under separate cover to your 
designated DDOT, along with instructions for completing these forms.  A sample SOL 
Test Enrollment Request form and instructions are enclosed for your information.  A 
copy of Informational Superintendents Memorandum No. 39 (Approval of Courses to 
Satisfy Graduation Requirements), dated March 6, 1998, is also enclosed for your 
reference. 

While we recognize that the numbers provided will be estimates, it is important that 
this enrollment information be as accurate as possible and forwarded to the Division 
of Assessment and Reporting as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, May 19, 
2000.

We appreciate your time and effort in providing this important information.

Questions should be directed to the staff of the Division of Assessment and Reporting
at (804) 225-2102.

JLD/CMH/jc

Enclosures