INFORMATIONAL

 Attached is the State Testing Program schedule for the 2000-2001 school year.  
Please inform all personnel of these testing dates so that other activities can be 
scheduled without conflicts.


               LITERACY TESTING PROGRAM (LTP) INFORMATION

Summer 2000 Literacy Passport Test Administration

Information about the Summer 2000 administration was conveyed in Superintendent's 
Memo No. 74 and Testing Memo No. 368, dated April 14, 2000.

Fall 2000 Literacy Passport Test Administration

The reading and mathematics tests for the LPT must be administered during the period 
October 2 through October 10, 2000, to (1) students in the tenth through twelfth 
grades and unclassified students who have not passed one or more tests during the 
previous test opportunities, (2) students who entered the ninth grade in 1999-2000 
and who have been retained in the ninth grade for the 2000-2001 school year, 
(3) students in the tenth through twelfth grades who transferred into Virginia 
public schools after the February 2000 administration, and (4) adult education 
students who are pursuing standard or advanced studies diplomas.  Local divisions 
may establish reading and mathematics test dates to meet their needs within the 
"window" of October 2 through 10.

However, the writing test must be initially administered one day statewide on 
Wednesday, October 11, 2000.  Divisions are expected to schedule a full day of 
school on October 11, 2000, to accommodate this testing.  All students will respond 
to only one writing prompt on the fall 2000 LPT.  This prompt will be the same 
statewide.  Students who are absent on the day of the statewide writing test will 
take a different prompt during the make-up period.  Make-up testing for all three 
tests (reading, mathematics, and writing) must be completed by October 18 so that 
answer documents may be shipped by October 25, 2000.

Adult education program personnel wishing to schedule the LPT administration on a 
single Saturday should plan for that to be done on Saturday, October 14, 2000.  As 
in previous administrations involving adult students, a fee will be charged for the 
test.

Spring 2001 Literacy Passport Test Administration

The reading and mathematics tests for the LPT must be administered during the period 
from February 1 through February 7, 2001, to (1) students in the tenth through 
twelfth grades and unclassified students who have not previously passed one or more 
tests, (2) students who entered the ninth grade in 1999-2000 and who have been 
retained in the ninth grade for the 2000-2001 school year, (3) students in the tenth 
through twelfth grades who transferred into Virginia public schools after the fall 
2000 administration, and (4) adult education students pursuing a standard or advanced
studies diploma.  School divisions may establish reading and mathematics test dates 
to meet their needs within the "window" of February 1 through February 7.  However, 
the writing test must be administered one day statewide on February 8, 2001. 
Divisions are expected to schedule a full day of school on February 8, 2001, to 
accommodate this testing.

Students who are absent on February 8 will respond to a different prompt during the 
make-up period.  Make-up testing for all three tests (reading, mathematics, and 
writing) must be completed by February 16 so that answer documents can be shipped 
for scoring by February 23, 2001.

All students enrolled in Virginia public schools who anticipate having sufficient 
credits to graduate by August 31, 2001, who are required to pass the LPT and have 
not yet passed the writing test, will respond to both the regular and the make-up 
prompts. 

All adult education students, regardless of whether they are scheduled to graduate 
in the class of 2001, will respond to both prompts in the spring 2001 administration.
All other students will respond to only one writing prompt.  Adult education programs
wishing to schedule their LPT administration on a single Saturday should plan for 
that to be Saturday, February 10, 2001. As in previous administrations involving 
adult students, there will be a fee associated with their testing.

Spring 2001 Literacy Passport Test Graduating Senior Administration

The Department of Education will follow the same procedure used in spring 2000 to 
accommodate students entering Virginia public schools as seniors after the spring 
2001 administration.  The department will supply divisions with sufficient materials 
to test these students on an as-needed basis.  Request forms for these materials will
be sent to school divisions in the spring of 2001 after the spring LPT administration 
has been completed.

Summer 2001 Literacy Passport Test Administration

Dates for the summer LPT administration are July 16-20, 2001.  The writing test is 
to be administered one day statewide on Wednesday, July 18, 2001.  Divisions may 
administer the reading and/or the mathematics tests before or after the writing test.
Students who will be classified as grade 11 or above at the beginning of the 
2001-2002 school year and students entering the ninth grade in 1999-2000 who have 
been retained are eligible to participate in the summer 2001 administration.  There 
is no state requirement that these students participate in the summer 2001 
administration; rather, the summer administration is intended to provide an 
additional opportunity to take the LPT for those students who choose to participate.
With the exception of adult education students, there will be no charge to students 
choosing to take the LPT during the summer administration.  Adult education program 
personnel wishing to schedule this LPT administration on a Saturday should plan for 
that to be done on Saturday, July 21, 2001. 

All students who (1) have, or anticipate having, sufficient credits to graduate by 
August 31, 2001, (2) are required to pass the LPT, and (3) have not yet passed the 
writing test, will respond to both the regular and the make-up prompts.  All adult 
education students, regardless of whether they are scheduled to graduate in the 
class of 2001, will also respond to both prompts in the summer 2001 administration.
All other students will respond to only one writing prompt.

Preliminary LPT Testing--Writing and Reading

Administration of the preliminary LPT in reading and writing is a local school 
division option.  For school divisions that choose to administer the pre-LPT, the 
scoring of the fourth-grade writing assessment can be performed by locally trained 
teachers or may be contracted at local expense.  Divisions planning to score the LPT 
locally may schedule the writing assessment at their convenience. Divisions contract
ing for scoring must follow the schedule set by the contractor.  School divisions 
wishing to utilize the fourth-grade Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) as a preliminary 
literacy test in reading in grade 4 must arrange for scoring and be prepared to pay 
for the scoring from local funds. The Department of Education will continue to supply
divisions with the fourth-grade DRP booklets.

Directions for administering the grade 4 writing assignment and a writing prompt to 
be used for this assessment will be sent to division directors of testing in the 
early fall with an order form for those who need additional fourth-grade DRP booklets.

School Leavers and the LPT

Students in the classes of 1996-2001 who have completed all requirements for a high 
school diploma except for passing the LPT (school leavers) may take the test or 
tests they have not passed in the summer 2000, fall 2000, spring 2001, or summer 
2001 LPT administrations.
 
VIRGINIA STATE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (VSAP) INFORMATION

The Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition, Form TA, Abbreviated (Stanford 9, TA), 
will be administered to students in grades 4, 6, and 9 and should be scheduled 
during the period from September 15 through October 13, 2000.

               STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOL) ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Summer 2000 SOL Administration

Summer SOL administrations are designed to accommodate two groups of students:

1. Students enrolled in courses for which there are SOL tests; all enrolled students
   must be tested; and

2. Students in the class of 2004 or beyond who desire to retake a SOL end-of-course 
   test previously failed and need an additional opportunity to retake the test to 
   earn verified credit; these students do not have to be enrolled in a summer school 
   course to take a test; participation by these students is optional.

The SOL writing test is to be administered statewide July 24-26, 2000.  The 
multiple-choice component of the English: Writing test should be administered 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.

Fall Semester 2000 SOL Administration

The grade 8 and end-of-course tests will be administered to students who will 
complete the associated grade 8 classes or high school courses at the end of the 
fall semester.  Also, students in the class of 2004 or beyond who desire to retake 
a SOL end-of-course test previously failed may retake tests during the fall 2000 
administration.  These students do not have to be enrolled in the course in which 
they previously failed the SOL test in order to retake the test.  Participation by 
these students is optional.

SOL English: Writing Tests

The SOL English: Writing tests for the fall 2000 administration are scheduled as 
follows. The multiple-choice component of the English: Writing tests will be 
administered on either Monday, October 16 or Tuesday, October 17, 2000. The direct 
writing component of the English: Writing tests will be administered statewide on 
Wednesday, October 18, 2000. Students who are absent on the date of the statewide 
writing test will respond to a different prompt during the make-up period. Answer 
documents for the English: Writing tests must be shipped for scoring by 
October 27, 2000.

All Other SOL Tests

Testing schedules for other SOL tests will be based on the date the school division 
ends the fall semester.  Testing schedules will be communicated directly to school 
divisions at a later date.

Spring Semester 2001 SOL Administration

The spring SOL administrations are designed to accommodate two groups of students:

1. Students in grades 3, 5, and 8, and those enrolled in high school courses for 
which there is an end-of-course SOL test will participate in the spring semester SOL 
administration.

2. Students in the class of 2004 or beyond who desire to retake a SOL end-of-course 
test previously failed and need an additional opportunity to retake the test to earn 
verified credit; these students do not have to be enrolled in the  course they 
previously failed in order to retake the test; participation by these students is 
optional.

SOL English: Writing Tests

The SOL English: Writing tests for the spring 2001 administration are scheduled as 
follows. The multiple-choice component of the English: Writing tests will be 
administered on either March 5 or 6. The direct writing component of the test must 
be administered statewide on Wednesday, March 7. Students who are absent on the date 
of the statewide writing test will respond to a different prompt during the make-up 
period. Answer documents for the English: Writing tests must be shipped for scoring 
by March 20, 2001.

All Other SOL Tests

Testing schedules for other SOL tests will be based on the date the school division 
closes school. Testing schedules will be communicated directly to school divisions 
at a later date.

Summer 2001 SOL Administration

Summer SOL administrations are designed to accommodate two groups of students:

1. Students enrolled in courses for which there are SOL tests; all enrolled students 
   must be tested; and

2. Students in the class of 2004 or beyond who desire to retake a SOL end-of-course 
   test previously failed and need an additional opportunity to retake the test to 
   earn verified credit; these students do not have to be enrolled in a summer 
   school course to take a test; participation by these students is optional.


                      MINIMUM COMPETENCY TEST INFORMATION

The Department of Education will no longer offer the opportunity to take the Minimum
Competency Test to members of the classes of 1981 through 1988.  According to 
Regulatory Superintendent's Memo. No. 20, July 28, 1982, "School leavers may take 
the current tests only as long as the present program is in effect and the tests are 
being administered to regularly enrolled students.  If or when the competency 
program is modified, school leavers will be expected to meet the standards of the 
new program." This means that students in the classes of 1981-88 who left school 
without receiving a high school diploma will need to pass the Literacy Passport 
Tests, beginning with the 1998-99 school year.

                                  QUESTIONS

Questions concerning the state testing program schedule should be directed to the 
Division of Assessment and Reporting at (804) 225-2102.

JLD/CMH/atb

Attachment

/administrators/superintendents_memos/2000/inf103a.pdf