COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 138
July 8, 2005
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
New Standards of Learning Test Blueprints for
2005-2006 |
In the 2005-2006 school year new test blueprints
will be implemented for all Standards of Learning (SOL) tests in English, for
the mathematics tests in grades 4-8 and Algebra II, and for all science tests
with the exception of grade 8. The new
blueprints for the end-of-course English: Reading test and the Algebra II test
will be implemented in the fall of 2005 administration. The remainder of the
new blueprints will be effective with the spring 2006 administration. The new blueprints may be accessed and
downloaded from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Assessment/home.shtml.
In English the new test blueprints will reflect the
2002 English standards and will include new reading tests at grades 4, 6, and 7
as required by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. In addition, the new blueprint for grade 3
will address the reading SOL only. The grade 3 writing SOL will now be addressed
as part of the grade 5 writing test.
In the area of mathematics, new blueprints will be
implemented in grades 4-8 to accommodate the inclusion of new mathematics tests
at grades 4, 6, and 7 as required by NCLB and the related changes to the tests
at grades 5 and 8 as these tests move from being cumulative to assessing grade
level content. In addition, a new
blueprint for Algebra II that addresses a reporting category change from the
2001 SOL will be implemented. The delay
in the implementation of this changed blueprint was communicated to you via
Superintendents Memorandum No. 81, May 2, 2003.
With the exception of the grade 8 science test, new
blueprints that address the 2003 science SOL will be implemented in 2005-2006.
Because the grade 8 science test covers content from grades 6, 7, and 8 SOL,
the new blueprint for this test will not be implemented until 2007-2008 to
allow for full implementation of the 2003 SOL. The delay in implementing this
new blueprint was communicated to you via Informational Superintendents
Memorandum No. 16, January 31, 2003.
The Standards of Learning test blueprints serve a
number of purposes. One, they serve as
a guide to test developers for writing test items and constructing test
forms. Two, they serve as a guide to
educators, parents, and students by showing: (a) the SOL covered by the test
and which standards, if any, have been excluded; (b) which SOL are assigned to
each reporting category; (c) the number of test items in each reporting
category and on the total test; (d) general information about how the test
questions are constructed; and (e) the materials that students are allowed to
use while taking the test.
Each division director of testing will receive
notification of the blueprints in a similar memo.
If you have questions regarding the blueprints for
the English Standards of Learning tests, please contact Barbara F. Jones, lead
specialist, English, Division of Assessment and Reporting at Barbara.Jones@doe.virginia.gov
or by phone at (804) 225-2685. For
questions regarding the blueprints for science and mathematics SOL tests,
please contact Marcia Perry, assessment specialist, Division of Assessment and
Reporting at Marcia.Perry@doe.virginia.gov
or by phone at (804) 786-1390.
JLD/SLR/BJ/jc
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