COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 144

July 29, 2005

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Jo Lynne DeMary Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Spring 2006 Standards of Learning Testing Windows for Grades 3 through 8

As communicated to you in Informational Supts. Memo No. 16, dated January 28, 2005, the Virginia Board of Education has adopted a policy to establish three testing windows for Standards of Learning (SOL) testing in grades 3 through 8 beginning with the spring 2006 test administration. While school divisions will continue to have flexibility to set their own testing windows for end-of-course testing, superintendents must choose one of the three windows for division-wide testing in grades 3 through 8. Answer documents for paper/pencil testing are to be shipped on the last day of the selected calendar.

In June 2005 school divisions were asked to provide feedback on proposed testing windows developed using school division testing calendars for spring 2005 as the basis. Based on feedback from school divisions on the proposed calendars, the following windows for SOL testing in grades 3 through 8 have been established for spring 2006.

4/17/2006 - 5/12/2006

5/8/2006 - 6/2/2006

5/22/2006 - 6/16/2006

Please inform the Division of Assessment and Reporting of the testing calendar your school division chooses for SOL testing in grades 3 through 8 in spring 2006 via e-mail (darfax@doe.virginia.gov) by September 30, 2005. If you have questions, please call the Division of Assessment and Reporting at (804) 225-2102.

JLD/SLR/jc