COMMONWEALTH
OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
P.O.
BOX 2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 266
October 24, 2008
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Patricia I. Wright Superintendent of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
State Standards of Learning Writing
and Grades 3 through 8 Testing Schedule for 2009-2010 |
The state testing program schedule for the Standards
of Learning (SOL) Writing tests for the 2009-2010 school year is available on
the Department of Education's website http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Assessment/home.shtml.
Please inform all personnel of these testing dates so that other activities may
be scheduled without conflicts. The following
information will assist you in preparing for the 2009-2010 school year.
The grade 8
and end-of-course (EOC) SOL writing tests for the fall 2009 administration are
scheduled as follows. The
multiple-choice component of the writing tests will be administered on either Monday, October 19, or Tuesday, October 20,
2009. The short paper component of
the tests must be administered statewide on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.
Students who are absent on the date of the statewide short paper
component will respond to a different writing prompt during the make‑up
period. Graduating seniors who are
eligible for two opportunities to take the EOC English: Writing test will be
given the alternate prompt on a later date, but not later than November 6,
2009. Answer documents for the
writing tests must be shipped for scoring by November 6, 2009.
The grades 5,
8, and EOC SOL writing tests for the spring 2010 administration are scheduled
as follows. The multiple-choice component of the writing tests will be
administered on either Monday, March 1, or Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The
short paper component must be administered statewide on Wednesday, March 3, 2010.
Students who are absent on the date of the statewide short paper
component will respond to a different writing prompt during the make-up
period. Graduating seniors who are
eligible for two opportunities to take the EOC English: Writing test will be
given the alternate prompt on a later date, but not later than March 19, 2010. Answer documents for the writing tests must
be shipped for scoring by March 19, 2010.
Pearson and the Virginia Department of Education
will select divisions to administer the alternate writing prompts for equating
purposes using a multi-year rotation.
School divisions selected as alternate prompt divisions for fall 2009
and those selected for spring 2010 will be notified under separate cover.
Fall
alternate prompt divisions will be asked to schedule the administration of the
short paper component for Grade 8 and EOC on Thursday, October 22, 2009. Spring
alternate prompt divisions will be asked to schedule the administration of the short
paper component for grades 5, 8, and EOC on Thursday, March 4, 2010.
While
school divisions will continue to have flexibility in setting their own testing
windows for EOC testing, superintendents must choose one of the three windows
listed below for divisionwide testing in grades 3
through 8. Answer documents for paper/pencil testing are to be shipped on the
last day of the selected schedule.
The
following windows for SOL testing in grades 3 through 8 have been established
for spring 2010.
2 May 3 May 28, 2010
3 May 17 June 11, 2010
Division Directors of
Testing select the division's testing window when entering spring 2010
participation counts in PEMSolutions.
The EOC SOL
writing test for the summer 2010 administration is scheduled as follows. The multiple-choice component of the English:
Writing test will be administered on either Monday, July 12, or Tuesday,
July 13, 2010. The short paper
component of the EOC English: Writing test must be administered statewide on Wednesday, July 14, 2010. Graduating seniors who are eligible for two
opportunities to take the writing test will be given the alternate prompt on a
later date, but not later than July 23, 2010. Answer documents for the
EOC English: Writing test must be shipped for scoring by July 23, 2010.
Questions
concerning the state testing program schedule should be directed to the Office
of Test Administration, Scoring, and Reporting by e-mail at Student_Assessment@doe.virginia.gov
or by phone at (804) 225-2107.
PIW/SLR/cd