COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

 

PRINS. MEMO NO. 40

October 21, 2003

 

ELEMENTARY / MIDDLE / SECONDARY

TO:

Principals

 

FROM:

Patricia I. Wright

Assistant Superintendent for Instruction

 

SUBJECT:

Project Graduation Online SOL Tutorial for English: Reading

 

The Virginia Department of Education, in cooperation with Chesterfield County public schools, is pleased to announce availability of the Online SOL Tutorial for English. The pilot tutorial was developed by Chesterfield County as part of Governor Warners Project Graduation initiative and is available to high school seniors who have not yet passed the English Reading/Literature and Research (R/LR) Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment.

 

The tutorial is designed to determine student academic needs through an online assessment and tailor Web-based lessons to those needs. After students have completed all recommended lessons, they will be given a final online assessment. Upon completion of the tutorial, students will be well prepared for the English R/LR SOL examination.

 

Although students may engage in lessons from home or school, each school must provide a contact person to serve as a facilitator and mentor to enrolled students. Contact persons will have access to accounts and may monitor student progress. The contact person must complete an online training program. Several opportunities will be available for training.

 

The tutorial will be available at no charge to 800 public school students. Preference will be given to students from school divisions whose graduation data indicates that at least 10 percent of the students graduating in 2004 need a verified credit in English: Reading. However, all school divisions are invited to submit student applications. The application can be obtained via Superintendents Memorandum #170, dated October 10, 2003, which can be found at the following address:

/administrators/superintendents_memos/2003/inf170.html

For more information contact Greg Weisiger, associate director, teleproduction at (804) 692-0335.

 

PIW/CCB