INFORMATIONAL

  Seniors who anticipate having the required credits to graduate
  by August 31, 1997, and who transfer from out of state,
  private schools, or home instruction into Virginia public
  schools after the Spring 1997 Literacy Passport Test (LPT)
  administration will most likely not have had an opportunity to
  take the LPT.  Yet, these students are held to the LPT
  requirement for receiving the standard or advanced studies
  diploma in Virginia.  A reminder as to whom the LPT graduation
  requirement applies is in Attachment A to this memo.

  According to Informational Superintendent's Memorandum No.
  153, November 17, 1995, these students should be afforded the
  opportunity to receive their diplomas from their sending
  schools.  Should this not be possible, these students will be
  provided one opportunity to take the test prior to the close
  of the school year.  This special testing will be only for
  those seniors entering Virginia public schools from out of
  state, private schools, or home instruction, who are
  anticipated to have the required credits to graduate by August
  31, 1997, and have not been tested on the LPT.

  Students will be eligible to take only those tests that they
  did not attempt during the Spring 1997 administration.  For
  example, a senior who transfers into Virginia public schools
  in time to take the writing test in February but too late to
  take the reading and the mathematics tests would be eligible
  to take only the mathematics and the reading tests prior to
  the end of the 1996-97 school year.

  Division Directors of Testing will be responsible for
  contacting the Department of Education to arrange a testing
  opportunity for the students.  The Department will handle the
  testing of these students on a case-by-case basis.  A
  materials request form and more detailed instructions for
  conducting this special testing will be sent to each Division
  Director of Testing on March 28, 1997.

  If you have questions regarding these special testing
  arrangements or the LPT in general, please call Shelley
  Loving-Ryder or Cam Harris at (804) 225-2102.

  RTL/aw

  Attachment: A hard copy of this memo and its attachment will
              be sent to the superintendent's office                         Attachment A


                                          SUPTS. MEMO. NO. 57
                                          March 28, 1997




  A Reminder as to Whom the LPT Graduation Requirement Applies:

    The Board of Education, at its February, 1995, meeting,
  reaffirmed that passing the LPT is required of all students
  who were sixth graders or lower in 1989-90 (regardless of
  whether they were enrolled in Virginia schools in 1989-90) and
  will graduate from high school in 1996.  No standard or
  advanced studies diploma shall be granted to any student who
  was a sixth grader or lower in 1989-90 without having passed
  the LPT in addition to the prescribed credits.  This
  requirement extends to all regular education, special
  education, and Limited English Proficient students  without
  exception.

    The LPT requirement extends to adult education students. 
  Any adult student receiving a standard or advanced studies
  diploma after the first semester of the 1995-96 school year is
  required to meet the LPT requirement for the diploma.  Adult
  students participating in an external diploma program are
  granted a standard diploma and thus are also required to meet
  the LPT requirement before the diploma can be awarded.

    The "rule" that students in grade seven or higher in 1989-90 
  do not have to meet the LPT requirement to graduate does
  not apply to students in adult education programs.  As stated
  above, any adult student receiving a standard or advanced
  studies diploma after the first semester of the 1995-96 school
  year is required to meet the LPT requirement for the diploma. 
  Adult students, who are not enrolled in an adult education
  program, but who are not eligible to be counted in the average
  daily membership (ADM) of a school division must be treated as
  adult education students for the purposes of the LPT and must,
  therefore, pass the LPT to be eligible for a standard or
  advanced studies diploma.  (Please see Informational
  Superintendent's Memorandum No. 109, June 7, 1996, for more
  information about which students may be counted in ADM).