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SUPTS. MEMO. NO. 123
July 25, 1997 |
| TO: | Division Superintendents |
| FROM: | Richard T. La Pointe
Superintendent of Public Instruction |
| SUBJECT: | Limited Fall Field Test for the Standards of Learning Assessment |
It has become necessary to conduct a limited field test in certain content areas in the fall of 1997 in order to have sufficient items for the Standards of Learning tests in the spring of 1998. We regret this intrusion into your academic program but have no other choice in order to have a pool of quality items from which to select for the 1998 operational test of the Standards of Learning Assessments. Enclosed you will find information indicating the schools that have been selected for the field test and the target number of students in each school, number of packets of field test booklets, and the content areas that will be field tested. It should be noted that this is a limited field test and not all students are participating and not all schools are included in the field test. It is a random sample allowing us to test the minimum number of students necessary statewide to produce credible field test results. This information has also been sent to your division director of testing along with a more detailed listing of activities that will precede the field test itself. We have received a great deal of feedback regarding the spring 1997 field test, and we have incorporated many of the suggestions made by members of your staff to minimize the intrusion of this field test. We appreciate your cooperation in allowing your schools to participate and look forward to conducting this field with a minimum amount of intrusion. If there are any questions regarding the field test, please feel free to contact Cameron Harris, Assistant Superintendent, Division of Assessment and Reporting, or anyone on her staff at (804) 225-2102. RTL/jc Enclosures: A hard copy of this memo and its enclosure will be sent to the superintendent's office.