DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 195
September 23, 2005
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
|
The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to
announce statewide availability of both the Virginia Online Reading Tutorial
and the Virginia Online Algebra I Tutorial.
The reading tutorial was successfully piloted during the fall and winter
of 2003 and 2004, as part of Governor Warners Project Graduation initiative
and was used successfully during the 2004-2005 school year by over 8,000
students. The Algebra I tutorial was
made available for statewide use during the 2004-2005 school year
and was used by 3,500 students.
Both tutorials are designed to determine student
academic needs through an online assessment and to tailor Web-based lessons to
those needs. Upon completion of all recommended
lessons, students will take a final online assessment. Students may review tutorial lessons and
retake the final online assessment until they and their teachers are confident
the student is prepared for the appropriate Standards of Learning (SOL)
assessment.
For the reading tutorial, teachers may now enroll
seniors who have not passed the English Reading Standards of Learning
assessment, or juniors determined to be at-risk of not passing this same
assessment.
The Algebra I tutorial is available to students in
grades 9 through 12 who have passed Algebra I (or Algebra I, Part 1, and
Algebra I, Part 2; or have completed the algebra content in an integrated
course series) but have failed the Algebra I Standards of
Learning assessment. Teachers may
also enroll high school students who are at risk of not passing the Algebra I
SOL assessment.
Although
students may engage in lessons from home or school, each school must provide a
facilitator/teacher to serve as a mentor and guide to enrolled students. Facilitators should be endorsed English or
mathematics instructors. Facilitators
will have access to student accounts, will monitor student progress, and offer
individual guidance.
Attached are two EXCEL spreadsheets and instructions, one for reading (Attachment A) and one for Algebra I (Attachment B), which must be completed and e-mailed to Princeton Review for acceptance. The list of school identification numbers is included in (Attachment C). E-mail completed spreadsheets to VATutorial@review.com. Incomplete spreadsheets will not be accepted.
The e-mail with attachment to Princeton Review must contain the following:
FROM field: Must contain a mailbox that can receive an e-mail reply. This e-mail address will receive newly created user names and passwords, as well as any data error reporting.
SUBJECT field: This field should specify either Virginia Reading Tutorial or Virginia Algebra I Tutorial.
a.
School or division name (i.e.,
b. Your contact information including name, e-mail, address, and telephone number.
For more information please contact Tracy Robertson
(Tracy.Robertson@doe.virginia.gov),
English specialist, at
(804) 371-7585 or Deborah Kiger
Bliss (Deborah.Bliss@doe.virginia.gov),
mathematics coordinator, at (804) 786-6418, Office of Middle and High School
Instruction.
JLD/TR/DKB/yba
Attachments
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf195a.xls
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf195b.xls
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf195c.pdf