COMMONWEALTH
OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
P.O.
BOX 2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 46
February 23, 2007
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
State Standards of Learning Writing
and Grades 3 through 8 Testing Schedule for 2007-2008 |
The state testing program schedule for the Standards
of Learning (SOL) Writing tests for the 2007-2008 school year is available on
the Department of Educations website (http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Assessment/home.shtml).
Please inform all personnel of these testing dates so that other activities can
be scheduled without conflicts. Following
is information to assist you in preparing for the coming school year.
The grade 8
and end-of-course (EOC) SOL writing tests for the fall 2007 administration are
scheduled as follows. The
multiple-choice component of the writing tests will be administered on either Monday, October 22, or Tuesday, October 23,
2007. The direct writing component
of the tests must be administered statewide on Wednesday, October 24, 2007.
Students who are absent on the date of the statewide direct writing test
will respond to a different 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 Thursday, October 25, 2007. Answer documents for the writing tests must
be shipped for scoring by November
5, 2007.
The grades 5,
8, and EOC SOL writing tests for the spring 2008 administration are scheduled
as follows. The multiple-choice component of the writing tests will be
administered on either Monday, March 3, or Tuesday, March 4, 2008. The
direct writing component of the tests must be administered statewide on Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Students who are absent on the date of the
statewide writing test will respond to a different 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 Thursday, March 6, 2008. Answer documents for the writing tests must
be shipped for scoring by March 20, 2008.
Beginning 2007-2008, the process for determining
equating divisions for the writing tests will change. Pearson Educational Measurement and the
Virginia Department of Education will select equating divisions using a
multi-year rotation. School divisions
selected as equating divisions for fall 2007 and those selected for spring 2008
will be notified under a separate cover.
Fall
equating divisions will be asked to schedule the administration of the direct
writing component for EOC on Thursday, October 25, 2007. Spring equating divisions will be asked to
schedule the administration of the direct writing component for grades 5 and 8
and EOC on Thursday, March 6, 2008.
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 2008.
2 May 5 May 30, 2008
Division Directors of
Testing will be contacted by Pearson Educational Measurement to obtain the
testing window selected by the division.
The EOC SOL
writing test for the summer 2008 administration is scheduled as follows. The multiple-choice component of the English:
Writing test will be administered on either Monday, July 14, or Tuesday,
July 15, 2008. The direct writing
component of the EOC English: Writing test must be administered statewide on Wednesday, July 16, 2008. Graduating seniors who are eligible for two
opportunities to take the writing test will be given the alternate prompt on Thursday,
July 17, 2008. Answer documents for the EOC English: Writing test must be
shipped for scoring by July 25, 2008.
Questions
concerning the state testing program schedule should be directed to the
Division of Assessment and Reporting by e-mail at darfax@doe.virginia.gov or by
phone at (804) 225-2102.
BKCJr/SLR/jc