Table Of ContentC . 1/
1999 -2000 School Year
Achievement Testing Program
Grades 3, 6, and 9
; *
What's New ...
Home education
8
regulation
18
Reporting results
19
Individual student
Cprloafsislreso om materials 32
This document was written primarily for:
Students
Teachers /
Administrators /
Parents
General Audience
Others
Distribution: Superintendents of Schools • School Principals and Teachers • The Alberta
Teachers’ Association • Alberta School Boards Association • Officials of Alberta Learning
• General Public Upon Request
Copyright 1999, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Learning,
Alberta Learning, Student Evaluation Branch, 1 1 160 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5K 0L2.
All rights reserved. This document is available on the Alberta Learning web site at
http.V/eclnet. edc. gov, ab. c a / student eval/.
Alberta Educators may reproduce this bulletin for educational purposes.
September 1999
The General Information Bulletin presents directives of the Director, Student
Evaluation Branch , under the authority of the Student Evaluation Regulation ,
Alberta Regulation 169/98 pursuant to the School Act.
In this bulletin,
a. “Director” means the Director of the Student Evaluation Branch of Alberta Learning, and
b. “Student” means a student as defined in the School Act.
Preface
Purpose of This bulletin outlines the key features of the Achievement Testing Program
This Bulletin and lists the specific directives issued under the authority of the Student
Evaluation Regulation, Alberta Regulation 169/98. The information
provided is intended primarily to assist school and jurisdiction
administrators and classroom teachers in implementing the program in their
jurisdictions and schools.
Subject The General Information Bulletin is complemented by subject information
Information bulletins for all tests that are administered (Grade 3 E nglish Language Arts
Bulletins and Mathematics; and grades 6 a nd 9 F rench and English Language Arts,
Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies). Descriptions of provincial
standards, the tests, test blueprints, methods of scoring, and sample
questions for mathematics and science are included in these bulletins. These
bulletins are designed for teacher use. Once again, they are being made
available to superintendents, principals, teachers, and trustees on Alberta
Learning’s web site (http://ednet.edc.gov.ab.ca). Because of copyright
issues, print copies of practice questions for English and French Language
Arts and Social Studies will still be mailed to each school directly.
Summary of Changes
This General Information Bulletin has a f ew changes to matters of policy and procedures. These
changes are important to principals and teachers and are listed below.
Section Nature of Change Page
Policy Home Education Regulation 8
School Board Reporting Both sets of results to be reported 1 8
Individual Student Each student profile will be sent to the school where 19
Profiles the student wrote the tests.
Classroom Materials Materials that would provide direct aid to students must 32
be removed.
iii
Contents
Significant Dates in the 1999-2000 School Year 1
Achievement Test Administration Schedule 1999-2000 School Year 4
Achievement Testing Program Overview 5
The Achievement Testing Program
Introduction 6
Three- Year Plan 6
Background 6
Policy 7
Tests in the French Language 8
Home Education Students 8
Test Accommodations for Students
Accommodations 9
Request and Approval 9
Preparing for the Achievement Tests
Communicating with Parents and Students 10
Creating a P ositive Environment 10
Procedures for Administration and Marking
Secure Distribution, Administration, Collection, Storage, and Return of Tests 11
Breach of Security 13
Principal’s Manual 13
Home Education Students 13
Concerns About Ethical and Moral Content of Tests 13
Registration 13
Materials Request Forms 13
Registration of Ungraded Students 14
French Immersion Checklist 14
Achievement Tests Written with Computers 14
Interim Calculator Policy 14
Achievement Test Rules 14
Classroom Teacher Marking 15
Marking the Machine-Scorable Part 15
Marking the Written-Response Part 15
Feedback to Classroom Teachers on First Reading Scores 16
Aggregation of Preliminary Results 16
Provincial Marking and Confirming of Standards 16
IV
Reporting Achievement Test Results
Public Access to Results 17
Cut Scores and Standards 17
Data from Classroom Teacher Marking 1 8
School and Jurisdiction Reports 18
Reporting on All Students in the Jurisdiction Reports 1 8
Individual Student Profiles 19
Home Education Reports 19
Using the Reports 19
Appendices
Appendix A Sample Permission-to-Excuse Letter 21
Appendix B Administration of Achievement Tests Using Test Accommodations 22
Appendix C Sample Letter to Parents 25
Appendix D Achievement Tests Written with Computers 26
Appendix E Use of Calculators on Achievement Tests 30
Appendix F Achievement Test Rules 32
Appendix G Setting Local Targets 33
Appendix H Student Evaluation Branch Contacts 35
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Significant Dates in the 1999-2000 School Year
Responsibility of Student Responsibility of
Date Evaluation Branch School/Jurisdiction
September 3 Send sample questions for ELA, FLA,
and SS, including French versions
Post subject bulletins on Alberta
Learning’s web site
November 29 Send Semester 1 Checklist to schools
on semester system
December 13 Return completed Semester 1
Checklist to SEB
January 7 Ship Gr. 9 A chievement Tests
Ship Principal's Manual to schools
and jurisdiction offices
January 10 Mail to schools/jurisdictions
• M aterials Request Forms
• U ngraded Students List for schools
with ungraded programs
• L anguage of Instruction Checklists
for Francophone and French
Immersion programs
January 14 Schools contact jurisdiction offices
if Semester 1 Achievement Tests
have not been delivered, or SEB if
there are errors or omissions
Administer Gr. 9 S emester 1
January 19-27
achievement tests
January 3 1 Return Gr. 9 S emester 1
achievement tests
March 1 Send marker nomination letter Return to SEB
to superintendents Materials Request Forms
• U ngraded Students List
• L anguage of Instruction Checklists
Responsibility of Student Responsibility of
Date Evaluation Branch School/Jurisdiction
March 30 Forward marker nominations from
superintendent to SEB
May 8
Ship Principal's Manual to schools
and jurisdiction offices
May 8 Ship Gr. 3, 6, and 9 L anguage Arts
Part(ie) A, Gr. 3 T imed Number
Facts, and Gr. 6 M ath Part(ie) A
achievement tests to
schools/jurisdictions (Shipment 1)
May 18 Schools contact jurisdiction offices
if achievement tests have not been
delivered or SEB of there are errors
or omissions
May 23 Administer Gr. 6 a nd 9 F LA Partie
A a chievement tests (see schedule
May 24 Administer Gr. 3 a nd 6 M athematics
Papratg(ei e )4 ) *A a chievement tests (see
schedule page 4)
May 25 Administer Gr. 3, 6, and 9 E LA
Part(ie) A a chievement tests (see
schedule page 4)
May 29 Ship all other achievement tests to
schools/jurisdictions (Shipment 2)
May 25-June 7 Local marking of Language Arts
Part(ie) A t ests
June 7
Schools contact jurisdiction office if
achievement tests have not been
delivered, or SEB if there are errors
or omissions
individual students who are absent on the day of the test are expected to write when they return, up to the
published return date for test materials. Students who are leaving school early may write achievement
tests before they leave, subject to the approval of the superintendent.
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