Inside this issue Internet Connections ELA Assessments Department Projects

Internet Connections All newsletters can now be viewed on-line. You can access them by going to my homepage. Click on Newsletters to access the index. Looking for ideas for the classroom? Click on URLs of Educational Resources. http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~borgert/

The new English Language Arts Assessments are scheduled for the Spring of 1999. The current implementation schedule is outlined in the table below. Follow the links within the chart for additional information on format and prototypes. Information about the other Learning Standards is also available online.

English Language Arts Assessments

Test/Level	Task	Time to Administer	Implementation Status
Early ElementaryProfile Grades 1-3	Inventory of students' independent and supported reading levels Analysis of reading strategies analysis of writing skills	Periodic Observations and Assessments administered in class. Used to identify students in need of intervention	Pilot Spring 1997 First Administration Spring 1999
Elementary Grade 4 January	Four reading or listening passages and three student writings  Standard Question Format  1 Multiple Choice  2 Multiple Choice Listening/writing Writing  3 Reading/writing MORE DETAILS ON FORMAT	3 class periods (Separate class time for extended task)	Prototype January 1998 First administration January 1999
Intermediate Grade 8 June	Similar format to elementary Content from Social Studies  Standard Question Format  1 Multiple Choice Listening/writing  2 Multiple Choice Writing  3 Reading/writing MORE DETAILS ON FORMAT	3 class periods (Separate class time for extended task)	Prototype Spring 1998 First administration Spring 1999
High School Regents Grade 11 (or any time before graduation)	Listening passage with comprehension questions and essay Technical reading and writing using multiple sources of information Reading of literary and expository pieces with comprehension and questionsand analytical essay Literary essay Extended Task  Standard Question Format  1 Multiple Choice Listening/writing Reading/writing  2 Multiple Choice Reading/writing  3 Writing MORE DETAILS ON FORMAT	2 3-hour sessions (Class time for extended task)	Prototype in Spring 1998 First administration in June 1999   LATEST INFORMATION   ON-DEMAND Component   REVISED EXAM SAMPLER

Please note: The above presentation is by OCM BOCES and New York State Education Department http://www.cnyric.org/standards/home.html. All information in the chart is current as of 11/97 and is subject to change.

• The pre-school program is continuing the implementation of early literacy activities under the direction of Joan Kent and Betsy Waterman.
• Four of our Special Education classrooms are involved in the county-wide, technology-supported Young Publishers Project.
• Five classroom teams are involved in an OCTC mini-grant to build and use a collection of connected texts that support the development of students' decoding skills.
• A group of teachers began a discussion on the selection of instructional materials for a comprehensive and balanced literacy program. The next meeting is scheduled for March 10, 1998, 3:15 p.m. at 4th Street, Fulton. We will be reviewing information pertaining to essential components of a literacy program and the materials and instructional practices that support quality teaching. If you can join us, please RSVP to Jim Huber or Stephanie Borgert @ 593-8608, fax 598-5975, or email borgert@cs.oswego.edu.