questions and answerseqao: ontario secondary school literacy test (osslt) questions and answers...

EQAO: Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

Questions and Answers

● General Questions● Administration● Eligibility Rules — Unusual Scenarios● Quality Assurance● Test Format● Accommodations● Special Provisions● Deferrals

● Exemptions● Students in Section 19 Facilities● Standard-Setting Process● Marking the OSSLT● Individual Student Report (ISR)● School and Board Reports● Security

General Questions

1. What is the purpose of the OSSLT?

2. When was the OSSLT administered for the 2002–2003 school year?

3. What is the OSSLT based on?

4. Who is required to write the OSSLT?

5. Is the OSSLT a diploma requirement?

6. If the OSSLT is a diploma requirement, why is it administered in Grade 10?

7. Can students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT take it again?

8. Do the results of the OSSLT count toward students' regular grades?

9. Do universities and colleges have access to individual OSSLT results?

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10. What are field-test items? How do they affect the OSSLT?

11. Will a student's transcript indicate the number of times he or she has attempted the OSSLT?

12. How does EQAO know if the OSSLT is too easy or too difficult for Grade 10 students?

13. Are EQAO materials also available in French?

14. How can students prepare for the OSSLT?

15. Is it possible for a school to modify the dates for administering the OSSLT?

16. If a student transfers from a French-language school to an English-language school, in which language is he or she required to write the OSSLT?

Administration

1. How are test materials being distributed?

2. What is contained in each package of student test materials?

3. Can administrators hold the information session(s) prior to the day(s) designated by EQAO?

4. Does EQAO provide tips for students who will write the OSSLT?

5. Information sessions occur too late for full preparation. Shouldn't they be held earlier?

6. Should preparations for the OSSLT include helping students plan the use of their time?

7. What should administrators do with students who finish early?

8. What are the rules regarding student misconduct during the administration of the OSSLT?

9. What happens if a student moves to another school just before the OSSLT is administered?

10. Why does EQAO need to know about suspicions of child abuse or neglect reported by a scribe? Why can't the school just handle it?

11. Why can't staff read or photocopy test materials? Wouldn't it be helpful for teachers to read the test so they can better support and prepare students?

12. Can a student who is suspended write the OSSLT?

13. Can a student who has been expelled write the OSSLT?

14. What provisions are there for home-schooled students to write the OSSLT?



15. Are students allowed to use either a dictionary or a thesaurus during the administration of the OSSLT?

16. How should administrators record a student's lateness? The Student Tracking Sheet only allows for the reporting of absences.

17. If a student is absent the first day, can he or she write the second day?

18. Can teachers use the Support Materials to give this year's Grade 9 students a practice test?

19. If students have passed reading or writing only, they are only required to pass the other component of the test. Do they have to write the entire test?

20. If students are in Grade 11, how do we complete question 1 (related to level of study) of the Student Information Form, since the applied and academic designations do not apply to Grade 11 courses?

Eligibility Rules — Unusual Scenarios

1. Will students who move to Ontario from another province or country during the 2002-2003 school year (for example in September 2002) be required to write the OSSLT?

2. In the following examples, will the students be required to write the OSSLT?

3. When will the OSSLT become a graduation requirement for adult students? Most adult students begin their programs in Grade 11, with some students picking up a few Grade 10 courses and possibly a few Grade 9 courses as well.

4. What about students entering Grade 11 or 12 from other provinces and countries at a time in the future?

5. How will the OSSLT requirement be applied to students who match the following examples?

Quality Assurance

1. What are EQAO's quality assurance procedures during the administration of the OSSLT?

2. Why is it important to follow the required procedures for administering the OSSLT?

3. Who is responsible for ensuring co-operation in all aspects of the administration?

4. Will students who did not receive results due to irregularities in the administration of the OSSLT be given another opportunity to write the OSSLT?

Test Format

1. What will students be asked to do on the OSSLT?



2. What are the reading questions designed to measure?

3. What are the writing tasks designed to measure?

4. How will successful completion of the OSSLT be determined?

5. How many reading and writing selections are in each 60-minute testing booklet?

6. Does the OSSLT indicate how long a student should spend on a particular task?

7. How does EQAO ensure that the OSSLT does not discriminate against certain groups?

8. Can the public see what types of questions are on the OSSLT?

Accommodations

1. What is an accommodation?

2. Who is eligible for accommodations?

3. What constitutes an accommodation?

4. Can accommodations be provided to a student who has arrived from another province or country a very short time before the administration and does not yet have an IEP?

5. Are all accommodations in a student's IEP allowed for the OSSLT?

6. How are accommodations recorded?

7. May a student have access to more than one version of the OSSLT?

8. Can non-teaching personnel assist with the implementation of accommodations?

9. Are teachers allowed to staple computer-printed responses into the students' booklets?

10. What if the technology is not available to provide the accommodations needed for all students taking the OSSLT at the same time?

11. Tapes are an accommodation for low-vision or blind students and those with learning disabilities. Can they be used for students with other exceptionalities?

12. What are principals to do if a student is working mainly on locally developed courses?

13. Can administrators write only the last four numbers of the barcode on special versions of test materials for accommodated students?



14. Are Support Materials available in special versions for students who require them?

15. Is the OSSLT available on a CD or in another electronic format, so that the accommodated student does not have to write or type on a blank page?

16. Is the OSSLT available in CD format for text-to-speech programs or screen readers other than Kurzweil?

Special Provisions

1. What are special provisions?

2. How do principals decide on the grade level for ESL students? They may be older than the others in their classes, but not as advanced in reading and writing in English.

3. Is there an appropriate ESL level to help determine "readiness" for the OSSLT?

4. Since the test is based on The Ontario Curriculum, students from other provinces or nations could be disadvantaged. How will schools deal with this issue?

Deferrals

1. How are deferrals granted?

2. Is it possible to defer a student in the case of injury or other extenuating circumstances (e.g., accident, death in family) during the administration of the OSSLT?

3. Do deferred students have to write the OSSLT during the next administration?

4. If a student who has difficulty speaking English has just transferred to a school with no ESL program in place, should administrators defer the student's participation?

5. Can ESL students be granted deferrals?

6. Can students who have not passed Grade 9 English at the applied or locally developed level be granted a deferral?

Exemptions

1. What is required to receive an exemption?



Students in Section 19 Facilities

1. Are students in Section 19 facilities required to participate in the OSSLT?

2. Will the results for Section 19 students be included in school and board reports?

Standard-Setting Process

1. What are the standards for the reading and the writing components of the OSSLT?

2. Do the standards for the OSSLT relate to the Ministry of Education's levels of achievement?

3. Who participated in the standard-setting process?

4. How did the committee develop the standards for the OSSLT?

5. Are the standards low or high?

6. Will the standards change?

7. Are the documents from the standard-setting process available to the public?

8. How are the pass scores determined for the reading and the writing components of the OSSLT?

Marking the OSSLT

1. Who marks the OSSLT?

2. What is the application process to become a marker?

3. How does EQAO ensure consistency in marking?

4. When was the October 2002 OSSLT be marked?

5. What happens if a student writes more than three paragraphs for the opinion piece?

6. What happens if a student writes more than one paragraph for the information paragraph?

7. What constitutes "non-compliance" on the OSSLT?

8. In the summary, is a word count done by the marker?



9. How much is deducted for spelling, grammar and punctuation?

10. How are markers directed to deal with illegibility?

11. If a student does part of a task, but does not complete it, will he or she receive some marks?

12. Do markers use or take into account the student's planning notes and rough draft? Are they used if there is little or nothing in the area indicated for the answer?

13. What happens if a student does not complete all four booklets, due to absence or lateness?

Individual Student Report (ISR)

1. What can a parent do to assist a child who is not successful on the OSSLT?

2. Are there remediation programs available for students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT?

3. Does EQAO release individual student work or individual results to the public?

School and Board Reports

1. How does EQAO report results from the OSSLT?

2. When will individual, school and board results be available?

3. How does EQAO ensure that an individual student's results cannot be inferred from school and board results?

4. How can schools and boards use the OSSLT results?

5. Are students who are absent for one or both days of the administration reported as part of the number of students who failed the OSSLT?

6. How will EQAO report on the students who are retaking the OSSLT in the school, board and provincial results?

Security

1. What are the security procedures for the OSSLT?

2. What constitutes a breach of security?

3. What should be done if a breach of security is suspected or disclosed?



4. Who is ultimately responsible for the security of the OSSLT?

5. How are school staff expected to respond if they become aware that a student is leaving the classroom or has left the school property with confidential test material?

6. What should be done to secure the test if a fire alarm, bomb scare, power outage or other disruption occurs during the administration?

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This page was last updated on April 23, 2003.

Today's Date: May 1, 2003

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Questions and Answers

General Questions

1. What is the purpose of the OSSLT? The purpose of the OSSLT is to determine whether or not students have acquired the reading and writing skills that they are expected to have learned by the end of Grade 9, as outlined in The Ontario Curriculum. The OSSLT will identify students who have demonstrated the required skills in reading and writing as well as those who have not demonstrated these skills and need to do further work. For students who have not demonstrated the required skills, the test will identify areas of weakness for remediation purposes.

2. When was the OSSLT administered for the 2002–2003 school year? The OSSLT was administered on October 23 and 24, 2002.

3. What is the OSSLT based on? The OSSLT is based on the expectations for reading and writing across all subjects in The Ontario Curriculum up to the end of Grade 9. These skills are the basis for learning in all subject areas in both elementary and secondary school.

4. Who is required to write the OSSLT? Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999 (OSS) sets out the policies and requirements that govern the program in Ontario English-language secondary schools. OSS came into effect at the start of the 1999–2000 school year and establishes the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) as one of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

❍ Students who began Grade 9 during the 2000–2001 school year and those who began it thereafter are required to write the OSSLT. These students (and any others who are placed in one of these cohorts) are required to complete the test successfully in order to earn their OSSD. Students will normally participate in the test when they are in Grade 10. Students who do not participate in the OSSLT in the year following the year in which they enter Grade 9 require either a deferral or an exemption.

❍ If a student is working toward an OSSD but either has not yet acquired a level of proficiency in English advanced enough to complete the OSSLT successfully or is unable to write the test because of illness, injury or other extenuating circumstances, the principal may grant a deferral in accordance with the Ministry of Education's deferral policy. However, the student will need to complete the OSSLT successfully in order to earn an OSSD.

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❍ Students who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that indicates that they are not working toward an OSSD may be exempted from writing the OSSLT. Exemptions must be documented according to EQAO's guidelines.

❍ Students who began Grade 9 between September 1984 and the start of the 1999–2000 school year fall within the scope of the Ontario Schools, Intermediate and Senior Divisions (Grades 7–12/OACs): Program and Diploma Requirements, rev. ed., 1989 (OSIS). These students (and any others who are placed in a cohort that falls within OSIS requirements) are not required to write the OSSLT.

5. Is the OSSLT a diploma requirement? Yes. Successful completion of the OSSLT is one of the thirty-two requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

6. If the OSSLT is a diploma requirement, why is it administered in Grade 10? The OSSLT measures the reading and writing skills that are the foundation for success in all secondary school courses. It is important for students who are having difficulty with these skills to receive feedback so that they will have opportunities to strengthen their skills and to write the OSSLT again before graduation.

7. Can students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT take it again? Yes. They will be able to take it again during future administrations. Students who are not successful may write the OSSLT an unlimited number of times and will have at least three opportunities to do so prior to the end of Grade 12. Students who passed one component will only be required to pass the component they did not pass previously (either reading or writing) in order to complete the diploma requirement.

8. Do the results of the OSSLT count toward students' regular grades? No. The OSSLT is based on the expectations for reading and writing across all subjects in The Ontario Curriculum. The OSSLT is not tied to a particular subject and does not count toward any particular course grade.

9. Do universities and colleges have access to individual OSSLT results? No. Post-secondary institutions will not have access to a student's OSSLT Individual Student Report (ISR). They will have access to the Ontario Student Transcript, which indicates whether or not a student has successfully completed this diploma requirement.

10. What are field-test items? How do they affect the OSSLT? To ensure the quality of current and future test items, and to ensure comparability year by year, EQAO embeds field-test items in one test booklet per student each year. There are very few field-test items for any one student, and no student is disadvantaged by the placement of these items in the OSSLT. The scores on the field-test items are not included in the student's score for the OSSLT. The field test provides high-quality data to help developers of the OSSLT decide whether to use the field-test items as part of the OSSLT in the future.

11. Will a student's transcript indicate the number of times he or she has attempted the OSSLT? No. The transcript will indicate only whether or not the test has been successfully completed.

12. How does EQAO know if the OSSLT is too easy or too difficult for Grade 10 students? The OSSLT is based on the reading and writing expectations in The Ontario Curriculum up to the end of Grade 9. The reading questions and writing tasks are piloted and field-tested extensively in classrooms across the province to ensure that they have been developed at an appropriate level of difficulty in relation to the standard-setting process.

13. Are EQAO materials also available in French? Yes. EQAO values the delivery of its programs and services with equivalent quality in both English and French. The English and French versions of the OSSLT are developed in parallel by French-language and English-language teams.



14. How can students prepare for the OSSLT? There are a variety of materials available to help students prepare for the OSSLT. The following important resources can be found on the EQAO Web site:

❍ Getting Ready Guide ❍ Annotated Student Responses ❍ Support Materials: Preparing for the Test ❍ October 2000 Trial Adminstration: Sample Student Answers

15. Is it possible for a school to modify the dates for administering the OSSLT? No. To protect the security of test materials and to ensure the validity and reliability of the results, all students across the province must write the OSSLT at the same time. This policy applies to schools in the publicly funded system and to independent schools, including First Nations schools. Teachers and principals who are responsible for administering the OSSLT must follow this policy.

16. If a student transfers from a French-language school to an English-language school, in which language is he or she required to write the OSSLT? A student registered in an English-language school must write the OSSLT in English.

Administration

1. How are test materials being distributed? The OSSLT materials are distributed in two shipments. The first shipment arrives in schools a few weeks before the administration and contains all administrative materials, except the test booklets. This allows school staff sufficient time to prepare the administrative materials such as Student Information Forms (SIFs) and Student Tracking Sheets (STSs). The second shipment, containing test booklets, arrives in schools within one or two days of the first day of the administration.

2. What is contained in each package of student test materials? Each package contains 4 test booklets, 4 security seals and 1 Student Questionnaire.

3. Can administrators hold the information session(s) prior to the day(s) designated by EQAO? No. It is important that students attend an information session immediately prior to the administration of the OSSLT. The script provided by EQAO must be followed. Consistency is required across the province in the provision of information to students, in terms of both timing and content.

4. Does EQAO provide tips for students who will write the OSSLT? Yes. Tips for students are found in the Support Materials and the Getting Ready Guide. Students should have the opportunity to work through these tips with a teacher well before the information session.

5. Information sessions occur too late for full preparation. Shouldn't they be held earlier?Student preparation should take place in advance through the use of the Support Materials provided. The information sessions are intended to be an opportunity immediately prior to the administration of the OSSLT for students to review some important messages related to the administration and to clarify their understanding of various aspects of the administration. It is important that students review this information immediately prior to the administration of the OSSLT.

6. Should preparations for the OSSLT include helping students plan the use of their time?Yes. This is particularly important for students who have weak time-management skills.

7. What should administrators do with students who finish early? As indicated on page 10 of the Guide for Administering the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, October 2002, the principal determines procedures at the school level. The procedures must ensure that there is minimal disruption for students who are still writing the test and, if those who finish are allowed to


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leave, for students in other classes. Students who finish early must seal their booklets and may not reopen them.

8. What are the rules regarding student misconduct during the administration of the OSSLT? Students are not permitted to use any unauthorized material or to talk or exchange information with one another during the administration of the OSSLT. Any student (or group of students) who engages in such misconduct during the administration will face serious consequences. The supervising teacher or principal must report any misconduct to EQAO as soon as the administration is over. In such instances, EQAO will not score the student's work or provide an Individual Student Report. The student will be required to write the OSSLT at a later date and the principal will determine what disciplinary measures are warranted

9. What happens if a student moves to another school just before the OSSLT is administered? If the school is within the same jurisdiction, information about the student's requirements for the OSSLT must be forwarded to the receiving school. This should not affect the student's ability to participate in an administration of the OSSLT. The student's test materials should not be forwarded by the student's previous school, as materials are barcoded by school. The receiving school should ensure that it has enough student packages to provide one for the new student. A small number of sets of materials in excess of the number requested by the school is included in Shipment 2 to deal with this possibility. In the case of movement between school boards or from another province, the same provisions apply. See the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions for information on providing accommodations in such cases.

10. Why does EQAO need to know about suspicions of child abuse or neglect reported by a scribe? Why can't the school just handle it? The school will handle the suspicion referral to the Children's Aid Society (CAS), but EQAO also needs to know because EQAO is required to ensure the confidentiality and security of the OSSLT. Schools will forward only the student response to the CAS. EQAO will provide further details about the writing task if requested.

11. Why can't staff read or photocopy test materials? Wouldn't it be helpful for teachers to read the test so they can better support and prepare students? The OSSLT is a secure test and confidentiality must be ensured. Some parts of the OSSLT may be used in the future and some parts are used to establish comparability over time. Also, field-test items are embedded in the OSSLT to be tested for future use.

12. Can a student who is suspended write the OSSLT? Yes. Provisions must be made for a suspended student to write the OSSLT. The student continues to be registered at his or her school.

13. Can a student who has been expelled write the OSSLT? A student on limited expulsion cannot attend the school from which he or she was expelled. However, the board may arrange for the student to write the OSSLT at another school or at another board.

A student who is on full expulsion cannot write the OSSLT, since the student cannot attend any school in the province.

14. What provisions are there for home-schooled students to write the OSSLT? Home-schooled students will write the OSSLT at their designated school. Their results will not be incorporated into the school's overall results.

15. Are students allowed to use either a dictionary or a thesaurus during the administration of the OSSLT? No. A dictionary or thesaurus cannot be used. Please refer to the Rules for Students Writing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test for more information.

16. How should administrators record a student's lateness? The Student Tracking Sheet only allows






for the reporting of absences. If a student is up to 30 minutes late and writes the booklet, it is not necessary to record the lateness. If the student is more than 30 minutes late, he or she is not permitted to write the booklet being administered. Schools will seal the student's booklet and write on the cover that the student was more than 30 minutes late, then return the booklet with those of the other students.

17. If a student is absent the first day, can he or she write the second day? Yes. A student who is absent the first day may write on the second day. However, the student will not be able to complete the reading or the writing component of the OSSLT successfully. If the student wishes to write the second day, he or she must be allowed to do so. There is some benefit to writing under such circumstances in that the student will have experienced test-taking under these conditions and may, therefore, be better prepared for the next administration.

18. Can teachers use the Support Materials to give this year's Grade 9 students a practice test? As each activity is intended to be used on its own, EQAO does not encourage schools to create a simulated test using the Support Materials. When using the Support Materials with Grade 9 students, teachers should remember that the reading and writing skill-level expectations are appropriate for students at the end of Grade 9.

19. If students have passed reading or writing only, they are only required to pass the other component of the test. Do they have to write the entire test? While all materials submitted by students will be marked, students will only be required to pass the component they have not passed. Schools will indicate on the Student Information Form (SIF) what component(s) the student must successfully complete.

The OSSLT reading selections support the writing tasks; that is, some of the reading selections serve as "pre-writing" activities. As well as providing content, some of the reading selections provide models for the writing tasks. Students who passed the reading but not the writing component are encouraged to read the reading selections that precede each writing task. These students should focus on the writing task, returning to work on the reading task if they have the time.

The OSSLT does not make the same connection from writing to reading. The reading selections are not dependent on the writing tasks.

Schools are responsible for developing a plan for students who finish early because they are only writing one component of the test.

Schools are responsible for tracking which components students have passed.

20. If students are in Grade 11, how do we complete question 1 (related to level of study) of the Student Information Form, since the applied and academic designations do not apply to Grade 11 courses? For students retaking this test, question 1 may be left blank.

Eligibility Rules — Unusual Scenarios

1. Will students who move to Ontario from another province or country during the 2002-2003 school year (for example in September 2002) be required to write the OSSLT?If a student enters the Ontario secondary school system with no previous Ontario credits, the principal determines the student's placement in accordance with OSS Appendix 8: Equivalent Diploma Requirements. If the principal determines that the student belongs in Grade 10 or 11, the OSSLT will be a diploma requirement. If the principal determines that the student belongs in Grade 12, the OSSLT will not be a diploma requirement. The student may want to seek a deferral and take the test at a later time.



2. In the following examples, will the students be required to write the OSSLT?

Example 1: A student started Grade 9 in 1997-1998, failed several courses and dropped out of school. The student returned and completed Grade 9 in 2000-2001, and was in Grade 10 for 2001-2002. Is this student eligible to write the OSSLT?

If the student earned a minimum of one credit under OS:IS in Grade 9 (prior to September 1999), then the student is working toward OS:IS requirements and is not required to pass the OSSLT to earn the OSSD.

Example 2: A student completed Grade 9 in 1998-99 and received full credit for Grade 9 in the old system (QEV). The student dropped out of school at the end of Grade 9 and returned in September 2002 to begin Grade 10.

This student is working toward the OS:IS diploma, which does not include the OSSLT.

3. When will the OSSLT become a graduation requirement for adult students? Most adult students begin their programs in Grade 11, with some students picking up a few Grade 10 courses and possibly a few Grade 9 courses as well. Mature students working towards the OSSD under OSS must satisfy the diploma requirements with regard to the OSSLT (Section 6.6 of OSS).

The OSS diploma requirements, excluding the OSSLT, apply to all students and mature students who do not have at least one Ontario credit prior to September 1999 and who enter Grade 9 in 1999, Grade 10 in 2000, Grade 11 in 2001 and Grade 12 in 2002.

The OSS diploma requirement of the OSSLT test does apply to all students and mature students who do not have at least one Ontario credit prior to September 1999 and who enter Grade 9 in 2000, Grade 10 in 2001, Grade 11 in 2002 and Grade 12 in 2003.

This parallel phase-in of OSS diploma requirements will ensure that most students in a grade are working toward the same set of diploma requirements and takes into account the one-year delay in the OSSLT a diploma requirement.

4. What about students entering Grade 11 or 12 from other provinces and countries at a time in the future? The OSS diploma requirement of the OSSLT does apply to all students and mature students who do not have at least one Ontario credit prior to September 1999 and who enter Grade 9 in 2000, Grade 10 in 2001, Grade 11 in 2002 and Grade 12 in 2003.

Students, including mature students, who have at least one Ontario credit prior to September 1999 will continue to work towards OS:IS diploma requirements; the OSSLT is not required.

5. How will the OSSLT requirement be applied to students who match the following examples?

Example 1: A student completed Grade 10 in 1999-2000 and dropped out. The student returned to complete Grade 11 in 2002-2003.

Students and mature students who have one Ontario credit prior to September 1999 will continue to work toward OS:IS diploma requirements. The student does not have to write the OSSLT.

Example 2: A student completed Grade 10 in 2000-2001, failed the pilot literacy test and dropped out of school. The student returned to complete Grade 11 in 2002-2003.

Since the student belonged to the Grade 10 cohort of 2000-2001, for whom the OSSLT was not a diploma requirement, the student will not be required to complete the test successfully upon return to secondary



school.

Example 3: A student completed Grade 11 in 2000-2001 and dropped out of school. The student returns to complete Grade 12 in 2003-2004.

A student who completed Grade 11 in 2000-2001 started Grade 9 in 1998-1999. If the student earned at least one Ontario credit prior to 1999, that student is working toward OS:IS diploma requirements and the OSSLT is not required.

Quality Assurance

1. What are EQAO's quality assurance procedures during the administration of the OSSLT? A percentage of public and private schools will be monitored for quality assurance during the administration of the OSSLT. Schools are selected for quality assurance monitoring randomly within demographic and geographic guidelines.

2. Why is it important to follow the required procedures for administering the OSSLT? To provide valuable and reliable data on students' reading and writing skills, the OSSLT must be administered correctly and consistently in all test sites. All schools must administer the test on the designated dates at the designated times and must follow the Guide for Administering the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, October 2002.

3. Who is responsible for ensuring co-operation in all aspects of the administration? Within each school board, the Director of Education is ultimately responsible for ensuring that schools co-operate in all aspects of the administration of the OSSLT.

Within each school, the principal is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the administration of the OSSLT. The principal and any teachers or support staff involved in administering the OSSLT must maintain test security, abide by the instructions in the Guide for Administering the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, October 2002, and ensure appropriate student conduct during the test. A principal has a continuing obligation to inform EQAO promptly about any breaches of test security, irregularities in the administration of the test or student misconduct during the test.

4. Will students who did not receive results due to irregularities in the administration of the OSSLT be given another opportunity to write the OSSLT? Yes. Students who do not receive results will have the opportunity to participate in subsequent administrations of the OSSLT.

Test Format

1. What will students be asked to do on the OSSLT? The OSSLT is designed to assess reading and writing abilities across the curriculum.

Reading: Students will be asked to read a variety of selections and answer questions about each selection. There will be three kinds of questions: short-answer questions, questions that require a brief explanation and multiple-choice questions. The selections reflect the types of reading materials that students encounter every day, including the following:

❍ Information (e.g., explanation, opinion) ❍ Graphic (e.g., graph, schedule, instructions) ❍ Narrative (e.g., story, dialogue)







Writing: Students will be asked to produce four pieces of writing:

❍ Summary ❍ Paragraphs Expressing an Opinion ❍ News Report ❍ Information Paragraph

These four different kinds of writing reflect the variety of tasks included in the curriculum. Please see the OSSLT Curriculum Connections for more information.

The reading and writing activities are interspersed throughout the test booklets.

The Support Materials for the OSSLT contain reading questions and writing tasks that were part of the trial administration.

2. What are the reading questions designed to measure? The reading questions are designed to measure students' skills in understanding and interpreting information. To pass the reading component, students must demonstrate their skills in the following key areas:

❍ understanding directly stated ideas and information ❍ understanding indirectly stated ideas and information (making inferences about what the selection

means) ❍ making connections between personal ideas and information in the reading selections (interpreting

meaning)

3. What are the writing tasks designed to measure? The writing tasks are designed to measure students' skills in communicating ideas and information clearly. To pass the writing component, students must demonstrate their skills in the following key areas:

❍ developing a main idea ❍ providing supporting details ❍ organizing and linking ideas and information ❍ using appropriate tone for the purpose and for the intended reader ❍ using correct grammar and punctuation ❍ using correct spelling

4. How will successful completion of the OSSLT be determined? To complete the OSSLT successfully, students will be required to pass both the reading and the writing components. Each component will be marked separately and the Individual Student Report will indicate whether or not a student has passed the reading component of the OSSLT the writing component of the OSSLT or both components.

5. How many reading and writing selections are in each 60-minute testing booklet? There is one writing task in each booklet. There are reading questions in each booklet, but length and number vary.

6. Does the OSSLT indicate how long a student should spend on a particular task? Students are given 60 minutes for each booklet, but no suggestions are given for allocation of time per task. Teachers can use the Support Materials to give students a sense of the time required to complete each task.

7. How does EQAO ensure that the OSSLT does not discriminate against certain groups? All OSSLT materials are reviewed by educators and experts to ensure that they are fair, appropriate and free of bias. Materials are piloted and field tested with different groups of students to ensure fairness for all students.






8. Can the public see what types of questions are on the OSSLT? Yes. Annotated Student Responses taken directly from the February 2002 administration as well as an Example Test Booklet are available on the EQAO Web site. Examples of acceptable student work on the writing component and examples of correct and partially correct student work on the reading component are also posted.

Accommodations

For more detailed information, please consult the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions and the Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 127.

1. What is an accommodation? Accommodations are supports and services that enable students with special needs to demonstrate their competencies in the skills being measured by the OSSLT. An accommodation may change the way in which the OSSLT is administered or responded to by the student, but an accommodation does not alter the validity and reliability of the OSSLT.

2. Who is eligible for accommodations? To qualify for accommodations on the OSSLT, a student must have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that describes the required accommodations. The accommodations recommended must be identified in the IEP, appropriate for the student, necessary for regular classroom assessments and described in specific detail. The student may be, but does not have to be, formally identified as exceptional by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC). Under special circumstances, accommodations are also available to other students who do not have an IEP, as outlined in the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions.

3. What constitutes an accommodation? Accommodations for students with special needs include the following:

❍ Setting: an individual or small-group setting in a separate location or familiar space; an individual study carrel; special lighting; or adaptive equipment

❍ Timing: additional time for the test, but not more than double time unless approved by the Chief Assessment Officer at EQAO

❍ Breaks: periodic supervised breaks ❍ Prompts: verbal or other appropriate cues to draw attention back to the test ❍ Braille version of the test and/or responses in Braille ❍ Large-print version of the test ❍ Coloured paper or overlays ❍ Electronic version of the test ❍ American Sign Language or other Signed Language or an oral interpreter for instructions ❍ Assistive devices and technology such as a Kurzweil, Kurzweil 3000 or Arkenstone Reader,

augmentative and alternative communication systems, a speech synthesizer or speech-to-text software

❍ Audiotaped version of the test ❍ Verbatim scribing or audiotaping of responses ❍ Computer or word processor for responses

For the Writing Component of the test only:

❍ Verbatim reading of writing prompts (including the topic) and accompanying texts

The EQAO Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions supports schools and principals in administering the accommodations set out in the Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 127.

4. Can accommodations be provided to a student who arrives from another province or country a







http://mettowas21.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/127.html







very short time before the administration and does not yet have an IEP? A student in such circumstances who requires an accommodation may be deemed eligible for an accommodation by the principal with the consent of the parent. The student may also qualify for a deferral and in some cases this should be considered. Appropriate documentation must be retained.

5. Are all accommodations in a student's IEP allowed for the OSSLT? No. Accommodations that may compromise the validity and reliability of the test are not allowed. These include

❍ clarifying questions by rewording or explaining them, ❍ encouraging students to question for clarification and additional information and ❍ encouraging oral discussion prior to writing tasks.

6. How are accommodations recorded? Accommodations provided for students writing the OSSLT are indicated on their Student Information Forms.

7. May a student have access to more than one version of the OSSLT? Yes. Students on whose behalf a request is made for a Braille or audiotaped version of the OSSLT will automatically receive a regular-print version of the OSSLT. Students using Kurzweil software may also use a regular-print version. Large-print versions and coloured-paper versions are also permitted on request.

8. Can non-teaching personnel assist with the implementation of accommodations? Principals must ensure that non-teaching personnel are informed of the rules for administering the OSSLT, given copies of the Guide for Administering the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, October 2002 and are directed to the script and other relevant sections. Non-teaching personnel must be given copies of the section of the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions entitled "Human Resources Required to Implement Accommodations for Students with Special Needs" (pages 22 and 23) and given the opportunity to come together to have their questions answered and their understanding clarified.

If accommodations are being provided to a number of students in one setting, such as a library, a teacher must be present to ensure that students are being given appropriate assistance and that the OSSLT is being administered and the accommodations implemented in a way that is consistent with OSSLT procedures and guidelines.

9. Are teachers allowed to staple computer-printed responses into the students' booklets? Yes. First ensure that the 22-digit barcode is clearly marked on every sheet of paper to be attached to the student booklet. Check that the barcode numbers on the sheets to be attached are the same as the number on the student booklet as well as on the Student Tracking Sheet and the Student Information Form.

10. What if the technology is not available to provide the accommodations needed for all students taking the OSSLT at the same time? Schools are required to provide the appropriate accommodations identified in the IEPs to permit each student to complete the OSSLT. The school should have a strategy that includes obtaining the necessary equipment and resources for students taking the OSSLT with required accommodations.

11. Tapes are an accommodation for low-vision or blind students and those with learning disabilities. Can they be used for students with other exceptionalities? No. Audio tapes are special accommodations for students who have low vision or are blind (who cannot see or have difficulty seeing the printed page) and those with a specific learning disability that interferes with the ability to acquire and use reading skills such as decoding, tracking and/or comprehension. Students with other exceptionalities whose reading skills are weak are not eligible for audio tapes as an accommodation.

12. What are principals to do if a student is working mainly on locally developed courses? If the student is working toward an OSSD, the student is required to write and successfully complete the





OSSLT in order to meet the diploma requirement. If the student qualifies for deferral, his or her participation may be deferred one or more times.

13. Can administrators write only the last four numbers of the barcode on special versions of test materials for accommodated students? No. Administrators must write the whole barcode. EQAO needs the full identification number so that the school and the student can both be identified.

14. Are Support Materials available in special versions for students who require them? Yes. Support Materials are available in Braille, large-print and Kurzweil 3000 formats and may be obtained from EQAO by sending a request to [email protected] or by calling 1-888-327-7377.

15. Is the OSSLT available on a CD or in another electronic format, so that the accommodated student does not have to write or type on a blank page? Students using the Kurzweil 3000 reader may use the CD, or the OSSLT may be scanned for different software that the student is using as an accommodation on a regular basis. In this way a student may access the OSSLT on a computer and generate responses using a word processor function as well as voice-recognition software. The answers must still be printed and attached to the test booklet.

16. Is the OSSLT available in CD format for text-to-speech programs or screen readers other than Kurzweil? No. The OSSLT is not available on CD or disk for text-to-speech programs or readers other than Kurzweil since the OSSLT includes graphics and pictures as part of the test. The CD is available for the Kurzweil 3000 reader since it is the most widely requested accommodation for students with learning disabilities and provides access to all components of the test most effectively.

A single-sided copy of the OSSLT, suitable for scanning, is available to accommodate students who use other text-to-speech programs or screen readers on a regular basis. Scanning requires Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to be effective and scanned versions of the OSSLT need to be checked for accuracy. Strict security measures must be in place to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.

Special Provisions


1. What are special provisions? Special provisions may be put in place for students who are enrolled in an ESL or ELD course at level 1, 2, 3 or 4 who write the OSSLT, or students enrolled in a Bridge to English (ESL level 5) course.

Special provisions include the following:

❍ additional time for the test beyond the time assigned, but not more than double the time ❍ periodic supervised breaks ❍ an individual or small-group setting in a separate location or familiar space or ❍ an individual study carrel or preferential seating

2. How do principals decide on the grade level for ESL students? They may be older than the others in their classes, but not as advanced in reading and writing in English. Eligibility for the OSSLT depends on the year in which the student began Grade 9. Students enrolled in ESL/ELD courses may qualify for special provisions or deferrals.

3. Is there an appropriate ESL level to help determine "readiness" for the OSSLT? The decision on whether or not an ESL student is ready for the OSSLT must be made on an individual







basis, weighing the possible benefits of trying the OSSLT against the possible negative effects of trying and not succeeding.

4. Since the test is based on The Ontario Curriculum, students from other provinces or nations could be disadvantaged. How will schools deal with this issue? Students from other provinces should not be disadvantaged; the reading and writing skills assessed on the OSSLT are consistent with what is taught and assessed across the country. Students from other countries whose first language is not English may, depending on their level of proficiency in English, be considered for special provisions or deferrals so that they may have time to develop the skills in reading and writing necessary to complete the OSSLT successfully.

Deferrals


1. How are deferrals granted? Deferrals are intended for students who have not yet acquired a level of proficiency in English advanced enough to complete the OSSLT successfully. This may include students who have been identified as exceptional, students who are registered in ESL/ELD courses or students who have been unsuccessful in acquiring the reading and writing skills appropriate for Grade 9. Deferrals may also be granted for students who are unable to write the OSSLT during the scheduled administration due to illness, injury or other extenuating circumstances.

Deferrals are granted to students on an individual basis. The Ministry of Education policy states that the principal, in consultation with the parent and student, will determine whether or not a deferral should be granted. If the parent or adult student disagrees with the principal, the parent or adult student may ask the appropriate supervisory officer to review the matter. The decision of the supervisory officer is final.

2. Is it possible to defer a student in the case of injury or other extenuating circumstances (e.g., accident, death in family) during the administration of the OSSLT? Yes. Please refer to page 34 of the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions. Principals should remember to change the SIF and document the circumstances.

3. Do deferred students have to write the OSSLT during the next administration? No. Each deferral is only until the next administration, but a student may be deferred more than once.

4. If a student who has difficulty speaking English has just transferred to a school with no ESL program in place, should administrators defer the student's participation? One of the criteria for a deferral is enrolment in ESL/ELD course. If such a course is not available to a student who would qualify for an ESL/ELD course if one were offered in the school, the student may be considered for special provisions or a deferral (pages 32 and 34 of the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions).

5. Can ESL students be granted deferrals? Provided the decisions are made on an individual basis and in the best interests of the student, ESL students may be considered for a deferral. Please refer to page 34 of the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions for the criteria and direction on consultation and documentation.

6. Can students who have not passed Grade 9 English at the applied or locally developed level be granted a deferral? All such decisions must be made on an individual basis and in the best interests of the student. Please refer to page 34 of the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions for details that













will guide administrators in the decision-making process.

Exemptions


1. What is required to receive an exemption? To be considered for an exemption, a student must have an IEP that clearly indicates he or she is not working toward an OSSD. All exemptions must be considered on an individual basis. All decisions regarding exemptions will be made by the principal in consultation with the parent and student.

Students in Section 19 Facilities

1. Are students in Section 19 facilities required to participate in the OSSLT? Yes. Participation in the administration of the OSSLT is mandatory for all students who began Grade 9 during the 2000–2001 school year and are working toward an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. For more details on eligibility and participation in the OSSLT, please refer to page 3 of the Guide for Administering the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, October 2002.

If it is not clear when a student "began Grade 9", the principal should make the best possible judgment on whether the student should participate in the administration of the OSSLT. The principal should document his or her rationale and keep all documentation in the student's Ontario Student Record.

2. Will the results for Section 19 students be included in school and board reports? No.

Standard-Setting Process

1. What are the standards for the reading and the writing components of the OSSLT? Reading: Students who did not pass the reading component: The student reads with limited accuracy and proficiency. He or she

❍ demonstrates a limited understanding of directly stated information; ❍ rarely connects relevant ideas and information to understand the meaning and ❍ has difficulty integrating personal knowledge and experience to extend meaning.

Students who did pass the reading component: The student reads with reasonable accuracy and proficiency. He or she

❍ demonstrates an understanding of directly stated information; ❍ usually connects relevant ideas and information to understand the meaning and ❍ has moderate success in integrating personal knowledge and experience to extend meaning.

Writing: Students who did not pass the writing component: The student has difficulty communicating in writing. He or she

❍ demonstrates limited skill in developing, organizing and connecting main ideas, with supporting information;

❍ writes in a limited variety of forms and finds it difficult to complete such tasks as a summary, an opinion piece, a news report and an informational paragraph;

❍ uses inappropriate or incorrect words and sentence structure and ❍ makes errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation that impede meaning.








Students who did pass the writing component: The student communicates adequately in writing. He or she

❍ demonstrates an ability to develop, organize and connect main ideas, with some supporting information;

❍ writes in a variety of forms, such as summary, opinion piece, news report and informational paragraph;

❍ generally uses appropriate words and sentence structure and ❍ generally does not make errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation that impede meaning.

2. Do the standards for the OSSLT relate to the Ministry of Education's levels of achievement? No. The standards for the OSSLT are not related to the Ministry of Education's levels of achievement.

The OSSLT is not specifically related to the curriculum expectations for particular English or French courses. It measures reading and writing skills that are not subject-specific. The purpose of the OSSLT is to determine whether or not students have acquired the essential reading and writing skills used across all subjects of the curriculum up until the end of Grade 9. Consequently, the standards developed are unique to the OSSLT.

For more information, please refer to the OSSLT Curriculum Connections.

3. Who participated in the standard-setting process? The reading and writing standards for the OSSLT were established by an 18-member committee of educators, educational experts, statisticians and nominated members of the public. Parallel committees were established for English and French.

Educators were nominated by Directors of Education. The members of the public were nominated by senior education officials and community leaders on the basis of the nominees' experience with schools and students or on the basis of their familiarity with environments in which reading and writing skills are required. Participants were not designated as representatives of any groups or organizations to which they might belong.

The diversity of the province was represented insofar as was possible in an 18-member committee.

For more information, please refer to the Standard-Setting Process document.

4. How did the committee develop the standards for the OSSLT? The English- and French-language standard-setting committees worked separately for three days and followed identical processes. Along with background information, materials relevant to the OSSLT and demographic information about the diversity of Ontario students, the committee members reviewed samples of student work from the March 2000 OSSLT field test. Based on the samples, the committees developed descriptions of students' performances for both reading and writing at the incomplete, complete and advanced levels of proficiency. The committees then applied these descriptors in reviewing student test papers to determine which should pass and which should not.

For more information, please refer to the Standard-Setting Process document.

5. Are the standards low or high? The standards reflect the essential reading and writing skills that students are expected to have acquired by the end of Grade 9.

6. Will the standards change? No. The standards that were established for the OSSLT will be applied each year.

7. Are the documents from the standard-setting process available to the public?






Yes. EQAO has published a paper by Dr. Robert Wilson, a professor at Queen's University, on the process that was used in June 2000 to establish the standards. A copy of the paper is included in the appendix of The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Resource Guide, 2000–2001.

8. How are the pass scores determined for the reading and the writing components of the OSSLT? The pass scores for the reading and the writing components of the OSSLT have been determined through a three-stage process.

Field-test papers were scored by educators, using the same procedures that are used in scoring the actual test.

Without knowing these scores, a standard-setting committee composed of educational experts and nominated members of the public examined the same sample of tests and organized them into acceptable and unacceptable performances. The committee sorted these papers based on their own experience as well as on training provided by EQAO and other assessment experts. The training provided by EQAO included a review of the curriculum requirements and how they relate to the test.

Finally, statisticians determined the pass score that best distinguished the acceptable from the unacceptable papers.

Marking the OSSLT

1. Who marks the OSSLT? Practising or recently retired teachers and qualified individuals from outside the education profession mark the OSSLT. The more complex writing component is scored by markers with education qualifications. People with other degrees are permitted to mark the reading component of the OSSLT. All markers are trained and supervised by EQAO assessment staff.

2. What is the application process to become a marker? The marker application process for individuals with education qualifications occurs on-line. Current teachers seek the permission of their principals before applying. The role of the principal is to approve as many marker applications as occasional-teacher availability and other factors allow. The role of the EQAO board contact is to monitor the number of applications and to encourage teachers from across the district to participate in the marking process. People with other degrees who are interested in applying to mark should call 1-888-327-7377.

3. How does EQAO ensure consistency in marking? Educators help build excellent training materials during the Anchor Selection process. Anchor papers, answer keys and training strategies all contribute to marker consistency and reliability. At the end of training and before being allowed to score the OSSLT, all markers take a readiness test to show that they can score papers with accuracy. EQAO has strategies in place during the marking activities to build and maintain consistency.

4. When was the October 2002 OSSLT marked? The marking took place from November 18 until December 14.

5. What happens if a student writes more than three paragraphs for the opinion piece? The test instructions indicate that the student must write a minimum of three paragraphs. If the student writes fewer than three paragraphs, the response will not comply with the requirements and will be assigned a score of 0. The student will not be penalized for writing more than three paragraphs.

6. What happens if a student writes more than one paragraph for the information paragraph? The test instructions require a single, well-constructed paragraph. If the student writes more than one paragraph, the work will be deemed to be "off-task" and will not receive a passing score.





7. What constitutes "non-compliance" on the OSSLT? "Non-compliance" is a term used only for writing tasks. There are a few ways a piece of writing can be "non-compliant" with the requirement of the task: the writing can be "off-task," "off-topic," "too long" or has "no points from list."

8. In the summary, is a word count done by the marker? No. However, the marker will deem the writing to be "non-compliant" if it clearly exceeds 100 words. Students should not be told to count every word. They need to focus on including the main idea and the supporting details in as concise a fashion as possible. Brevity is an attribute of a summary. Students will be given a space of 13 lines to write in and this should assist them in understanding the appropriate length for this piece of writing.

9. How much is deducted for spelling, grammar and punctuation? The marking of this test is not based on a deficit model. Students are given marks for good spelling and grammar, which represent a relatively small part of the overall score for a piece of writing.

10. How are markers directed to deal with illegibility? Markers are trained to make the best possible effort to understand a student's writing. When they are unsuccessful in their attempts, they are required to seek a second opinion from the marking group leader, who will also do his or her utmost to understand the writing. If the writing is deemed to be illegible, it will not be marked.

11. If a student does part of a task, but does not complete it, will he or she receive some marks? Every effort is made to be as fair to the student as possible and to find evidence on which to award some marks.

12. Do markers use or take into account the student's planning notes and rough draft? Are they used if there is little or nothing in the area indicated for the answer? Because of the requirement that full sentences be used in a piece of writing, there may be little evidence in point-form notes on which to award marks. It is possible that the student could show evidence of the development of a main idea, for example, and in such a case some marks would be awarded.

13. What happens if a student does not complete all four booklets, due to absence or lateness? Students should be encouraged to complete as much work as possible, even if they miss one or more booklets due to absence or lateness. All work that is completed will be marked.

It is possible for a student who completes three of the four booklets to pass the OSSLT, although it would require that the work be of high quality. The practice and experience as well as the feedback provided should prove helpful in future attempts.

Individual Student Report (ISR)

1. What can a parent do to assist a child who is not successful on the OSSLT? First, a parent should discuss the information on the ISR with the child. Then the parent can speak with the student's teachers and/or principal to determine how much progress the student has made since the OSSLT was administered and to discuss what can be done at home to reinforce the reading and writing skills that require attention. Parents may also find it helpful to read How to Help Prepare Your Child for The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test

2. Are there remediation programs available for students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT? School boards are required to provide remedial assistance for students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT.

3. Does EQAO release individual student work or individual results to the public?





No. Individual student booklets and Individual Student Reports are strictly confidential.

School and Board Reports

EQAO strongly discourages the misuse of OSSLT scores to rank schools or boards. Rankings invite simplistic and misleading comparisons that ignore the particular circumstances that affect achievement in each school, and they distract people from addressing the critical issue of how to improve learning for all students.

1. How does EQAO report results from the OSSLT? EQAO reports on student achievement at the individual, school, board and provincial levels.

Each student who participates in the OSSLT will receive an Individual Student Report (ISR) that indicates whether or not he or she has successfully completed the OSSLT. Students who are unsuccessful will receive an ISR containing detailed feedback to assist students, parents and teachers in developing individual plans for remediation.

Schools and boards will receive a report that provides aggregated achievement results and aggregated contextual data from the questionnaires that are administered with the OSSLT.

2. When will individual, school and board results be available? School and board results will be released on the EQAO Web site on April 30, 2003. Individual Student Reports are mailed to schools in April.

3. How does EQAO ensure that an individual student's results cannot be inferred from school and board results? EQAO makes every effort to ensure that suppression rules for aggregated school and board results protect the identity of individuals.

4. How can schools and boards use the OSSLT results? It is useful for boards to analyze their achievement in terms of the provincial results and for schools to analyze their scores in terms of both provincial data and the board results. School boards and schools can use this approach to determine relative strengths and weaknesses in their students' achievement and to address board- and school-level remediation efforts.

5. Are students who are absent for one or both days of the administration reported as part of the number of students who failed the OSSLT? Yes. A student who is absent one day has attempted part of the OSSLT and will receive an ISR indicating that he or she has not been successful. Students who are absent must be accounted for in the total number of students in the school population.

6. How will EQAO report on the students who are retaking the OSSLT in the school, board and provincial results? EQAO will report the results under two categories:

❍ First-time eligible students ❍ Previously eligible students

For school, board and provincial reporting purposes, student results will reflect only the component of the OSSLT that the student had to pass in order to complete the OSSLT successfully.

Security

1. What are the security procedures for the OSSLT? EQAO is responsible for establishing guidelines for the consistent administration of the OSSLT in order to



ensure fairness for all participating students. EQAO relies on the expertise, experience and professionalism of principals and other educators to administer the OSSLT according to these guidelines. The agency also relies on school boards and Directors of Education to work with principals to ensure a fair and consistent administration of the OSSLT for students in all schools within their jurisdictions.

The OSSLT is a secure test and every reasonable measure should be taken to protect its confidentiality. EQAO has given specific direction on maintaining security of the OSSLT in its published guidelines and policies. The Guide for Administering the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, October 2002, states that "ensuring the confidentiality and security of the test materials" is a key element of the principal's role in the administration process. Please refer to the guide for further details

2. What constitutes a breach of security? A breach of security is an occurrence resulting in unfair access to test materials and/or information. A breach of security includes any of the following:

❍ opening test booklets before the test; ❍ allowing anyone other than the student to have access to the booklets belonging to that student, at

any time; ❍ theft or disappearance of any copies of the test or test materials; ❍ tampering with the test or test materials; ❍ copying or recording any part of the test or test materials; ❍ failing to collect all copies of the test from students before they leave the administration site and ❍ not returning all copies of the test and all test materials, whether used or unused, to EQAO.

Any real or potential breach of OSSLT security should be reported immediately to EQAO at 1-888-327-7377 and to the EQAO board contact.

3. What should be done if a breach of security is suspected or disclosed?A student, parent or teacher who has concerns that the procedures in the Guide for Administering the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, October 2002 are not being followed correctly is encouraged to bring his or her concerns to the attention of the principal without delay. Many concerns can be effectively addressed at this level. For example, a student may think that a teacher is inappropriately helping a student with the test. The teacher may, however, be providing accommodations permitted by the Guide for Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and Exemptions.

If a breach of security occurs or is suspected or reported, the principal must immediately notify EQAO at1-888-327-7377.

4. Who is ultimately responsible for the security of the OSSLT? The principal is responsible for ensuring the security and confidentiality of test materials, as outlined in the Guide for Administering the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, October 2002.

The Director of Education is accountable for ensuring that the OSSLT is administered in a fair and consistent fashion at all schools within his or her jurisdiction.

5. How are school staff expected to respond if they become aware that a student is leaving the classroom or has left the school property with confidential test material? Every reasonable measure should be taken to protect the security and confidentiality of the OSSLT. If school staff become aware that a student is leaving the classroom with confidential test material, they should intercept the student and recover the material, unless their personal safety is at risk.

If a student has left the school property with confidential test material, every effort should be made to recover the material. This situation constitutes theft and is considered a breach of security. The principal should follow school/board policy and procedures for dealing with a theft and administering appropriate disciplinary action. EQAO will initiate an investigation into the nature and implications of the breach and will involve the appropriate authorities.









Any real or potential breach of OSSLT security should be reported immediately to EQAO at1-888-327-7377 and to the EQAO board contact.

6. What should be done to secure the test if a fire alarm, bomb scare, power outage or other disruption occurs during the administration? Principals should establish a contingency plan that incorporates existing school/board routines and responses to such unplanned events. In the event of a disruption, student and staff safety should be the first priority. Administrators should follow the school/board policies and procedures with respect to such occurrences. Every reasonable measure should be taken to secure the test materials.

Inform EQAO at 1-888-327-7377 and the EQAO board contact immediately if a disruption occurs and indicate whether or not there has been a breach of test security. EQAO will work with the principal and the EQAO board contact to make up lost administration time, if possible.

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Today's Date: May 1, 2003

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