2020/2021 has been a college yr like we’ve by no means skilled earlier than; educating and studying within the midst of a pandemic is one thing that every one training stakeholders have been struggling by means of with as a lot poise and willpower as attainable.
It due to this fact solely is smart that the federal government, by way of the Ministry of Training, has determined that that is the yr to roll out a brand new OSSLT testing format along with utterly revamping the elementary math curriculum and making an attempt to de-stream grade 9.
Ugh…actually?
For those who’ve efficiently wiped EQAO’s final disastrous try at an internet administration of the OSSLT out of your reminiscence, let me jog it by looking at my weblog from 2016: On-line OSSLT: Titanic Catastrophe.
Based mostly on absolutely the sinking of the maiden voyage of the net OSSLT, plainly EQAO has made changes to the net format that can run in 2020.
Learn on for a short overview of what’s new, the way to put together college students, and what could lie forward…
What’s New
- the check shall be administered on-line solely
- solely at school college students could write the check (on-line college students won’t be able to aim the check this yr, however college boards MAY make preparations for them to write down on a case by case foundation)
- college boards/faculties/college students have a alternative whether or not or not they’d wish to ‘choose in’ to writing the check
- the literacy requirement is just not mandatory for grade 12 college students graduating this college yr
- there shall be a ‘window’ of time the place college students will be capable to try the check primarily based on their college board (March-Might)
- the phrases ‘Booklet 1’ and ‘Booklet 2’ have been changed by ‘Session A’ and ‘Session B’
- the brand new ‘classes’ are shorter (60minutes of time is allotted for every session, versus 70minutes that was beforehand allowed per booklet)
- there are considerably fewer written questions (just one paragraph query, and one lengthy writing process – opinion piece)
- the in-built instruments for the check embrace: textual content to speech (should activate), learn aloud, highlighter, underline, eraser, zoom in/out, line reader, distinction, tough notes
- there are new query varieties (drag and drop, checklists, sequencing of occasions)
- there’s a new on-line discipline check that college students can take to observe the brand new format of the check
- college students should follow their COVID cohorts when writing each the observe check and precise check
Find out how to Put together College students
- EQAO is providing a Reside Webcast sequence to help lecturers and directors within the transition to this new format
- outdated preparation strategies/check questions should still be used, involving studying and writing questions associated to: Actual Life Narrative, Info Paragraph, Information Report, Dialogue, Writing A number of Alternative and Sequence of Paragraphs
- college students ought to try the brand new Follow Take a look at to familiarize themselves with a number of the new query codecs, in addition to the instruments and check basically
- there isn’t a means of producing an entire output of scholar Follow Take a look at responses or evaluating the responses of a gaggle of scholars which may be very irritating, so I created a Google Kind that replicates the check, in addition to generates a response web page for college kids and creates the flexibility to match scholar responses if all college students full the identical kind (you possibly can create your personal or buy mine on TpT)
- as soon as observe check outcomes are compiled, lecturers ought to analyze what abilities/query varieties their college students are scuffling with previous to the check, and assimilate these abilities/query varieties into their on a regular basis educating observe
- when organizing writing teams, lecturers should be very acutely aware of COVID cohorts, in addition to particular training wants for college kids
What’s Subsequent?
- if there are a selection of scholars who select to not write, or those that can’t as a result of they’re on-line college students one would hope that subsequent yr there shall be two alternatives to write down the OSSLT, since college students must fail the check earlier than they will take the course to fulfill the literacy commencement requirement
- relying on the profitable administration of the check, the format could also be “tweaked” as soon as once more
- with the introduction of a “window” of time to write down the check, maybe there shall be extra flexibility and alternatives to problem the check for college kids
Are you a instructor administrating the OSSLT in Ontario this college yr? Add to the dialog beneath! What are your questions, considerations or feedback?