FAQ

WHAT IS THE OSSLT?
The OSSLT is a provincial test of literacy (reading and writing) skills students have acquired by Grade 10. It is based on the literacy skills expected in The Ontario Curriculum across all subject areas up to the end of Grade 9.

WHEN WILL IT BE WRITTEN?
All students will write the test on the morning of March 29th, 2012

WHERE WILL IT BE WRITTEN?
Students at RDHS will write the test in one of three places. Students requiring a scribe will write in SSC. Students requiring computer assistance will write in either SSC or Rm 228. The remainder will write in the Cafeteria.

WHAT SPECIFIC AREAS WILL BE COVERED ON THE TEST?

 * ** ACT I V I T Y ** || ** ALLOTTED TIME ** ||
 * Booklet 1 (Reading and Writing) || 75 minutes ||
 * Break || 15 minutes ||
 * Booklet 2 (Reading and Writing) || 75 minutes ||
 * Questionnaire (Booklet 2) || 10 minutes ||

The OSSLT assesses reading and writing skills. In accordance with The Ontario Curriculum, reading for the OSSLT is defined as the process through which a reader actively constructs meaning for a variety of written texts. The narrative, informational and graphic reading selections in the OSSLT focus on three reading skills:
 * ** Reading Skill 1: understanding explicitly stated information and ideas **
 * **Reading Skill 2: understanding implicitly stated information and ideas** (i.e., making inferences)
 * **Reading Skill 3: making connections between information and ideas in a reading selection and personal knowledge and experience** (i.e., interpreting reading selections by integrating the information and ideas in a reading selection with personal knowledge and experience)

In accordance with The Ontario Curriculum, writing for the OSSLT is defined as the constructive process of communicating in various written forms. Through a combination of multiple-choice questions and two short and two long open-response writing tasks, the OSSLT focuses on three writing skills:
 * ** Writing Skill 1: developing a main idea with sufficient supporting details **
 * ** Writing Skill 2: organizing information and ideas in a coherent manner **
 * ** Writing Skill 3: using conventions (i.e., spelling, grammar, punctuation) in a manner that does not distract from clear communication **

The OSSLT consists of two booklets of reading and writing items (questions) and tasks. The test contains both operational items (those that count toward a student’s score) and field-test items (those that are embedded in the test for trial purposes and do not count toward a student’s score; they account for less than 20% of the allotted testing time). The operational component of the test consists of:
 * 31 multiple-choice reading items related to five reading selections;
 * four open-response items related to three of the five reading selections;
 * eight multiple-choice writing items;
 * two short open-response writing tasks and
 * two long open-response writing tasks (a series of paragraphs expressing an opinion and a news report)

MY CHILD HAS AN IEP, HOW WILL THIS IMPACT THE WRITING OF THE TEST?
For students with special education needs, some accommodations that are consistent with regular classroom assessment practices are permitted on the provincial tests.

ACCOMMODATION DECISIONS MUST BE
 * based on the student’s IEP;
 * consistent with regular classroom practice, including assessments;
 * made prior to the test;
 * made for each student individually and
 * made in consultation with the student and parents or the adult student, and with the appropriate teaching staff.

For a complete list of available accommodations and limits placed on accommodations please consult the following document: @http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/12/OSSLT_AccommodationsGuide_2012.pdf

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD IS AWAY ON THE DAY OF THE TEST?
There is only one opportunity to write the OSSLT each year. If your child is away on the scheduled date, they must write the test the following year or enroll in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD DOES NOT PASS THE TEST?
Successful completion of the OSSLT is a requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). There are supports for students who do not pass the OSSLT, including an opportunity to rewrite the test or to take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course. So, if it should come to pass that your child does not pass the OSSLT on their first opportunity, they will be able to write the test again next year. If a student does not succeed on their second attempt, that student will be enrolled in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course. They **__must__** succeed in this course in order to graduate with a Diploma.

WHAT IS RDHS DOING TO HELP STUDENTS PREPARE FOR THE LITERACY TEST?
In addition to our regular curriculum, there are a number of specific activities we undertake to prepare students for the OSSLT.
 * ** Pre-test **
 * a mock literacy test is administered every autumn to identify specific challenges individual students may face on the test
 * ** extracurricular remediation **
 * a directed set of seminars designed to focus student skills on specific sections of the test
 * ** SST support **
 * our Student Success Team gives guided direct 1 on 1 and small group instruction and practice to students at risk on specific sections of the test
 * ** Parental Support Packages **
 * available directly from the school and through this website, these packages allow students to practice at home with the full involvement of parents and guardians
 * ** Intensive Remediation **
 * students with identified deficits in specific areas of the test will go through 3 - 4 weeks of intensive remediation on specific sections of the test