FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
?
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
LINDA K. TAYLOR
MEMORANDUM
TO:
District School Superintendents
FROM:
Jim Warford and Jeanine Blomberg
DATE:
July 21, 2004
SUBJECT:
Clarification regarding PSAT and PLAN Student Testing
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide further clarification about the implementation of
the PSAT and PLAN program. The Department has received several follow-up questions
regarding the memorandum issued June 16, 2004; therefore, the attached Technical Assistance
Paper (TAP) has been developed. Copies of the original memorandum can be accessed at:
http://info.fldoe.org/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-2144/2004.pdf.
If you have other questions or need additional clarification, please contact either Victoria Ash
(
Victoria.Ash@fldoe.org) or Daphne Csonka (Daphne.Csonka@fldoe.org) at (850) 245-0513 or
SunCom 205-0513.
JEANINE BLOMBERG
Deputy Chief of Staff
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 1502 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0437 • www.fldoe.org
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
PSAT and PLAN Student Testing Program
Background
The Florida Legislature has appropriated funds to support the administration of the PSAT or
PLAN pre-college entrance examinations to grade 10 students in the Fall 2004. The
purpose of this Technical Assistance Paper is to provide additional information based on
questions received from districts.
Questions and Answers
1.
?
Do all students have to take the PSAT or PLAN?
No, it is not mandatory for students to take the PSAT or PLAN, but schools should
encourage all students to participate.
2.
?
What about students in special education programs?
Students should not be denied access to the PSAT or PLAN; however, each student’s
Individual Educational Plan (IEP) should address whether participation is appropriate.
3.
?
Do schools have to notify parents of the opportunity to exempt their child from
PSAT or PLAN testing?
Yes, the law is specific on this point and states, “…a written notice shall be provided to
each parent that shall include the opportunity to exempt his or her child from taking the
PSAT/NMSQT or PLAN.”
4.
?
Will the department provide a standard “written notice” for all schools to use?
No, based on individual district circumstances and preferences, it will be the
responsibility of each district to determine the method by which they will inform parents
of this opportunity. The written notice should include the purpose and benefits of the
PSAT/PLAN program such as:
•
?
Grade 10 pre-college testing provides a basis to increase college participation,
as it is an indicator for performance on the SAT or ACT.
•
?
PSAT includes verbal, math, and writing components; it is used as a diagnostic
tool to measure strengths and weaknesses for both students and curriculum.
•
?
PLAN includes four curriculum-based achievement tests in: English,
Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning along with other components
providing a way to link academic performance to educational and career
planning.
•
?
The program is instrumental in identifying the untapped potential in each student.
•
?
Test results will provide high school guidance counselors with information to help
identify students who are ready or need additional work in order to enroll and be
successful in Advanced Placement and other college preparatory courses.
•
?
Test results can also open up discussion about future education plans that may
not have otherwise occurred.
Office of Assessment and School Performance
?
July 28, 2004
5.
?
How will districts inform the Department of the test selection and projected total
enrollment of Grade 10 students to be tested?
If your district has not already completed the attached form (e-mailed to the district
coordinator of assessment on June 18) that was due on July 14, please complete and
fax to Daphne Csonka at (850) 245-0771 as soon as possible.
In addition, we requested that you create and submit an EXCEL spreadsheet containing
the following five data elements in the specified columns:
1.
?
Florida school district number (Column A)
2.
?
Florida school number (Column B)
3.
?
College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) code (Column C)
4.
?
School name (Column D)
5.
?
Fall 2004 estimated school enrollment of Grade 10 students (Column E)
Districts may submit their spreadsheets, no later than August 2, 2004, as an attachment
to an e-mail message to Daphne Csonka at
Daphne.Csonka@fldoe.org .
6.
?
How do schools register with ACT or The College Board?
As stated in the June 16, 2004 memorandum,
“Schools will separately submit an
order to the selected testing organizations to receive test materials.”
If there are
any questions about registration details, please contact the appropriate person below:
PLAN – Mary Hendrix, ACT, (850) 878-2729
PSAT – Linda Owens, The College Board, (850) 521-4900
7.
?
Will the state pay for the administration of the PSAT or PLAN to students enrolled
in grade levels other than Grade 10?
No, schools will be responsible for fees associated with the administration of PSAT or
PLAN for students in grades other than grade 10, including those who grid improperly.
8.
?
Do Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facilities have to participate in the PSAT
or PLAN program?
Yes, the law is specific and states, “each public high school, including, but not limited to,
schools and alternative sites and centers of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ),
shall provide for the administration of the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) or Preliminary ACT (PLAN) to all enrolled 10
th
-grade
students.”
9.
?
Is there a “percent tested” requirement for Grade 10 students?
No, however, the intent of the law is to ensure that as many students as possible are
given access to the PSAT/PLAN program and the services that result. The Department
of Education will publish participation rates by school and district.
10.
?
How does this program affect individual students who take the PSAT or PLAN
on their own?
Students can take the PSAT or PLAN as part of this program or register to take either
exam at a time of their own choosing. Testing multiple times permits students to
become familiar with college placement testing.
VA/dc
Office of Assessment and School Performance
?
July 28, 2004
