Welcome to this week's SAA Update!

In this week's SAA Update we bring you the following timely information:

• Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)/Evaluación del Desarrollo de la Lectura (EDL)
• Upcoming/Continuing Testing Windows
• Elementary Progress Reporting Period 1 -- Timeline for Scan Sheets and Progress Reports
• 2007-08 Districtwide Assessment Update

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The window for reporting DRA/EDL scores is October 29 - November 2. DRA scores are collected via the district’s DRA Web entry system. Detailed instructions for this process, along with your school’s unique password, will be sent to each school’s DRA testing coordinator during the week of October 22. For more information regarding the DRA/EDL, please refer to Administrative Circular No. 18, “Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)/Evaluación del Desarrollo de la Lectura (EDL)” (September 7, 2007) or call the District Assessment Unit at (619) 725-7172.

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* CELDT Annual Assessment: September 4, 2007 - October 17, 2007 for Grades K-12

* The Degrees of Reading Power (DRP): October 4–10, 2007 for Grades 7-10 at schools participating in the Striving Readers grant.

Schools participating in the DRP include the following:
Grades 7 & 8
Bell
Challenger
Farb
Kroc
Marston
Montgomery
Roosevelt
Taft

Grades 9 & 10
Clairemont
Crawford CHAMPS
Kearny- DMD
Kearny- SIB
Madison
Mira Mesa
Morse
San Diego High- Sci. & Tech

All DRP testing materials are due back to the Assessment Services, Annex 11, Eugene Brucker Education Center on October 11. For more information on DRP testing, please contact Erin Gordon at (619) 725-5687.

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ELEMENTARY PROGRESS REPORTING PERIOD 1 - Timeline for Scan Sheets and Progress Reports
The Elementary Progress Reporting Period 1 ends on November 2, 2007 for all Traditional and Year-Round schools. Scan Sheets will be delivered to school sites beginning October 15 via regular weekly truck delivery; Progress Reports will be delivered to school sites beginning November 5. Please note that weekly truck delivery schedules vary. Be sure to verify the actual truck delivery for your school site.

In order to expedite delivery, scan sheets and progress reports will be available for pick-up from IT Operations (Room 1110, Education Center) on the following dates:

Scan Sheets: Friday, October 12 and Monday, October 15
Progress Reports: Friday, November 2 and Monday, November 5

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The following provides updated information about the use/administration of the Cumulative Literacy Benchmarks, Cumulative Mathematics Benchmarks, DRA/EDL, and Emerging Literacy Survey. Please contact Erin Gordon at 619-725-5687 or Karen Bachofer at 619-725-7167 if you wish additional information.

Cumulative Literacy Benchmarks
Beginning with the 2007-08 academic year, Cumulative Literacy Benchmarks will be administered at the end of each reporting period at Grades 1, 3, and 5 at the elementary level and at the end of each quarter at Grades 6, 7, and 8 at the middle level. Materials (Benchmark Exams, Scan Sheets, Teacher Directions for Administration, Site Coordinator Directions) will be delivered to sites one week before each testing window. District-, school-, and classroom-level data will be provided.

Cumulative Mathematics Benchmarks
Beginning with the 2007-08 academic year, Cumulative Mathematics Benchmarks will be administered at the end of each quarter at Grades 3 through 9. Exams at Grades 8 and 9 will be course-specific (e.g., Algebra, Geometry). Materials (Benchmark Exams, Scan Sheets, Teacher Directions for Administration, Site Coordinator Directions) will be delivered to sites one week before each testing window. District-, school-, and classroom-level data will be provided.

Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)/Evaluación del desarrollo de la lectura (EDL)
As in prior years, the DRA/EDL will continue to be administered to students at Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 to inform instruction during the 2007-08 academic year. Data will be collected only at the end of the second and third reporting periods at the Kindergarten level and at the end of all three reporting periods at Grades 1 and 2 (as it was in 2006-07). DRA/EDL data will not be collected at Grade 3 in 2007-08. Directions for submitting DRA/EDL levels using the web-based data reporting system will be distributed to teachers toward the end of the first reporting period.

Emerging Literacy Survey (ELS)
Teachers at Kindergarten and Grade 1 are encouraged to administer the Emerging Literacy Survey (ELS) during the 2007-08 academic year and to use information gained from the assessment to inform instruction. ELS materials and training were provided to a majority of Kindergarten teachers by the Literacy Department in previous school years. During the 2007-08 school year, materials and training will be provided to Grade 1 teachers and Kindergarten teachers who have not yet received them. Questions can be directed to the Literacy Department at 619-725-7252.

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If you have questions and/or comments about this information, please contact us.