1. What is the OSSLT? The Ontario Secondary Literacy Test (OSSLT) test assesses reading and writing skills covered in all subjects in the Ontario curriculum. It is not a test of the English courses. It is based on literacy skills expected in the Ontario curriculum across all subject areas and up to the end of Grade nine. All grade 10 students in the province must write the test on March 29, 2012. The test is 2 ½ hours long in total There are two test booklets and an answer sheet. Passing the test is a diploma requirement.

2. Who has to write the OSSLT and why in Grade 10? All students in Ontario who entered Grade 9 in September 2000 or later and are working toward an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) must write this test. It shows students how strong their literacy skills are while they still have time to improve them before finishing school.

3. What is the Format of the OSSLT? Reading Selections: Informational (225 to 250 words) - paragraph - news report Narrative - dialogue (225 to 250 words) - real-life narrative (550 to 600 words) Graphic (fewer than 150 words) Types of Questions: Multiple-choice Open-response (six lines each) Types of Writing Tasks and Questions: Long-writing task - news report (one page) - series of paragraphs expressing an opinion (two pages) Two short-writing tasks (six lines each) Support your personal opinion on a topic. Multiple choice questions - developing a main idea with supporting details - organization of ideas - language conventions Reading Writing

4. Types of Reading Selections Informational Text is a paragraph or news report that may be accompanied by illustrations. Literary Text is a dialogue or real life narrative. Graphical Text presents ideas and information with the help of visual features such s maps, charts, photographs, tables, sketches along with a written commentary.

5. Types of Reading Selections http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/11/Sppg_xe_0 311_web.pdf Refer to pages 4-6 for information paragraph Refer to pages 7-10 for real-life narrative Refer to pages 11-12 for graphic selection

6. Types of Reading Selections Focus on 3 Reading Skills: Understanding explicitly stated ideas and information. Understanding implicitly (indirectly) stated ideas and information Making connections between information and ideas in a reading selection and personal knowledge and experience.

7. Types of Writing http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/11/Sppg_xe_0 311_web.pdf Refer to page 14 for writing a news report Refer to page 15 for writing a series of paragraphs expressing opinion

8. 2011 OSSLT Results Medway High School

9. Achievement Results for Fully-Participating First-Time Eligible Students over time

10. Results for Students Taking Locally Developed English Course All Medway = 3Board = 423 Successful0 0% 3% Not Successful3 100%45%

11. Results for Students Taking Applied English Course All Medway = 66Board Successful38 58%52% Not Successful28 42%39%

12. Results for Students Taking Academic English Course All Medway = 183Board Successful174 95% 94% Not Successful4 2% 4%

13. Where Can I Get More Information/Resources? www.eqao.com Preparing Students of the OSSLT http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/broch ure/osslt Educator Resources http://www.eqao.com/Educators/secondary/10/ 10 http://www.eqao.com/Educators/secondary/10/ 10 Sample OSSLT test http://www.cawthrapark.com/eqao/sample.htm