One important measure of students’ literacy is the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary Schools Literacy Test (OSSLT). Below are a series of common parent and student questions about the OSSLT.
-
The test has multiple-choice and open-response questions that focus on the reading skills required in school and daily life:
-
understanding explicitly (directly) stated ideas and information;
-
understanding implicitly (indirectly) stated ideas and information and
-
making connections between information and ideas in a reading selection and personal knowledge and experience.
-
The reading selections include the following: information paragraph, news report, dialogue, real-life narrative and graphic text (e.g., schedule). They vary in length from a single paragraph to two pages.
-
The test has short- and long-writing tasks, and multiple-choice questions that focus on three writing skills required in school and daily life:
-
developing a main idea with sufficient supporting details;
-
organizing information and ideas in a coherent manner and
-
using conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation) in a manner that does not distract from clear communication.
-
-
The test has short- and long-writing tasks, and multiple-choice questions that focus on three writing skills required in school and daily life:
-
developing a main idea with sufficient supporting details;
-
organizing information and ideas in a coherent manner and
-
using conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation) in a manner that does not distract from clear communication.
-
One of the tasks is writing a news report based on a picture and headline provided. Students make up facts and information to answer the questions Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? and write a one page report on the event. The audience is an adult reader of a newspaper.
The other long-writing task is a series of paragraphs expressing an opinion on a given topic. Students develop a main idea with supporting details (proof, facts, examples, etc.) and write a minimum of three paragraphs on the two pages provided for the response. The audience is an adult who is interested in the opinion provided.
The short (paragraph) writing tasks give the student the opportunity to use his/her knowledge and personal experience while demonstrating his/her writing skills.
The multiple-choice questions give you the opportunity to demonstrate the three writing skills.
If a student entered Grade 9 in September 2000 or later and is working toward an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), the student must write the OSSLT. This applies to all students in publicly funded schools, private schools, overseas schools, correctional facilities and Section 23 programs.
A student needs to be sure he/she has the reading and writing skills that should have been acquired by the end of Grade 9, as outlined in The Ontario Curriculum. These skills are the basis for learning in all subject areas throughout both elementary and secondary school. Successful completion of the OSSLT meets one of the 32 requirements for the OSSD.
Writing now gives students the time to get help if needed to improve their reading and writing skills. If a student does not pass the OSSLT this year, he/she will have opportunities to retake it in future years.
No. Successful completion of the OSSLT is one of the 32 requirements for the OSSD. The test will not count toward course marks.
Your secondary school transcript will indicate that you have completed the OSSLT as one of the 32 requirements for the OSSD.
The OSSLT is based on the reading and writing skills learned up until the end of Grade 9.
Yes. If a student does not succeed, he/she will have the opportunity to take the test again.
If a student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for classroom tests and assessments, he/she may be able to get an accommodation. For more information, visit EQAO’s Web site, www.eqao.com, and talk to your school principal and/or teacher (such as the Special Education Resource Teacher, Literacy Teacher, or Student Success Teacher).
To be eligible for an exemption, the student must have an IEP that clearly indicates that he/she is not working toward an OSSD. For more information, talk to your school principal and/or teacher (such as the Special Education Resource Teacher, Literacy Teacher, or Student Success Teacher), or visit EQAO’s Web site, www.eqao.com.
A student may be able to get a special provision or deferral. For more information, talk to your school principal and/or teacher (such as the Literacy Teacher, Student Success Teacher or English as a Second Language Teacher), or visit EQAO’s Web site, www.eqao.com.
A student gets a score of zero for these questions.