■nglish 33 Information Bulletin English 33 information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin nglish 33 Information Bull < mi '.Bull UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTitA a iLITBRrArRYi rv ' ' English 33 Information Bulleth 0 1620 0571 0205 English 33 Information Bulletin 1996-97 School Year m B ulletin English 33 English 33 English 33 Information English 33 Bulletin m B ulletin English English 33 Information But) Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin m B ulletin English English 33 Information Bull nglish 33 Information Diploma Examinations Program Bulletin English m B ulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bull English 33 Information Bulletin ■ English 33 Imkrmetion Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English English 33 Information Bull m B ulletin English 33 Information Bid'leim English 33 Information Bulletin ■nglish 33 Information Bulletin English 33 information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English m B ulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bull 'n glish 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin ' English m B ulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bull English 33 Information Bulletin 'nglish 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bulletin English m B ulletin English 33 Information Bulletin - English S3 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bull Liberia EDUC Students LB V FFiir st! English 33 Information Bulletin English 3054 tudent Evaluation EDUCATION English C2 D4244 English 33 Information Butklin- English' 33 Information Bulletin English 33 Information Bull ■1996/ ^ ‘ - • ',hg1l9ts9h7 33 c i .n 2f oMr mjatjimon ■■M*i n ' I English. 33 Information 'Bulletin English This document was written primarily for: Students Teachers V Administrators Parents General Public Others (Specify) Distribution: Superintendents of Schools • S chool Principals and Teachers • T he Alberta Teachers’ Association • A lberta Education • G eneral Public upon Request Copyright 1996, the Crown in Right of A lberta, as represented by the Minister of Education, Alberta Education, Student Evaluation Branch, 11160 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5K 0L2. All rights reserved . Additional copies may be obtained from the Student Evaluation Branch, 403-427-0010. To call toll-free from outside of Edmonton, dial 310-0000. Special permission is g ranted to Alberta educators only to reproduce, for educational purposes and on a non-profit basis, this document or any of its p arts. Contents Page 1 Purpose of the Bulletin Page 2 Important Dates in the 1996-97 School Year Administration of the English 33 Diploma Examination Scoring of the Examination Page 3 Notes of Interest for Teachers and Students Additional Diploma Examination Administrations Guide for Students Additional References Part A: Written Response Word-Processed Examinations Student Requests for Rescores Student Requests for Rewriting Children in Need of Protective Services Plagiarism Preparing Students to Write Changes to Part A: Section III Information for Markers Inservices and Presentations Page 8 Other Important Documents Samples of Students’ Writing Examiners’ Reports Annual Reports General Information Bulletin Previous Examinations Part A: Written Response Page 10 Description Blueprint Sample Assignments and Scoring Criteria Suggestions for Students Part B: Reading Page 31 Description Blueprint Suggestions for Students Page 35 English 33 Standards Objectives of the Course Standards Page 38 Credits UNIVERSITY LIBRAS'/ UNIVERSITY OF ALBERT Purpose of the Bulletin The purpose of this bulletin is to provide students and teachers of English 33 with information about the diploma examinations scheduled for the 1996-97 school year. This bulletin includes • descriptions of the English 33 diploma examinations that will be administered in January, June, and August of 1997 • the objectives to be tested • the blueprints for the written response and reading sections of the examinations • the scoring criteria that will be applied by markers to student writing in the 1996-97 school year • suggestions for students about writing the examinations • descriptions of the acceptable standard and the standard of excellence We rely on teachers to share the contents of this bulletin with their students, particularly the Notes of Interest for Teachers and Students and Suggestions for Students sections and the scoring criteria. The information in this bulletin applies to the 1996-97 school year and will be updated in September 1997. If y ou have questions or comments about the contents of this bulletin, please contact one of the following persons: Elana J. Scraba, Assistant Director Student Evaluation Branch Humanities Diploma Examinations Alberta Education Devonian Building, West Tower Tom Dunn 11160 Jasper Avenue English 33 Examination Manager Edmonton, Alberta T5K 0L2 Gloria Malick Telephone: 403-427-0010 English 33 Examiner (toll-free 310-0000) Fax: 403-422-4200 Teachers may also wish to refer to the document entitled General Information Bulletin, Diploma Examinations Program (1996-97 School Year), which provides administrative information about the diploma examinations for 1997. This publication is distributed to all senior high school principals. 1 Important Dates in the 1996-97 School Year Administration of the English 33 Diploma Examination Date Examination Time * Wednesday, January 22 9:00-11:30 A.M. Part A: Written Response Monday, January 27 9:00-11:00 A.M. Part B: Reading Friday, June 20 9:00-11:30 A.M. Part A: Written Response Tuesday, June 24 9:00-11:00 A.M. Part B: Reading Wednesday, August 13 9:00-11:30 A.M. Part A: Written Response 1:00-3:00 P.M. Part B: Reading * P art A i s designed for a w riting time of 2 1 /2 hours. Part B i s designed for a w riting time of 2 h ours. Students will have an additional 1/2 hour to complete each part of the examination. Scoring of the Examination ** Group Examination Third Administration Leaders Markers Readers January 1997 Jan. 29 Jan. 30 to Feb. 3 Feb. 2 July 7 July 2 June 1997 July 3 t o 6 N/A August 1997 August 16 August 16 ** Please note: All dates are tentative. Student Evaluation Branch staff will phone recommended markers prior to each marking session to confirm participation, and the dates and times for marking. Dates will also be announced in the early September letter that the Student Evaluation Branch sends to superintendents requesting the names of recommended markers. 2 Notes of Interest for Teachers and Students Additional Diploma Examination Administrations Alberta Education is increasing the number of administrations of diploma examinations to accommodate students’ examination needs more effectively. For the 1996-97 school year, the following diploma examinations will be offered in November and April in addition to the examinations already offered in January, June, and August. Thursday, November 7, 1996 9:00-11:30 a.m. English 30, Part A 1:00-3:00 p.m. English 30, Part B Friday, November 8, 1996 9:00-11:30 a.m. Mathematics 30 Thursday, April 17, 1997 9:00-11:30 a.m. Social Studies 30 Biology 30 Friday, April 18, 1997 9:00-11:30 a.m. The November and April examinations will be available only to students who have school marks in the courses and to individuals having mature student status. All students must pre-register to write diploma examinations in November and April; walk-ins will not be allowed. Students should contact their school principal for application forms and for the location of the nearest writing centre. The application deadline dates for the November and April writings are October 11, 1996, and March 27, 1997, respectively. Guide for Students A p ublication written for students called Students First: A G uide for Students Preparing to Write the English 33 Diploma Examination is available in each senior high school. See your principal or department head for the black line master. This publication contains suggestions for students about exam preparation and exam writing. The Student Evaluation Branch highly recommends that students and teachers examine this document early in the term to prepare for the English 33 Diploma Examination. Parents will also find this to be a u seful publication. 3 Additional References Part A: Written Response Students writing Part A: Written Response in 1997 will be allowed to use the following references: • a p rint or electronic dictionary (English language and/or translation) • a t hesaurus • an authorized writing handbook (for example, A C anadian Writer's Reference ) Word-Processed Examinations Students who normally use a w ord processor for extended writing may choose to write Part A: Written Response on a w ord processor provided schools follow the directives in the Policy for Writing Diploma Examinations with Word Processors. Students who use word processors are allowed the standard word-processing “tools” (e.g., spellcheck) that are in the school-owned software. Schools planning to have students write examinations with word processors must register in advance with Alberta Education. Please refer to the policy for details. The complete policy is in the 1996-97 School Year General Information Bulletin, Diploma Examinations Program. Student Requests for Rescores Students may request a r escoring of their diploma examination. Before applying for a r escoring, students should check their Diploma Examination Results Statement to find out the distribution of marks. The mark for the machine-scored questions is not likely to change as a r esult of a r escore, but the written-response mark could change slightly. Students should remember that the rescored mark will be the final mark whether it increases or decreases. Students who decide to have an examination rescored must ensure that their application is received before the deadline specified on the results statement. The fee for rescoring each examination is $26.75, which includes GST. If a d iploma examination mark is increased by 5% or more as a r esult of rescoring, the fee is refunded. 4 Student Requests for Rewriting Students may rewrite a d iploma examination in any regularly scheduled administration. Students must apply to the Student Evaluation Branch by November 15, 1996, and April 15, 1997, to be eligible to write the January and June diploma examinations. The fee for rewriting each examination is $26.75, which includes GST. (For more details, see the General Information Bulletin.) Children in Need of Protective Services If a s tudent who is under 18 years of age indicates in his or her writing that he or she is a v ictim of physical or sexual abuse, the markers are required by law to refer the paper to Social Services. Social Services is required to investigate situations that suggest that children might require protection. Plagiarism The model responses in the Samples of Students’ Writing documents have been provided for instructional purposes only. If a s tudent memorizes sections from these responses and uses them while writing Part A, he or she will be guilty of plagiarism and will be in breach of examination regulations. Preparing Students to Write It is important that teachers prepare their students to deal with the broad concepts assessed by the exam. Students must understand what they are expected to do for each assignment and question, and must be prepared to follow the directions on the exam question/assignment. The guide “Students First: A G uide for Students Preparing to Write the English 33 Diploma Examination ” s hould help students to understand what is expected of them. For example, Section II: Functional Writing of Part A i s designed to assess how well students can adjust their language, tone, and selection of detail to a c ontext, specific audience, and purpose. (See the Blueprint for Part A: Written Response on page 1 3, and note the cross- references to the Program of Studies). The context in Section II will define the form of presentation — usually a l etter or speech. The required writing form will vary from exam to exam, but the assignment will always assess the degree to which students can follow directions 5 and adapt their language and selection of information to a p articular audience, situation, and purpose. Similarly, in Section III: Response to Visual Communication , students must be prepared to consider the photograph that is on the examination and to draw a g eneralization that clearly reflects their careful thinking about that particular photo. The photograph that is on the examination may be in colour, or it may be black-and-white. Students should he prepared to deal with either type of photograph. Changes to Part A: Section III The wording of the assignment for Part A: Section III has been changed (see page 26). Also, boxes have been provided on the first planning page for the student to use to indicate the idea that he or she thinks is being communicated by the photograph and for listing supporting details from the photograph as well as photographer’s choices. Information for Markers Part A: Written Response is scored by English 33 teachers selected from those who have been recommended as markers to the Student Evaluation Branch by their superintendents. Qualifications To qualify for recommendation by a s uperintendent, a t eacher must have taught English 33 for two or more years (or four semesters), be currently teaching English 33, and have a P ermanent Professional Certificate. Dates for Recommendation Teachers who wish to be recommended as markers for January 1997 should contact their superintendents before October 1, 1996. Teachers who wish to be recommended as markers for June and August 1997 should contact their superintendents before March 1, 1997. Criteria for Selection More teachers are recommended as markers by superintendents than are required by the Student Evaluation Branch for any one marking session. The following criteria are considered when markers are selected for a p articular marking session: 6