To all the REED Coordinators regarding the 8th grade.
Once again some information that will help you and your pupils get ready for the
Meitzav examination.
In order to prepare your pupils you should be teaching according to the curriculum,
the exam is based on the relevant benchmarks, and all recognized text books work in
the same way. Therefore you don't have to teach for the Meitzav.
However, there are some steps that you as teachers should be taking in order to ensure
your pupils success.
The exam does not allow dictionaries of any kind – this is because the Ministry wants
to check language proficiency and not dictionary skills. Therefore, it is necessary to
teach your pupils parts of speech, word order, guessing words in context and
ultimately practicing unseens without using dictionaries.
Access to Information from Spoken Texts should be practiced – many of the course
books do not give the same types of questions that are used in the Meitzav so don't
wait until the last minute use old Meitzav examinations.
On the RAMA site which can be accessed through the Ministry site or through the
REED site, there are all of the old Meitzav examinations which you may download.
Another excellent tool published by RAMA last year is the booklet that examines the
questions and answers of last year's exam. In order to see it you need to go into the
RAMA site.
The External Exam is on 4th April, 2011
The Internal Exam must be given during the week of 3rd May, 2011 depending on
your school schedule. Not before that date though!
I am also enclosing checklists for the exams – they will help you as coordinators to be
prepared.
It is clear that most teachers will want to practice, but one Mock Exam under Meitzav
conditions should be enough. You can use some of the old exams as work pages but
to alleviate stress do not make booklets or put pressure on your pupils to buy books
just for the Meitzav. Remember this is not a Bagrut examination; it is a learning
exam for us to see what needs to be improved in our teaching.
I am available by mail or telephone for anyone who would like any more information.
Good luck
Diane VanSpier
dianevs21@gmail.com
08-9285244 or 050-7468149
Checklist before External Meitzav
A. Mock Exam for External Exam
Date
Action
Done
Notes
Arrange date for Mock Exam.
Meet with principal
Letter to parents about
Meitzav.
List of ALL pupils to be
tested (All Teachers)
List of pupils with LDs (All
teachers).
Discuss pupils with LDs with
school counselor
Disc players for each
classroom (Admin)
Arrange teacher for pupils
with LDs – reading.
Staff Meeting to discuss
problems/ findings
Remedy problems.
B. External Exam
Date
Action
Make sure rooms are ready for testing – clean, no. of
chairs/desks tape recorders.
Arrange room(s) for pupils with LDs.
Give up to date lists to each tester.
Arrange same teacher who tested in Mock exam to test
Meitzav.
Staff Meeting to discuss problems
Done
Checklist before Internal Meitzav
A. Mock Exam for Internal Exam
Date
Action
Done
Notes
Arrange date for Mock Exam. (Admin)
Meet with principal (coordinator).
Letter to parents about Meitzav
(coordinator).
List of ALL pupils to be tested (all
teachers)
List of pupils with LD.'s (All teachers)
Discuss pupils with LDs with school
counselor (coordinator).
Discuss with staff how to test pupils
with LDs (coordinator).
Discuss with staff how to adapt test for
weaker groups (coordinator).
Disc players for each classroom
(Admin)
Arrange teachers and rooms for pupils
with LD's (coordinator)
Staff Meeting to discuss problems/
findings (coordinator)
Remedy problems (coordinator).
B. Internal Exam
Date
Action
Arrange date for Internal Exam according to the
guidelines by RAMA (coordinator).
Arrange proctors for exam – not English teachers. (Admin)
Make sure rooms are ready for testing – clean, no. of
chairs/desks/ disc players (all teachers).
Make discs for pupils with LDs (delegate to teachers who
read clearly).
Arrange teachers for oral pupils (coordinator and admin).
Explain to proctor about the disc recording – when and
how (coordinator).
Give up to date lists for regular classes to each proctor (all
teachers).
Pupils with LDs - make sure each teacher knows who he is
testing, when and where (coordinator).
Make sure teachers tell pupils when and where will be
tested (all teachers).
Collect and distribute exams for marking (coordinator).
Explain grading booklet (coordinator).
BREATHE!!
Done