ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL
LITERACY TEST
A Resource Booklet for
Administrators
and
Literacy/Student Success Teams
PRO
302.2244
YOR
Bill Hogarth
Director of Education
2006
Bill Crothers
Chair of the Board
EQAO 007
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission in
writing from The York Region District School Board.
For any inserted materials, copyright has been extended to The York Region District School Board
only. Individual boards must seek direct copyright approval for all indicated items requiring such
permission.
ii
iii
Ontario Secondary School
Literacy Test
A Resource Booklet for Administrators and
Literacy/Student Success Teams
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The following people assisted in the preparation of this resource:
Aline Daniel, Teacher, Richmond Green Secondary School
Laura Leesti, Curriculum Consultant, York Region District School Board
Theresa Meikle, Curriculum Consultant, York Region District School Board
Candice Mott, Curriculum Consultant, York Region District School Board
Gail Sajo, Teacher, Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School
Tamar Stein, Curriculum Consultant, York Region District School Board
Editor
Cathy Costello, Retired, York Region District School Board
Layout and Format
Donnalee McGill, Curriculum and Instructional Services,
York Region District School Board
Thanks also to Aurora High School, Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School, King City Secondary
School, Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School and Richmond Green Secondary School for
contributing samples and suggestions.
iv
This resource is part of a 3-document series:
1. YRDSB: Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test: A Planning and Operational Resource for Administrators and
Literacy/Student Success Teams…(EQAO 007)
2. YRDSB: Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test: Tips and Practice Tasks for Students…(EQAO 008)
3. YRDSB: Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test: Tips and Practice Tasks for Students - Teacher’s Guide…(EQAO 009)
Additional copies of this resource, or any part of it, may be ordered on a cost-recovery basis, through the principal, on Outlook at
media.library.resources@yrdsb.edu.on.ca.
When ordering, please include a budget number, quantity and refer to Order Number(s) required (EQAO___).
FORWARD
This resource was prepared using materials developed by administrators, consultants, and teachers in
the York Region District School Board, as well as bulletins and support materials available on the
Education Quality and Accountability web site. The purpose of this binder is to support – throughout all
of the secondary schools in the board – consistent whole school approaches to the OSS Literacy
Test as well as opportunities for teachers, students, and parents to participate in preparing for the test
tasks. The methods and activities in this resource are highly recommended, but not mandatory.
This resource recommends embedding literacy instruction in all subject areas rather than a
“teach to the test” approach. The tasks that students must know and be able to do for the test are
representative of lifelong literacy skills that will support them throughout their school career and their
working life beyond school. However, familiarity with the test tasks is crucial for the comfort and
achievement of students taking the OSS Literacy Test. Activities in the resource support students in
understanding the nature of the test, following instructions, and understanding test vocabulary. The
EQAO Support Materials provide further tips for students about reading specific types of texts (literary,
informational, and graphical), and about composing specific forms of writing. The pedagogical
strategies recommended represent effective practices that will support the learning of all students in the
classroom.
Additional copies of this resource or any part of it may be ordered in quantity through
Document Distribution.
Schools may wish to order Tips and Practice Tasks for Students Tips and Practice Tasks for
Students – Teacher’s Guide quantity for all of their teachers and their Grade 9 and 10 students.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
1.
CONTENTS
Administrator and Literacy/Student Success Team Support Materials






suggestions for fostering a whole school cross-curricular approach
sample whole school preparation calendars
cross-curricular approaches to reading and writing tasks
classroom practices to support literacy
inventories of subject area literacy tasks
highlights and background material from EQAO

Parent Support Materials including:
o handouts for parents
o sample newsletters/communications with parents
YRDSB – OSSLT – Tips and Practice Tasks for Students
12 Lessons including:
 reading comprehension strategies
 writing templates
 practice tasks with subject area reading passages
 practice tasks and templates for writing
 general information about the OSS Literacy Test
 test-taking tips
 EQAO support materials, rubrics and exemplars
YRDSB – OSSLT – Tips and Practice Tasks for Students – Teacher’s Guide
12 Lessons including:
 assessment for learning tools
 instructional approaches
 answer keys
 additional literacy support materials, and
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
2.
Fostering a Whole School Approach to
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
A whole school approach is most beneficial to students taking the OSSLT. School staffs need to have
a good understanding of the purpose of the test and the implications for students who are unsuccessful
on the test. The test tasks are cross-curricular in nature and the literacy skills being assessed on the
test are critical to student success in all program areas. All teachers are responsible for supporting
students in their literacy development and the profile of the literate graduate points to the
fundamental importance of the development of literacy skills in all students.
School administrators and staffs must take into consideration:

Students can only reach those targets that they attempt to reach. Participation in the test by as
many first-time, eligible students possible will provide schools with a clear picture of the skills some
students may require for a successful future effort. (Note: Deferrals should only be considered in
accordance with the EQAO policy.)

Deferrals should generally be limited to those students who clearly do not have the English
language skills to participate meaningfully and successfully in the test tasks.

Those students who are deferred must be tracked and supported towards their first attempt on the
test and subsequent opportunities to either take the test or enroll in the OSSLC.

Students cannot take the OSSLC course until they have had at least one failed attempt at the test.
By delaying the opportunity for students to attempt the test, schools limit students’ opportunities to
complete the literacy requirement successfully.

Students whose program indicates that they are not aiming for an OSS Diploma (rather, an OSS
Certificate), may be exempted from the test.
A whole-school approach to literacy invites all program areas to commit to explicit teaching of the
reading skills and writing tasks that are required not only for the OSS Literacy Test, but for continued
success in school and work settings. In the “Information Age” 85% of jobs require high level reading
skills and the ability to express information, ideas, and recommendations or opinions in concise, clear
written forms.
“Employees with higher literacy skills earn more income, are less likely to be
unemployed, experience shorter periods of unemployment, are more likely to
find full-time work, and are more likely to receive further training.”
"The Economic Benefits of Improving Literacy Skills in the Workplace," 1997
Conference Board of Canada
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
3.
CROSS-CURRICULAR READING AND WRITING SKILLS AND THE OSSLT
Reading Skills
The reading skills assessed on the OSSLT are cross-curricular in nature. All program areas require
students to:
o
find explicitly (directly) stated information in text;
o
understand implicit (indirectly stated) information and ideas;
o
make connections between personal experiences and knowledge to information and ideas in a text;
o
infer ideas or draw conclusions from text (either from figurative language/pictorial symbols, or
through synthesis of information from many parts of the text);
o
determine the meaning and effect of vocabulary – use knowledge of context to understand familiar,
unfamiliar, technical and imaginative uses of language;
o
use syntax – use grammatical structures and punctuation to support understanding and
interpretation of text ;
o
use organization – use knowledge of overall structure and organizational elements to understand
meaning and purpose;
o
read graphic features – use knowledge of visual features (illustrations, diagrams, charts) to
understand meaning and purpose;
o
bring prior knowledge to text to make sense of it; and
o
make predictions based on text organization and structure.
Writing Skills
The writing tasks are also cross-curricular in nature. Many or all program areas require students to:
o
o
o
o
o
write reports;
summarize information from text, often in response to questions or research topics;
organize information into paragraphs, again assembling points from textbooks or articles;
write a series of paragraphs supporting an opinion.
The individual classroom teacher ... is the critical contact through whom literacy can happen. By
teaching the students the essential skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, the teacher
enables the students to make contact with someone else or something else and experience
personal development through the adventure ... The task is too big and too important to be left with
any teacher or a small group of teachers to accomplish alone.
Contacts: Teaching Communication Across the Curriculum.
Costello, Palmer, and Smitheram, (p. 15)
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
4.
PLANNING A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH TO OSSLT PREPARATION
The best way to support students towards successful completion of the OSSLT is to provide
practice of the skills and tasks featured on the test across time and program areas, so that students
experience the effect of resonance. Resonance occurs when students begin to notice a recurring
emphasis on the same skills and types of tasks from course to course.
Research clearly shows that “spaced” practice – over time and various situations – is more effective
in preparing students than “massed” practice.

While a February focus to have students practice the tasks from the EQAO Support Materials is
helpful in making students test-wise prior to the March test date, this approach is not sufficient to
develop students’ literacy skills or to give them adequate familiarity with the skills and tasks.

Because of the time constraints of the test-taking situation, students must be able to instantly
identify what is required when they see the terms “news report” or “series of paragraphs”. To
develop this level of familiarity and comfort with tasks, students must have had opportunities to
practise them again and again over a period of months.

It is also important to give students the opportunity to practise with “on-demand” reading and writing
activities with fresh tasks or topics and time constraints.
OSSLT PREPARATION FOR GRADE 9 STUDENTS

Students should have multiple opportunities to practise the skills and tasks required on the test.
This can be done in all program areas throughout the Grade 9 year.

All program areas can contribute to this preparation by creating formative assessments that mirror
the tasks on the test. For example,
o History teachers have students create a “news report” based on a historical event;
o Science teachers have students read a “real life narrative” (a scientist’s author’s biography) and
answer a series of multiple choice questions;
o English teachers assess reading comprehension through a literary sight passage. Students
practise answering multiple choice questions which require a variety of reading skills: locating
explicit information, making an inference, connecting to prior knowledge, etc.
o All program areas identify and provide explicit instruction in subject-specific literacy skills
throughout the year.
o All program areas commit to teaching a reading and writing strategy from Think Literacy or the
Subject-Specific Think Literacy documents.
o Schools purchase the YRDSB – OSSLT – Tips and Practice Tasks for Students and
the YRDSB – OSSLT – Tips and Practice Tasks for Students – Teacher’s Guide
o
o
and distribute one to each student in Grade 9. This resource can be used in all program areas
and can also serve as the focus for a whole school preparation activity.
Grade 9 students identified at-risk in literacy should be encouraged to take the After-School
literacy course which will support them in all areas of literacy development.
Parents should be encouraged to support the literacy development of their Grade 9 students
through a variety of methods including: monthly literacy tips in newsletters, assemblies,
involvement in school activities. (See the Parents As Partners handouts, included in this
resource for additional suggestions.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
5.
o
All program areas can assist students in the development of test taking skills such as:
 reading instructions and questions carefully;
 using the writing process effectively;
 answering multiple-choice questions; and
 managing test time effectively.
OSSLT PREPARATION FOR GRADE 10 STUDENTS
If students have had a strong introduction to the OSSLT in Grade 9 they are already well on their way to
being successful on the test; however, since the test is written in the spring of the Grade 10 year,
students will need reinforcement throughout the Grade 10 school year and immediately prior to the test.
Practising with the YRDSB – OSSLT – Tips and Practice Tasks for Students and any
additional EQAO Support Materials is recommended at this time.
In addition, EQAO has released test items, answers, rubrics and responses. These materials can help
students to understand and produce acceptable responses which meet the criteria identified in the
scoring rubrics. Some of these rubrics and responses are embedded in YRDSB – OSSLT – Tips
and Practice Tasks for Students; however, there are additional resources available at
www.eqao.com.
Reading competence is critical to student success on the OSSLT and in all courses in high school.
Students need to be familiar with the practices of proficient readers and they need to be able to employ
those strategies effectively. Students must also have opportunities to practise answering multiple
choice questions which require them to locate explicit information, make inferences, draw conclusions,
connect to prior knowledge and identify a main idea. They must also learn how to set a purpose for
reading and how to monitor their own comprehension – metacognition. All classroom teachers play a
key role in assisting students to become competent and confident readers.
Explicit teaching of the literacy skills assessed in each writing task is essential for student success. As
well, students need to be very familiar with the specific writing tasks on the OSSLT. Students should
have adequate time to practise the tasks, but they should also be required to produce writing “on
demand” and under time constraints. This practice can be of great benefit when they are required to
perform, under pressure, on the test day.
The teacher and student materials that accompany this document contain writing task scoring rubrics.
These can be used by both teachers and students to assess how well the student has met the task
requirements.
Students need to review all of the test instructions and test terminology shortly before the test days.
The sample schedules provided in this document demonstrate how some schools have used a whole
school, cross-curricular approach to preparing their students for the test.
An assembly for all students writing the test can be very motivating and reassuring for all students.
This is an opportunity for administrators and literacy / student success leaders to review test
procedures and answer student questions.
After the test the school may wish to have students complete a survey on how well they felt they were
prepared for the test. This data can eventually be compared with the EQAO results.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
6.
OSSLT PREPARATION FOR GRADE 10 STUDENTS
IDENTIFIED AT-RISK IN LITERACY
All students need explicit instruction in reading and writing and practise in becoming familiar with the
test tasks; however, some students may need additional instruction and practice in order to be
successful. The following strategies are very beneficial for those students who need additional support:
 enrolling in the After-School Literacy program offered through Continuing Education (students
can take this in Grade 9 and 10);
 lunch time and after school literacy clubs provided by literacy/ student success teachers,
classroom teachers, senior students and trained community partners;
 additional guided practice with reading and writing strategies,
as student need indicates, in all courses;
 additional practice at home, with parental support if possible, using the reading and writing
activities at http://www.ilc.org/ ; and
 targeted classroom instruction which addresses specific needs as identified through DRA or
other diagnostic tools.
SAMPLE ONLY
OSSLT Preparation – Instruction and Practice Schedule (4 Week Focus)
Monday
Feb 27th
Reading and responding
to questions related to
understanding of an
information paragraph
Grade 10 Period 1
March 6th
Writing short responses
to prompts
Grade 10 Period 2
Tuesday
Feb 28th
Wednesday
Thursday
March 1st
March 2nd
Reading and
responding to
questions related to
understanding of a
news report
Reading and
responding to
questions related to
understanding of a
dialogue
Reading and
responding to questions
related to a real-life
narrative
Grade 10 Period 2
March 7th
Writing a series of
paragraphs to express
an opinion
Grade 10 Period 3
March 8th
Writing a news report
Grade 10 Period 5
March 9th
Responding to
questions related to
structuring content,
organization of ideas
and using conventions
when writing
Grade 10 Period 3
Grade 10 Period 5
Friday
March 3
Reading and responding
to questions related to
understanding of a
graphic text
Grade 10 – Period 1
Holiday
Grade 10 Period 1
Holiday
Holiday
Holiday
Holiday
Holiday
March 20th
Responding to multiple
choice questions
March 21st
REVIEW TEST
INSTRUCTIONS
March 22nd
REVIEW TEST
TASKS - READING
March 23rd
REVIEW TEST TASKS
– WRITING
March 24th
TEST TAKING
STRATEGIES
Grade 10 Period 2
March 27th
GRADE 10 ASSEMBLY
Grade 10 Period 3
March 28th
REVIEW OSSLT
TERMINOLOGY AND
INSTRUCTIONS
Grade 10 Period 3
Grade 10 Period 5
March 29th
Grade 10 Period 1
March 30th
Grade 10 Period 2
OSSLT
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
7.
SAMPLE ONLY
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
MARCH “LITERACY CATCH UP” SESSIONS
Dear Grade 10 Teachers,
The list for all students writing the OSSLT has been verified and all students are aware of the location
they must report to on OSSLT day - Wednesday March 29th, 2006. Literacy workshops are being
conducted for our at-risk population at lunch and after school.
Our diagnostic assessment data indicates that students need additional support and instruction in the
following areas:



Writing the news report – making inferences from the photograph and headline;
Responding to multiple-choice questions; and
Reading Literary Selections – punctuation for dialogue.
Our response to this information is to hold “March Literacy Catch Up Sessions” to support
student success in these three areas.
I WOULD LIKE TO TEACH STUDENTS IN YOUR CLASSES OVER THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.
THE SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:
Date
Tuesday February 28th
Thursday March 2nd
Friday March 3rd
Monday March 6th
Period/Teacher
1 / Teacher A
1 / Teacher B
1 / Teacher C
2 / Teacher D
Wednesday March 8th
2 / Teacher E
Thursday March 9th
2 / Teacher F
Monday March 20th
Tuesday March 21st
Thursday March 23rd
3 / Teacher G
3 / Teacher H
3 / Teacher I
Key Area
Writing the News Report
Writing the News Report
Writing the News Report
Responding to Multiple-Choice
Questions
Responding to Multiple-Choice
Questions
Responding to Multiple-Choice
Questions
Reading Literary Selections
Reading Literary Selections
Reading Literary Selections
We would be happy to meet with you prior to your March Literacy Catch Up Session to discuss how we
might cover or re-visit course content specific to your curriculum so you won’t feel like you’ve lost the
period.
In addition to March Literacy Catch Up Sessions, we will host a series of information sessions:
Wednesday March 8th
Wednesday March 22nd and
Thursday March 23rd
Monday March 27th – period 4
Parent OSSLT/Cross-Curricular Literacy/II Information
Evening
Teacher OSSLT Information Sessions
Student OSSLT Information Assembly
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
8.
EQAO - CRITICAL FACTORS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
The Education Quality and Accountability website (www.eqao.com) profiles School Success Stories.
The schools which have shown significant improvement over time in terms of improved student success
rates identified many of the following characteristics as critical factors in their success:
o
making literacy a school-wide priority with a culture of evidence-based decision-making;
o
using EQAO and school-generated data as tools to guide improvement planning;
o
a dynamic multi-disciplinary literacy team dedicated to empowering staff;
o
identifying strategies that improve student literacy skills;
o
cross-curricular sharing of best practices;
o
creative time-management to facilitate professional development;
o
diagnostic and practice literacy tests; and
o
remedial support and involvement of the broader school community.
In addition, a whole school approach may include some of the following elements:
o
a school literacy / student success committee with representatives from the core disciplines or
all departments, administration, and school council (very important to build links with the
school’s community in order to communicate all the activities schools undertake to support
students);
o
a commitment to a skill of the month approach or a commitment to teaching certain reading
skills and writing tasks at certain times in each subject area (see attached sample calendars;
o
a commitment to training for staff in teaching reading skills and writing forms;
o
a diagnostic approach – responding to information provided through Developmental Reading
Assessment (DRA) or other tools to determine those students who may be at risk with their
literacy skills;
o
use of class time to engage students in diagnostic activities to determine students who may be
at risk, and in practice activities drawn from EQAO Support Materials;
o
assemblies for Grade 9 students to give them key information about the test tasks and test
experience, and to let them know how the school will support them, and what they can do to
support themselves;
o
building a professional learning community that includes such activities as sharing strategies
through workshops or presentations at staff meetings, demonstration classes, learning teams,
mentoring and coaching,
o
peer tutoring programs operating at lunch hour; and
o
after-school programs to boost literacy skills.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
9.
“The Report of The Expert Panel on Students at Risk in Ontario”, 2003 points to the
importance of the development of literacy skills across all grades and all subjects:
Cross-curricular literacy skills
Students in Grades 7 to 12 need well-developed literacy skills to succeed in all subject areas, and
all subjects provide opportunities to develop those skills. In math, for example, students learn to
identify the main idea in a word problem and use key words to determine what operation to use; in
geography they construct and interpret maps, draw meaning from symbols, and make notes; in
science and technology they build subject-specific vocabulary and interpret diagrams, charts,
procedures, and safety information, and write lab reports. All subjects require students to connect
with and build on their prior knowledge and experience – which is a key strategy for reading. All
subjects also require students to communicate what they have learned, orally and in writing.
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This teaching doesn't require "time out" from content-area instruction. It happens side by side with
content acquisition. The objective is to increase content learning; the invaluable by-product is
overall improvement in students' literacy skills.
When teachers of all subjects work together to equip their students with explicit strategies to
improve reading, writing, and oral communication, they reinforce the students' ability to use those
strategies across subject disciplines, in later grades, and beyond school. They make higher-level
literacy both relevant and achievable in an idea-fuelled and information-driven world.
Whole School Practices that Support Literacy Development of Students
o Provide explicit instruction in reading and writing.
o
Integrate effective strategies for ELL and exceptional students in all professional development
activities and all classrooms.
o Offer, support and promote the After-School Literacy Program. Encourage teachers delivering
the After-School Literacy course to attend the workshops provided through Curriculum and
Instructional Services.
o Offer and support the Grade 12 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC).
o Use EQAO Support Materials, Response and Rubric items.
o Practice assessing student work with EQAO Response and Rubric items. For example, grade
nine students write a practice news report or opinion piece and staff participate in examining the
work in conjunction with the EQAO anchor papers. Teachers discuss their findings in small
groups. This will provide a baseline for classroom writing in all subjects and support teachers in
developing their understanding of student needs.
o Encourage consistent use of assistive devices for students to ensure they are familiar with them
before the OSSLT.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
10.
o Support the summer ELL Literacy Courses.
o Support the use of technology for students with special needs (Kurzweil, Dragon Naturally
Speaking, Word Q, Inspiration)
o
Provide on-going professional development and encourage professional dialogue in the area of
effective literacy practices, diagnostic assessment, assessment for learning and differentiated
instruction.
Reading: Cross-Curricular Classroom Strategies
o Reinforce teaching of specific reading strategies:







making an inference;
drawing conclusions;
marking the text;
using the indices, glossaries, and table of contents in texts:
using context to identify the meaning of important words;
making meaning from visuals: photographs, statistics and tables; and
synthesizing.
o Teach text structures for complex text such as text books, written directions and technical
manuals.
o Provide exemplars of real-life text materials related to subject content.
o Provide a folder of graphic organizers for a range of subject areas (e.g., science, history,
geography).
o Build background knowledge and new vocabulary by using read-aloud / think-aloud and shared
reading activities such as Reader’s Theatre (a practised script reading),and by reading at least
one passage of text (book, magazine, newspaper…) out loud every class, in all subjects.
o
Use “short texts” on the overhead and on student copies to demonstrate how proficient readers
“make meaning”. (See teacher package for sources of “short text”.)
o Provide time for independent reading with accountability, allowing for student choice; use
subject-related resources and accessible “text sets” other than the text book.
Writing: Cross-Curricular Classroom Strategies
o Teach students to emulate the style of authentic text forms (e.g., newspapers) using real-life
models to guide their writing.
o Explicitly teach question and instruction words: who, what, where, why, when, how… define,
explain (see Think Literacy)
o Explicitly teach How to Follow Directions-use Think Literacy or resources in this binder.
o Show clear examples of effective writing and have students use them as models for their own
work.
o Scaffold student learning through teacher modeling, whole class sharing, small group guided
practice and descriptive feedback, and independent practice. Provide detailed step-by-step
instructions on how to write an opinion piece and a news report.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
11.
o Teach the use of writing templates and organizers as writing tools.
o Teach students to pick out the important words in questions and prompts and demonstrate how
to stay on topic in developing their answers. Teach them how to use sentence stems that relate
to the tasks.
o Teach students to complete a monitoring check at the end of the writing task by providing
checklists and rubrics.
o Use paragraph and newspaper templates to deconstruct paragraphs and news articles before
asking students to write them.
o
Have students identify the main ideas in paragraphs and write paragraphs which demonstrate
coherence, unity and emphasis.
o
Model, teach and reinforce the importance of correct sentence structure, grammar and
punctuation and discuss how these elements contribute to the clarity of communication.
o
Use the track changes feature on a computer / LCD to show editing and revision.
Literacy Development and Gender
Throughout all administrations of the OSSLT boys have lagged behind girls. Although the success rate
for boys has been improving, the gender gap is still evident.
The OSSLT - Provincial Report and YRDSB Report for 2006 continue to show this gap in literacy
achievement for boys.
Provincially, the results, for fully-participating, first-time eligible boys was 81%. This is 7% below the
88% success rate for girls.
This gap is also evident in York Region as the success rate for boys was 85%, while it was 91% for girls.
“Me Read? No Way?: A Practical Guide To Improving Boys’ Literacy Skills” is invaluable in
providing a whole school approach to supporting success for all students. The following topics are just
of few of the issues addressed in the document:
o choosing appropriate classroom resources for boys - use non-traditional materials such as
magazines, webzines and manuals in all subject areas;
o influencing boys’ attitudes toward literacy through the use of role models;
o providing magazines/newspapers for class use where appropriate;
o understanding boys’ learning styles;
o using technology to get boys interested in literacy;
o making reading and writing relevant to boys;
o appealing to boys’ need for social interaction; and
o providing frequent opportunities to read and write.
Examining this document within each department and then reporting back to the entire staff on its’
practical application would be a very worthwhile professional development activity for all schools.
This resource is available at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/meread/meread.pdf.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
12.
ENRICHING THE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT IN ALL SUBJECTS
SUBJECT
READING A VARIETY OF TEXT
TYPES
WRITING IN A VARIETY OF FORMS
– FOCUS ON AUDIENCE AND
PURPOSE
ARTS: ART,
DRAMA,
MUSIC
Autobiographies, biographies, art,
drama, concert reviews, art gallery
pamphlets / brochures, photographs
Reviews / Critiques (emphasis on stating
and supporting opinions)
BUSINESS
STUDIES,
LAW,
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Newspapers, magazines, business
reports, case studies, editorials,
company websites
News Report (emphasis on summarizing
an event - 5 W’s Who? What? Where?
When? Why? How? )
Text features (layout, aspects of print,
syntax, punctuation in a variety of text
types)
ENGLISH
Narratives, non-fiction (essays,
editorials, reviews), informational text
(news reports, biographies, websites
related to literature study),
photographs, editorial cartoons,
excerpts – including representative
paragraphs and other “short texts” to
demonstrate and practice reading
comprehension strategies
Series of Paragraphs Supporting an
Opinion (emphasis on stating opinion and
providing relevant details and examples),
Editorials, Response Paragraphs – making
connections (self, text, world) to something
they have read
News Reports – based on photograph and
headline from which they must infer the
5W’s + H
FAMILY
STUDIES
Informational text: journal articles,
news reports, essays, graphs,
photographs, government brochures
and guidelines
Literary text: novels, short stories,
poetry
Series of Paragraphs Supporting an
Opinion
News Reports – based on photograph and
headline from which they must infer the
5W’s + H
Graphs, charts, maps, travel sections /
weather reports, photographs and
other visuals
Analysis of a graph, personal response
and opinion about an article, editorial
related to environmental issue
GEOGRAPHY
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
13.
SUBJECT
HISTORY
READING A VARIETY OF TEXT
TYPES
WRITING IN A VARIETY OF FORMS
– FOCUS ON AUDIENCE AND
PURPOSE
Primary and secondary sources,
autobiographies, biographies,
newspapers, current events, websites
News Report based on a headline and
photograph (emphasis on reporting facts);
Series of Paragraphs Supporting an
Opinion
- Also examine text structures (cause
and effect; problem / solution; question
and answer)
MATH
Sports page statistics, graphs, charts,
news articles, word problems, layout,
glossary and appendix of texts
Examine text structure - problemsolution
HEALTH AND
PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
SCIENCE
Response journal – students identify how
to read a variety of math related text types,
explain their reading of a graphic, explain
how reading instructions and explanations
in their text helps them to solve math
problems
Newspapers, sports sections, scores
and statistics, graphs, photographs,
articles, editorials, diagrams,
biographies, short stories, cartoons
News Report based on a headline and
photograph (emphasis on reporting facts
about a game);
Series of Paragraphs Supporting an
Opinion (emphasis on supporting position
related to a sports issue)
Response Paragraphs – making
connections (self, text, world) to something
they have read
Charts, diagrams, news articles,
magazines, biographies,
autobiographies, websites, reports,
photographs
Explanations of graphs, charts,
photographs, diagrams
Summaries of informational text – focus on
identifying the main idea
Lab Reports
- Also examine text structures (cause
and effect; problem / solution; question
and answer)
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
14.
YRDSB - Literacy Resources
Reading
Instruction
Adolescent
Literacy
Document
Parts I, II, III
Reaching
Higher
Resource
Increase classroom reading of
informational text (e.g.,
newspapers, biographies,
manuals)
Part II: Pgs. 9-10,
13-14
Part III: Pgs. 1-4
n/a
Teach specific strategies for
reading informational text (e.g.,
select key words, text features of
textbooks)
Part I: Pgs. 31-38
Pgs. 5, 6, 7, 8,
11
Read Aloud/Think Aloud to
model proficient reader
strategies
Part I: Pgs. 6-9
Appendices
A.1-A.3
n/a
Teach reading comprehension
strategies
Part I: Pgs. 31-32,
42-45
Pg. 12
Part III: Pgs. 8-13,
16-22
OSSLT
Resource
Binder
Think Literacy:
Cross-Curricular
Approaches,
Grades 7-12
Reading Strategies
Pgs. 16-28, 32,
34-47, 70-77
Teacher
Section
Reading Strategies
Pgs. 8-19, 24-39
Oral Communication
Pgs. 166-168
Teacher
Section
Reading Strategies
Pgs. 56-59
Oral Communication
Pgs. 156-157
Teacher
Section
Reading Strategies
Pgs. 78-95
Part II: Pgs. 11-18,
44-45
Show students how effective
reading connects to writing and
effective writing comes from
reading
Part III: Pgs. 1-2,
14-15
Pg. 15
For gender issues

Increase reading of
information materials

Use read aloud/modeled/
shared/guided reading
strategies

Increase student choice in
reading materials
Part I: Pgs. 6-20,
31-38
Pgs. 6, 7, 12
Reading Strategies
Pgs. 16-19, 24-28,
48-54, 60-65
Teacher
Section
Part II: Pgs. 1-10,
19-21, 41-45
Part III: Pgs. 3-13,
14-18
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
15.
YRDSB - Literacy Resources
Next Steps
for Writing
Adolescent
Literacy
Document
Parts I, II, III
Reaching
Higher
Resource
Teach step-by-step plan to show
students:

how to write a news report

how to write an opinion
piece
Part I: Pgs. 46-58,
59-60
Part II: Pgs. 32-35
Part III: Pgs.14-16,
19-33
n/a
Teach students how to write a
clear and concise main idea
Part III: Pg. 32
Pg. 8
OSSLT
Resource
Binder
Teacher
Section
Think Literacy:
Cross-Curricular
Approaches,
Grades 7-12
Writing Strategies
Pgs. 102-103,
140-148, 166-168
Writing Strategies
Pgs. 102-103,
112-116
Teach students how to support
main ideas and provide details
Writing Strategies
Pgs. 104-107,
112-121
Teach students how to organize
ideas
Writing Strategies
Pgs. 108-116
Reading Strategies
Pgs. 16-19
Oral Communication
Pgs. 172-174
Have students write a variety of
tasks across subjects
(e.g., editorial writing,
technological reports,
biographies)
Part III: Pgs. 5-6,
14-16, 34-41
n/a
Use plans/templates for writing
tasks
Part III: Pgs. 27,
29, 31
Pgs. 5, 13
Revise/Edit written work
For gender issues

Use exemplars, teachermodeling and partnerwriting

Use real-life writing
activities
Part I: Pgs. 46-53
n/a
Part II: Pgs. 30-33
Writing Strategies
Section
Teacher
Section
Writing Strategies
Pgs. 140-148
Teacher
Section
Writing Strategies
Pgs. 140-148
Teacher
Section
Part III: Pgs. 24-31
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
16.
OSSLT Preparation
and
Think Literacy: Cross-Curricular Approaches Grades 7-12
Strategies which Support Reading and Writing Skills
Assessed on the OSSLT
Approach
Finding Organizational Patterns
Using Context to Find Meaning
Reading Between the Lines
(Inference)
Most / Least Important Ideas
and Information
Making Judgments (Both Sides
Now)
Reading Informational Texts
Reading Graphical Texts
Supporting the Main Idea
Adding Details
Proofreading without Partners
Writing for a Purpose: Using
Templates
Skill / Task
Navigating Text / Information
Paragraph / Multiple-Choice
Writing Questions
Comprehension / All Reading
Selections
Comprehension / All Reading
Selections
Summarizing / Multiple-Choice
Writing Questions
Connecting, Synthesizing / All
Writing Tasks
Navigating Text
Navigating Text
Developing Ideas / Series of
Paragraphs / Multiple-Choice
Writing Questions
Developing Ideas / Series of
Paragraphs
Developing Ideas / Series of
Paragraphs / News Report
Identifying Purpose and
Audience / All Writing Tasks
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
Page #
17
34
40
44
74
80
84
112
118
136
140
17.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE FROM EQAO
www.eqao.com
The following resources are available for use on the EQAO website.
RESOURCE
Released 2006 Items (with answer key)
Released OSSLT Rubrics and Responses
OSSLT School Success Stories
Characteristics of Successful and Unsuccessful Student Performance on
the OSSLT
School and Board Results
Provincial Report
Highlights of Provincial Results
Detailed Steps for Schools Using the School Verification Report: Spring
2006 – The Complete Guide
Teacher Bulletin 2005-2006
Getting Ready Guide for Students
Planning and Preparation Guide
The Complete Guide for Administering the OSSLT
Using Data to Promote Student Success
Framework Document
Standard Setting Process
EQAO Guide to School and Improvement Planning
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
18.
PARENTS ARE PARTNERS IN LITERACY DEVELOPMENT:
Suggestions for Encouraging Reading and Writing at Home
 Praise and encourage any kind of reading that captures your son or daughter’s interest. Share
your own interests in various authors and forms of reading.
 Subscribe to newspapers and magazines to encourage the reading of non-fiction materials.
Encourage visits to the public library where a wide range of fiction and non-fiction reading
materials are available, including books on hobbies and collecting, travel and adventure, history
and biography, fashion and etiquette, astronomy and space.
 Give the gift of reading by purchasing novels, magazines, or bookstore gift certificates. Plan
family outings to bookstores.
 Establish a daily reading time for all members of the family, or designate one evening per week
as reading night instead of watching television. Ask your teenager to read to a younger sibling
once or twice per week. Play books on tape on family trips. Ten to fifteen minutes a day of
reading can make a difference.
 Share your enthusiasm for reading by discussing books and articles with your son or daughter.
Ask them:
 What do you think about that book/article?
 What did you enjoy/dislike about it?
 Do you agree with the point of view or message?
 Why would you recommend/not recommend it?
 Together watch a video based on a book. Discuss similarities and differences between the
book and the video. Consider whether the characters, settings, and events were as you had
both imagined them.
 Encourage activities which require following written instructions, e.g., cooking, woodworking,
car maintenance.
 Discuss school-related reading with your teenager. Read parts of the textbook along with him or
her, pointing out how pictures and graphics support the words.
 Correspond via e-mail with your son or daughter, sending them special messages or
suggestions, or asking their input on various topics such as vacation plans, birthday menus, or
family events.
 Provide opportunities for your son or daughter to keep family journals (of trips or special
events), label photographs with funny captions, write instructions for siblings on how to do
laundry or cook pizza, or record family history and stories from older relatives.
 Encourage the writing of lists, letters, thank you notes, journals, diaries, nature logs (birds and
animals sighted), song lyrics, poetry, stories, and memoirs.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
19.
SAMPLE ONLY
XYZ Secondary School Newsletter to Parents
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR
PARENTS OF GRADE 9 & 10 STUDENTS
In March, all Grade 10 students in the
province of Ontario will write the Ontario
Secondary School Literacy Test mandated
by the Ministry of Education. This test will
be based on the reading and writing skills
that are common to all subject areas in the
curriculum up to the end of Grade 9.
The purpose of the test is to provide
reliable and accurate information about
student achievement of the literacy
curriculum expectations from
Grades 1-9. Students must earn the
literacy credential in order to receive their
Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
The test will be graded on a pass or fail
basis only. Those students who do not
complete this requirement will be given
clear and objective feedback regarding
their performance so that they and their
teachers can set goals for improvement.
Students who are not successful on the
test will be given another opportunity after
they have received further instruction and
assistance with their literacy skills.
WHAT WE ARE DOING AT
XYZ SECONDARY SCHOOL

At XYZ Secondary School, we are doing
our best to help your son or daughter to
be successful on the OSSLT.
Here are some of the plans for activities at
our school:
 A Student Success committee of staff
members is identifying students at risk
in literacy and providing additional
support at lunch time and after school.
 All departments are committed to
supporting student success and are
providing literacy instruction and direct
instruction in OSSLT tasks in their
subjects.
 An assembly will be held to inform
students about the test and to stress its
importance to their high school career.
They will also be told of the supports
being provided by the school.
 Reading and writing will be encouraged
through book displays, posters, and
contests.
Students with special learning needs will
be allowed certain typical adjustments
such as extra time, as consistent with their
IEP.
 We will be implementing a “skill of the
month” program. Each month the entire
staff will emphasize one particular
literacy skill or task that will benefit
students on the test.
It is important to stress that this is NOT an
English test. The test will measure
reading and writing skills required in all
subject areas across the curriculum.
 Students will have an opportunity to
use the OSSLT practice tasks in all
classes and will become familiar with
the format and language of the test.
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
20.
SAMPLE ONLY
A Letter to Parents
Date
Dear Parent(s):
Re:
HOW CAN YOU HELP TO PREPARE YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER FOR THE
ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL LITERACY TEST?
This year, the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test will be written in March and it is
our hope that all parents will encourage their son or daughter to read and write widely
and enthusiastically at home to prepare for this important test.
Your praise and example can make a difference. Please encourage any form of reading
that captures your son or daughter’s interest.
Magazines, newspapers, and instructional manuals are all important ways for students to
practice their reading skills. Letters, e-mail, family vacation journals or nature diaries
are ways to consolidate writing skills. Encourage the use of public libraries, and make
trips to bookstores a family outing. Ensure that all reading homework and written
assignments are completed with care and diligence.
Many teens indicate that they like to read magazines outside of school: consider
subscribing to a newspaper or magazine that your son or daughter enjoys reading. Many
of the reading selections on the literacy test are non-fiction and reading informational
text is an important skill in all subject areas.
Finally, if your daughter or son is in Grade 10, please ensure that he or she is motivated
and well rested before taking the test.
We look forward to working with you to support your son or daughter in developing and
demonstrating these valuable literacy skills.
Yours very truly,
A. Principal
XYZ Secondary School
York Region District School Board
OSSLT: A Resource Booklet for Administrators and Literacy/Student Success Teams
21.