State of Israel
Ministry of Education
English Inspectorate
March 20, 2003
Dear English Teachers,
Re: Special Testing Conditions for Pupils Taking the Bagrut Examinations in English
Summer 2003
The purpose of this document is to explain the special testing conditions for pupils with learning disabilities or with special difficulties for the English Bagrut examination. The Pedagogical Council of the school is responsible for deciding which dispensations are appropriate, according to the special needs of each pupil. It is therefore very important that the English teacher report to the Pedagogical Council regarding the special needs of the pupil and how the pupil is presently being tested in the English classroom. Otherwise, the Council may accept the assessment and recommendations of the psychologist without consulting the English teacher and may decide on dispensations not at all appropriate for the English Bagrut examinations. After the dispensations have been determined, pupils should then be tested accordingly.
Note:
Schools are responsible for ensuring that the necessary equipment is available for the pupils according to their dispensations, or for notifying the pupils that they must bring the appropriate equipment.
The dispensations for pupils taking the English Bagrut examination include:
Time Extension
Pupils who require additional time to take the Bagrut examination are allocated 15 minutes for each test hour.
Recommendations for Teachers: When examinations are given in school and pupils are allocated additional time, they must be able to complete their examinations in a quiet place, free of distractions. Pupils should be told in advance where they will complete writing their examinations.
Ignoring Spelling Mistakes
This is applicable to spelling errors only – not errors that can be understood as grammar mistakes.
Using an Electronic Dictionary
This dispensation is suitable for pupils who have difficulty with automatic naming and retrieval and/or memory problems. It is important to remember that the majority of electronic dictionaries do not have word usage, varieties of word forms, or examples of how the word is used, as given in printed dictionaries.
Recommendations for Teachers: Pupils should be encouraged to use a printed dictionary, and time should be allocated to train pupils to use the dictionary efficiently.
Text Enlargement
This dispensation should be given to pupils who have some kind of visual impairment.
Listening to a Recording of the Examination
This dispensation is for pupils who have difficulties in reading, but not in writing. The pupil listens to a pre-recorded tape of the Bagrut examination and writes his/her answers in the examination booklet. One pre-recorded tape of each level of the Bagrut examination is sent out to each school from the Ministry of Education. Additional tapes can be ordered from the Testing Dept. by calling Riki Zakan 02-5602487 or by fax 02-5603115.
In extreme cases where pupils are unable to use the tape recorder, it is possible for a tester (not the pupil’s own teacher) to read the examination to them, and the pupil writes down his/her answers in the examination booklet.
Recording Pupils’ Answers
This dispensation is for pupils who have difficulties in writing, but not in reading. The pupil reads the examination by him/herself. The pupil can either first write his/her answers in the examination booklet and then record them on the cassette, or directly record his/her answers onto the cassette. Both the cassette and the examination booklet must be sent to the Marvad (Marking Center). Stickers must be put on both the cassette and the booklet.
The following are instructions for pupils who are recording their answers:
- 1. Use a cassette that has not yet been recorded on.
- 2. Begin your tape by clearly stating your identity number, (NOT your name), and the school’s identity number.
- 3. Speak clearly and slowly, and pause before going on to the next answer.
- 4. Identify each answer by its number. For example: 1 a (2)
- 5. Read only the answers, that is, what you have written in the examination booklet.
- 6. Periodically check your cassette to make sure your recording is clear. Remember to
press the “record” button when you start recording again.
- 7. When you have finished, rewind to the beginning of the tape.
- 8. Put an identification label on the box of the tape and on the tape. Be careful not to
cover the holes or the tape.
Rewriting the Examination (שעתוק)
This dispensation is also for pupils who have difficulties in writing, but not in reading. However, it is not recommended for pupils taking the English Bagrut examination. This dispensation allows pupils to write the answers in the examination booklet and afterwards to read the answers to a tester, who writes them down. Both the pupil’s examination booklet and the tester’s booklet are sent to the Marvad. This dispensation is often problematic for pupils taking the English Bagrut examination, as occasionally the pupil does not read out exactly what s/he wrote. If, when the notebooks are compared, discrepancies are found, the examination may be disqualified. It is therefore recommended that pupils who have problems with writing record their answers.
The Oral Examination
This option is only for pupils who have serious problems both with reading and writing. The pupil sits with a tester (not the pupil’s own teacher) who reads the examination to the pupil. The pupil tells the tester the answers. In cases where a pupil needs a word looked up in the dictionary, the tester will look up the word for him/her and read out the definitions, letting the pupil choose the appropriate meaning independently.
Pupils taking the four and five point examination are required to do the writing task, but are required to write less. After writing down their compositions, they read them out to the tester. The examiner marks the examination and the grade is reported on form 9540. The tester for the Oral Examination must be a practicing English high school teacher, who did not teach the pupil in the 12th grade. The principal of the school must get permission for the examiner to test from the English Inspector of the school. The length of the oral examination is one hour and is based on the written examination. The pupil is not tested on Listening Comprehension or the cloze, but s/he is tested on a shorter version of all the other parts. The exact details of which parts of the examination will be tested on the oral examination are sent out to all schools before the day of the exam.
A Special School Examination (שאלון בחינה מותאם)
Following the bulletin from the Testing Department of February 21st, 2002, on the subject: Bagrut Examinations, Summer 2002, enclosed please find details of the parts of the test that can be removed. It is the responsibility of the Pedagogical Council of the school to decide which dispensation among the various different options is the most suited to the pupil’s particular needs. The test will be marked at the National Marking Center (מרב”ד) and approval by the Chief Inspector is not required.
Hard of Hearing Pupils
There is a special format for testing pupils who are hard of hearing. For additional details, schools should contact:
Ahuva Magen
Beit Shema
Plitai HaSefer 30
Tel Aviv 67948
Tel. 03-5715656
Blind Pupils
For details regarding the testing of blind pupils, schools should contact:
National Inspector for Blind Pupils
Ministry of Education
ABC Building, Rehov HaShlosha 2
Tel Aviv
Tel: 03-6896092
Sincerely,
Judy Steiner
Chief Inspector of English Language Education
________________________________________________________________________________
Lev Ram Building Jerusalem 91911 Tel. 02-5603587/8 Fax 02-5603596 Click to listen highlighted text! State of Israel Ministry of Education English Inspectorate March 20, 2003 Dear English Teachers, Re: Special Testing Conditions for Pupils Taking the Bagrut Examinations in English Summer 2003 The purpose of this document is to explain the special testing conditions for pupils with learning disabilities or with special difficulties for the English Bagrut examination. The Pedagogical Council of the school is responsible for deciding which dispensations are appropriate, according to the special needs of each pupil. It is therefore very important that the English teacher report to the Pedagogical Council regarding the special needs of the pupil and how the pupil is presently being tested in the English classroom. Otherwise, the Council may accept the assessment and recommendations of the psychologist without consulting the English teacher and may decide on dispensations not at all appropriate for the English Bagrut examinations. After the dispensations have been determined, pupils should then be tested accordingly. Note: Schools are responsible for ensuring that the necessary equipment is available for the pupils according to their dispensations, or for notifying the pupils that they must bring the appropriate equipment. The dispensations for pupils taking the English Bagrut examination include: Time Extension Pupils who require additional time to take the Bagrut examination are allocated 15 minutes for each test hour. Recommendations for Teachers: When examinations are given in school and pupils are allocated additional time, they must be able to complete their examinations in a quiet place, free of distractions. Pupils should be told in advance where they will complete writing their examinations. Ignoring Spelling Mistakes This is applicable to spelling errors only – not errors that can be understood as grammar mistakes. Using an Electronic Dictionary This dispensation is suitable for pupils who have difficulty with automatic naming and retrieval and/or memory problems. It is important to remember that the majority of electronic dictionaries do not have word usage, varieties of word forms, or examples of how the word is used, as given in printed dictionaries. Recommendations for Teachers: Pupils should be encouraged to use a printed dictionary, and time should be allocated to train pupils to use the dictionary efficiently. Text Enlargement This dispensation should be given to pupils who have some kind of visual impairment. Listening to a Recording of the Examination This dispensation is for pupils who have difficulties in reading, but not in writing. The pupil listens to a pre-recorded tape of the Bagrut examination and writes his/her answers in the examination booklet. One pre-recorded tape of each level of the Bagrut examination is sent out to each school from the Ministry of Education. Additional tapes can be ordered from the Testing Dept. by calling Riki Zakan 02-5602487 or by fax 02-5603115. In extreme cases where pupils are unable to use the tape recorder, it is possible for a tester (not the pupil’s own teacher) to read the examination to them, and the pupil writes down his/her answers in the examination booklet. Recording Pupils’ Answers This dispensation is for pupils who have difficulties in writing, but not in reading. The pupil reads the examination by him/herself. The pupil can either first write his/her answers in the examination booklet and then record them on the cassette, or directly record his/her answers onto the cassette. Both the cassette and the examination booklet must be sent to the Marvad (Marking Center). Stickers must be put on both the cassette and the booklet. The following are instructions for pupils who are recording their answers: 1. Use a cassette that has not yet been recorded on. 2. Begin your tape by clearly stating your identity number, (NOT your name), and the school’s identity number. 3. Speak clearly and slowly, and pause before going on to the next answer. 4. Identify each answer by its number. For example: 1 a (2) 5. Read only the answers, that is, what you have written in the examination booklet. 6. Periodically check your cassette to make sure your recording is clear. Remember to press the “record” button when you start recording again. 7. When you have finished, rewind to the beginning of the tape. 8. Put an identification label on the box of the tape and on the tape. Be careful not to cover the holes or the tape. Rewriting the Examination (שעתוק) This dispensation is also for pupils who have difficulties in writing, but not in reading. However, it is not recommended for pupils taking the English Bagrut examination. This dispensation allows pupils to write the answers in the examination booklet and afterwards to read the answers to a tester, who writes them down. Both the pupil’s examination booklet and the tester’s booklet are sent to the Marvad. This dispensation is often problematic for pupils taking the English Bagrut examination, as occasionally the pupil does not read out exactly what s/he wrote. If, when the notebooks are compared, discrepancies are found, the examination may be disqualified. It is therefore recommended that pupils who have problems with writing record their answers. The Oral Examination This option is only for pupils who have serious problems both with reading and writing. The pupil sits with a tester (not the pupil’s own teacher) who reads the examination to the pupil. The pupil tells the tester the answers. In cases where a pupil needs a word looked up in the dictionary, the tester will look up the word for him/her and read out the definitions, letting the pupil choose the appropriate meaning independently. Pupils taking the four and five point examination are required to do the writing task, but are required to write less. After writing down their compositions, they read them out to the tester. The examiner marks the examination and the grade is reported on form 9540. The tester for the Oral Examination must be a practicing English high school teacher, who did not teach the pupil in the 12th grade. The principal of the school must get permission for the examiner to test from the English Inspector of the school. The length of the oral examination is one hour and is based on the written examination. The pupil is not tested on Listening Comprehension or the cloze, but s/he is tested on a shorter version of all the other parts. The exact details of which parts of the examination will be tested on the oral examination are sent out to all schools before the day of the exam. A Special School Examination (שאלון בחינה מותאם) Following the bulletin from the Testing Department of February 21st, 2002, on the subject: Bagrut Examinations, Summer 2002, enclosed please find details of the parts of the test that can be removed. It is the responsibility of the Pedagogical Council of the school to decide which dispensation among the various different options is the most suited to the pupil’s particular needs. The test will be marked at the National Marking Center (מרב”ד) and approval by the Chief Inspector is not required. Hard of Hearing Pupils There is a special format for testing pupils who are hard of hearing. For additional details, schools should contact: Ahuva Magen Beit Shema Plitai HaSefer 30 Tel Aviv 67948 Tel. 03-5715656 Blind Pupils For details regarding the testing of blind pupils, schools should contact: National Inspector for Blind Pupils Ministry of Education ABC Building, Rehov HaShlosha 2 Tel Aviv Tel: 03-6896092 Sincerely, Judy Steiner Chief Inspector of English Language Education ________________________________________________________________________________ Lev Ram Building Jerusalem 91911 Tel. 02-5603587/8 Fax 02-5603596 Powered By GSpeech