Greenville County School District issued the following announcement on November 30.
The South Carolina Board of Education requires participation in the End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) for students enrolled in gateway courses which are awarded credit in English 2, Algebra 1, Biology 1, and the United States History and the Constitution (USHC). With the exception of the USHC, the EOCEP examination scores count 20 percent in the calculation of the student’s final grade this school year. Schools will administer a district-created USHC exam which will count 10% in the students’ final grade for the course.
EOCEP testing will be conducted at brick-and-mortar schools during specified test days in December and January for identified Greenville County students who are enrolled in one of the participating courses. Refer to your student’s school website for a listing of exam dates and times. Per the SC Department of Education (SCDE), remote testing is not available.
Tests will be administered via the online testing format unless the student has an IEP, 504 Accommodations Plan, or Individualized Language Acquisition Plan specifying the paper format is needed. Students will need to bring their charged district-issued device. As students will test online using a device (e.g., Chromebook, computer), students are prohibited from using the testing device to create, store, or transmit by any means any documents or images related to the test. Additionally, the SCDE requires all other devices (such as cell phones or smart watches) to be collected prior to the test administration as students may not possess any electronics or other device that can be used for communication, timing, creating images, or storing images in the test setting.
EOCEP tests consist of mostly selected-response items but may include some technology-enhanced and scenario based items. The English test contains separate reading and writing sections which are administered on separate testing days. The English writing test includes a Text-Dependent Analysis item and selected-response writing items.
The EOCEP tests are untimed; however, 2-3 hours is the estimated test administration time for most students to complete the test. Students are expected to complete the test during a single day unless the student has an IEP or 504 Accommodations Plan specifying administration of a single test over multiple days. Students enrolled in GCS Virtual Program will be required to provide transportation to and from school on test day.
To prepare students for online testing, a public version of the Online Tools Training (OTT) is available for students to interact with the testing software and tools before the “real” administration of the assessment. While the OTT simulates the test experience, correct answers and scores are not provided. A public version of the OTT is available here (use Google Chrome to access this site). This public version includes audio for oral administration and video for sign language.
To learn more about the EOCEP tests, please review the SCDE’s EOCEP brochure (Spanish, Russian, Chinese).
Testing Tips for Students
- Rest on the nights before these tests.
- Eat a nourishing breakfast on the morning of each test.
- Be in school and on time, except in cases of illness.
- Listen attentively to the teacher’s directions so he/she will know exactly what to do.
- Read each test question and each response carefully before marking an answer choice.
- Stay calm if there are questions that seem difficult.
- Mark his/her best answer.
- Refrain from bringing any electronic device that can be used for communicating, timing, or imaging into the testing location.
- Meet with your child’s teachers as often as necessary to discuss his/her progress.
- Check or review your child’s homework, projects, or other school work.
- Ask teachers to suggest activities for you and your child to do at home to help prepare for tests and to improve your child’s understanding of schoolwork.
- Talk with your child about school.
- Provide positive feedback by praising your child for what he/she does well.
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