THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 David Abrams, Assistant Commissioner Office of Standards, Assessment and Reporting

 

		Date:  January 2008
To:	District Superintendents School Superintendents Principals of Public and Nonpublic Elementary and Intermediate Schools Commissioner’s Advisory Council of Nonpublic Schools Chairpersons and Supervisors of Mathematics Instructors
From:	David Abrams
Subject:	Rulers and Protractors for the Grades 3-8 Mathematics Tests

For 2008 only, the Department will provide plastic rulers for the Grades 3-8 Mathematics Tests. In addition, the Department will provide plastic protractors for Grades 5 and 7 only for use with the tests in those grades. The rulers and protractors will be sent to schools by the end of February 2008. Shipments for public schools will be sent to their school district offices, with quantities based on grade enrollments reported to the Department. Shipments for nonpublic schools, charter schools, and BOCES educational programs will be sent directly to the schools in sufficient quantity to match the number of tests ordered. Once these are received, the packages should be opened and inspected to make sure no manufacturing errors were made.

A Ruler/Protractor Calibration Sheet will be included in each school’s shipment of mathematics tools. School personnel should use this sheet to check the accuracy of the tools. These tools will not be supplied by the Department after the current school year. It is therefore important that the tools be stored in a safe place for future Grades 3-8 Mathematics Tests if your school intends to continue using them.

Some classroom teachers and administrators from across the State have expressed a preference that students be able to use with the tests the same rulers and protractors that they use every day in the classroom. These may be used in lieu of the State-issued tools provided that they do not have pertinent information, such as mathematics formulas, written on them, and that they meet the specifications provided below.  Rulers will be used with all of the 3-8 tests. Protractors will be used only with the tests for Grades 5 and 7. 

Grades 3 and 4 Mathematics Tests – Specifications for Rulers

• Rulers may be constructed of plastic, wood, metal, cardboard, or other suitable material.
• Rulers must be between 6" and 12" long.
• Rulers must include inch to " subdivisions; they may include " subdivisions.
• Rulers must include centimeters.
• Rulers must be calibrated accurately with the Ruler/Protractor Calibration Sheet.
  

Grades 5-8 Mathematics Tests – Specifications for Rulers

• Rulers may be constructed of plastic, wood, metal, cardboard, or other suitable material.
• Rulers must be between 6" and 12" long.
• Rulers must include inch to " subdivisions.
• Rulers must include centimeters with millimeter subdivisions.
• Rulers must be calibrated accurately with the Ruler/Protractor Calibration Sheet.

Grades 5 and 7 Mathematics Tests – Specifications for Protractors

• Protractors must be of clear plastic and measure no shorter than " in diameter and no longer than " in diameter.
• Protractors must be calibrated accurately with the Ruler/Protractor Calibration Sheet.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-5902.