EXPLORE Information Session Georgia Appalachian Center For Higher Education February 5 & 6, 2013

EXPLORE Information SessionGeorgia Appalachian Center

For Higher Education

February 5 & 6, 2013

Carl Forbes, MSED

Senior Consultant

East Region – Atlanta Office

404-231-19523355 Lenox Road NE, Suite 320

Atlanta, GA 30329

carl.forbes@act.org

Our ACT Consultant:

Topics/Agenda

Assessment Overview Administration After The Test Questions

College and Career Readiness System

College and Career Readiness System

MEASURING STUDENT PROGRESS TOWARD READINESS IMPROVING COURSE RIGOR

SUPPORTING SOLUTIONS

PLANNING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

EXPLORE

8th and 9th grade curriculum-based educational and career planning

program

PLAN

10th grade curriculum-based educational and career planning

program

The ACT

11th and 12 grade curriculum-based assessment for

learning outcomes

ENGAGE

Middle and high school assessment that measures all

factors of academic success

QualityCore

Research-driven solutions for

strengthening curriculum

CoreWork Diagnostics

Online service to diagnose and improve content and practice areas

Core Practice Audit

Framework for evaluating current practices

EPAS - Educational Planning and Assessment System

EXPLORE- 8th or 9th

PLAN- 10th

ACT- 11th or 12th

Assessment

Student Planning

Instructional Support

Evaluation

05

10152025303540

EXPLORE PLAN ACT

32

25

36

EPAS Scales Relationship

What Will EXPLORE Tell Us?

Academic Progress Interests Career Plans

at key transition points

Educational Planning and Assessment System – EPAS

CONTENT

How are the test constructed?

What do the tests

measure?

Guiding Principles of EPAS

The EPAS tests are achievement tests. They are tests of acquired or developed abilities.

The tasks (questions) constituting all EPAS tests correspond to recognized middle and high school learning experiences.

The EPAS tests consists of complex, heterogeneous tasks that require students to use skills and knowledge developed over time to solve them.

Each test is developmentally appropriate for the grade level

English Test

Designed to measure students’ ability to effectively communicate meaning by:CritiquingRevisingEditing

English Test 2 sub-scores

40 53%30 60% 25 63%Usage/Mechanics

35 47%20 40% 15 37%Rhetorical Skills

Total 40 50 75

EXPLORE PLAN ACT

4300 Words

4300 Words

5325 Words

PassagesPassage Length

Punctuation 6 (.15) 7 (.14) 10 (.13)Grammar and Usage 8 (.20) 9 (.18) 12 (.16)Sentence Structure 11 (.28) 14 (.28) 18 (.24)

Strategy 5 (.12) 6 (.12) 12 (.16)Organization 5 (.12) 7 (.14) 11 (.15)Style 5 (.12) 7 (.14) 12 (.16)

Mathematics Test

Requires Students toAnalyze problems – in both real

world and purely mathematical settings

Plan and carry out strategiesVerify appropriateness of solutions

Mathematics Test

Content AreaBasic Statistical/ Probability ConceptsPre-AlgebraElementary AlgebraPre-GeometryPlane GeometryCoordinate GeometryIntermediate AlgebraTrigonometry

Total

EXPLORE

410

97

30

(.13)(.33)(.30)(.23)

PLAN

148

117

40

(.35)(.20)

(.27)(.18)

1410

14994

60

(.23)(.17)

(.23)(.15)(.15)(.07)

ACT

Reading Test

Measures student proficiencies in understanding and deriving meaning from texts ranging from fiction narratives to informational passages

Measures vocabulary by determining the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple-meaning words from context

Measures skills used to read and understand published materials

Content AreaProse FictionHumanitiesSocial SciencesNatural Sciences

Total

Reading Test

PassagesPassage Length

EXPLORE101010

30

(.33)(.33)(.33)

3500 Words

PLAN898

25

(.32)(.36)(.32)

3500 Words

10101010

40

(.25)(.25)(.25)(.25)

ACT

4750 Words

Reading Between the Lines

Those ACT-tested students who can read complex texts are more likely to be ready for college

Performance on complex texts is the clearest differentiator in reading between students who are likely to be ready for college and those who are not. And this is true for both genders, all racial/ethnic groups, and all annual family income levels

Reading Between the Lines

More students are on track to being ready for college-level reading in 8th & 9th grade than are actually ready by the time they reach 12th grade

Not enough high school teachers are teaching reading skills or strategies and many students are victims of teachers’ low expectations

Science Test Measures student proficiencies in using and

reasoning with science information, skills, and knowledge

Asks Students to:Communicate information and use scientific

research strategiesMake comparisons between, and draw

conclusions from scientific findings, studies, and viewpoints

Life ScienceLife Science

Physical Physical ScienceScience

Earth/Space Earth/Space ScienceScience

Content areas are distributed over all formats1

Science Test - EXPLORE

Data Representation

Research Summaries

Conflicting Viewpoints

Content Area1 Format

Stimulus MaterialData RepresentationResearch SummariesConflicting Viewpoints

Total

PLAN1014

6

30

(.33)(.47)(.20)

1518

7

40

(.38)(.45)(.18)

ACTEXPLORE1210

6

28

(.43)(.36)(.21)

Science Test

Content AreaLife SciencePhysical ScienceEarth/Space ScienceBiologyChemistryPhysics

Total

EXPLORE321

6

PLAN

1-2*

1-2*

1-2*

1-2*

5

ACT

1-2*

1-2*

1-2*

1-2*

7

Science Test - Passages

*At least one topic is required in this content area, and some test forms may have two topics. No more than two topics in a particular content area are allowed.

When students’ skills are improved during middle school, the

results by the end of high school can be

astounding

MAKING READINESS A REALITYMonitor College Readiness Early

Based on more than 540,000 8th graders whotook EXPLORE in 2007:

Majority of students are not on target in middle school

to be ready for college-level work after high school

ACT data suggests that students who enter high

school lacking prerequisite skills rarely ever catch up

Non-Cognitive Components

Student Information Section

Name Student ID Number Birth Date Gender Current Grade Race / Ethnicity

Non-Cognitive Components

Needs Assessment

Exploring options for Education, Careers, and jobs after HS

Improving writing skills Improving reading speed or

comprehension Improving study skills Improving mathematical skills Improving computer skills Improving public speaking skills

Non-Cognitive Components

Plans and Background

Language the student knows best Types of courses planned in high school HS coursework plans in 5 subject areas Participation in accelerated, honors, or

outreach programs Parents’ highest levels of education Educational and career plans after HS

Non-Cognitive Components

Local Supplemental Items

What would you like to know about your students?

+ Average amount of time with TV,+ Average amount of time spent studying

+ School environment+ Teams?

Non-Cognitive Components

UNIACT Interest Inventory

Included in all EPAS tests at no extra charge

72 item unisex interest inventory of work relevant activities

Identifies personally relevant career options

Bridged to World-Of Work Map and Holland Types

World of Work Map

R

CE

S

A I

E= Enterprising

S=Social

I=Investigative

R=Realistic

C=Conventional

A=Arts

World of Work MapInterest Inventory Results

What We Need to Know to Help Students’ Scores Improve

What skills the test measures How the test measures the skills How the test relates to my curriculum What skills my students already know What skills my students need to learn What instructional methods would be

most effective in meeting the students’ needs

. . . as a base for building instructional strategies

Student Score Report Review

Using Your EXPLORE Results

Student/School Information

What do Your Scores Mean?

Composite Score 15

ScoreRange(1-25)

Your Estimated PLAN Composite Score Range

English: 4 years

Social Sciences: At least 3 years

Mathematics: At least 3 years

Natural Sciences: At least 3 years

ACT Recommended CourseworkACT Minimum Core

Your High School Course PlansCompared to Core

Your Reported Needs

Your Plans for After High School

College Readiness Benchmark Scores

*The ACT Benchmark Score indicates a 50% chance of obtaining a “B” or a 75% chance of obtaining a “C” in corresponding credit-bearing college courses.

College Readiness Benchmark Scores Explained

College Readiness

Career Area List

Coursework PlanningPage 10

Coursework PlannerPage 12

EXPLORE Score ReportSide 2

Building Your Skills

www.explorestudent.org

Additional Resources

http://www.act.org/explore/downloads.html

Supplemental Report Review

EXPLORE Reports

School Summary Profile Report

Presentation Packet

Early Intervention Roster

Item-Response Summary Report

College Readiness Standards Report

Profile Summary Report

This report provides an overall summary of information on all students who have taken the test in the district/school

Includes option for 12 local items

Page 2EXPLORE (1 – 25)

EXPLORE Subscores Page 3

Subscores Scale: EXPLORE 1-12

Improving Scores

College Readiness Standards (CRS) are the statements that represent widely held learning goals that are important for success in high school, college, and the world of work.

The CRS link EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT Assessment scores to curriculum and instructional decision making.

College Readiness Standards

College Readiness Standardsby Learning Strands and Score Ranges

Standards: Standards: Standards:

Standards: Standards: Standards:

16-19

20-23

ideas for progress

ideas for progress

Basic Operations and . . .

Probability, Statistics, & Data . . .

Numbers: Concepts & Properties

Scores are seen as Assessment forfor Achievement,

rather than Assessment of of Achievement!

EXPLORE CRS TablesPage 3

Educational Plans

Page 5

EXPLORE Summary Profile Report Activity

Presentation Packet

Early Intervention Rosters

Early Intervention Rosters

Identify students who reported that they do not plan to complete high school, or have no post-high school educational plans

Identify students who earned a composite score at or below the national 10th percentile (</= 10)

Identify students who expressed a need for help in one or more areas

Item-Response Summary Report

College Readiness Standards Report

Your School Curriculum Compared to EPAS

For each skill, knowledge, or process:Is it included in your curriculum?

At what grade level (or in which course) are students first introduced to the skill?

At what grade level (or in which course) are students expected to demonstrate proficiency in this skill?

Improving Academic Achievement

College Readiness GuidesExamples of test items by Strand by Score

Range

Suggestions for strategies and assessments by Strand

Special Section: Using Assessment Information to Help Support Low-Scoring Students

Connecting College Readiness Standards To The Classroom

www.act.org/standard/guides/explore

Building Success Strategies

What is the data telling us? What are our College Readiness

goals? What strategies need to be

implemented this year? What are our long term

strategies? What type professional

development is needed?

Carl Forbes, MSED

Senior Consultant

East Region – Atlanta Office

404-231-19523355 Lenox Road NE, Suite 320

Atlanta, GA 30329

carl.forbes@act.org

Our ACT Consultant: