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ACT’s College and Career Readiness System
2013-2014
presented byMarlon Cousin, Title I Coordinator
Objective
This presentation will address the “new” State of Louisiana mandate that all 11th grade students are required to take the American College Testing (ACT) examination beginning this
school year (2012-2013).
Included in this presentation is a snapshot of ACT’s College and Career Readiness System.
*For the 2012-2013 academic school year, all 11th and 12th grade students will take the ACT.
Education TerminologyUsed in Presentation
• Common Core Standards: The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.
• Longitudinal growth model: concerned with the development of persons or groups over time
• Criterion Referenced Test (CRT): CRT’s are constructed so that the student is tested upon what he is supposed to know. This kind of test is usually connected to something else—grades, promotion to next grade, HS diploma. Examples of a CRT include: Teacher-made tests, LEAP or a driver’s license test.
• Norm Referenced Test (NRT): NRT’s are not pass/fail. They compare one score to that of a group who also took the test. Examples of a NRT include: ACT/SAT or the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)
• benchmark: a standard point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed.
Why Statewide Testing in Louisiana?
• Adopting all or part of ACT’s College and Career Readiness System on a statewide basis provides significant advantages for educational and career planning, assessment, instructional support, and evaluation.
Benefits of Statewide Testing
• Students benefit from a longitudinal growth model that includes coordinated measurement in 8th or 9th grade (EXPLORE®), 10th grade (PLAN®), and 11th or 12th grade (the ACT®).
• The system focuses on the integrated, higher-order thinking skills students develop in grades K-12 that are important for success both during and after high school.
• Norm and criterion-referenced assessments provide meaningful data for student and school improvement efforts.
In addition, statewide testing:
• Raises awareness and exposure among all students, rather than just self-selected, college-bound students.
• Is a great equalizer of opportunity. Primarily, it brings more men, more minorities, and more middle- and low-income students into the enrollment pipeline.
ACT’s Assessment Programs ProvideFlexibility to Meet State Needs
• Testing window allows test administration either on designated weekdays or on weekends.
• Utilize state-assigned IDs (instead of Social Security numbers) for students, protecting their personal information and facilitating easy integration of test results into state records system.
• Quick turnaround means test results and follow-up materials are shipped within 3 weeks of testing for EXPLORE AND PLAN, 4 to 6 weeks for the ACT.
• Provides opportunity for customized State-Allowed Accommodations.
ACT’s Assessment Programs ProvideFlexibility to Meet State Needs (continued)
• As a result, states, districts, and schools can align their curricula, professional developments, and assessments around the Common Core State Standards, confident they are aiming at the same targets as the best-performing countries around the world.
*Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA)
Definition of College and Career Readiness
• ACT defines college and career readiness as “the acquisition of the knowledge and skills a student needs to enroll in and succeed in credit-bearing first-year courses at a postsecondary institution (such as a two- or four-year college, trade school, or technical school) without the need for remediation.”
ACT’s College and Career Readiness System
At the core of the system is a series of assessments (tests) that are curriculum-based and show measurement over time. It begins in the 8th grade with EXPLORE,
followed by PLAN in the 10th grade, and ACT for juniors and seniors. Each assessment measures achievement in English, math, reading, and science and includes a career
interest exploration component.
•8TH AND 9TH grade educational and career planning program
EXPLORE
•10TH grade educational and career planning program
PLAN
•11TH or 12th grade assessment for learning outcomes
The ACT
Features of EXPLORE (continued)
• Through EXPLORE, the strengths and weaknesses of 8th or 9th graders can be identified early in their educational development, when they have the greatest opportunity to establish a high school program of studies that will help them achieve their career and educational goals.
• EXPLORE also includes a career exploration component that stimulates students’ thinking about future plans and relates personal characteristics to career options.
• The EXPLORE program helps students discover a broad range of options for their future.
Features of EXPLORE (continued)
Content/Skills Area # of items
EXPLORE English Test (30 minutes)
Usage/ Mechanics
Punctuation 6
Grammar and Usage 8
Sentence Structure 11
Rhetorical Skills
Strategy 5
Organization 5
Style 5
TOTAL 40
Content/Skills Area # of items
EXPLORE Mathematics Test (30 minutes)Pre-Algebra 10
Elementary Algebra 10
Geometry 7
Statistics/Probability 4
TOTAL 30
*Curriculum-based assessment (test) of ELA, math, science and reading skills of 8th and 9th grade students that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Features of EXPLORE (continued)
Content/Skills Area # of items
EXPLORE Reading Test (30 minutes)Prose Fiction 10
Humanities 10
Social Studies 10
TOTAL 30
Content/Skills Area
Format # of items
EXPLORE Science Test (30 minutes)Earth/Space Sciences
Data Representation
12
Life Sciences Research Summaries
10
Physical Sciences Conflicting Viewpoints
6
TOTAL 28
Features of PLAN• Typically administered in the 10th grade,
PLAN provides students with an indication of how their educational progress relates to their post-high school educational and career plans.
• PLAN scores can be used by both students and teachers to analyze the relationship between instruction and academic skill development.
• Then adjustments can be made to high school coursework to ensure they are prepared for what they want to do next.
• Because PLAN and the ACT share common score scale, the scores earned on PLAN represent the same score a student is likely to earn on the ACT.
Features of PLAN (continued)
Content/Skills Area # of items
PLAN English Test (30 minutes)
Usage/ Mechanics
Punctuation 7
Grammar and Usage 9
Sentence Structure 14
Rhetorical Skills
Strategy 6
Organization 7
Style 7
TOTAL 50
Content/Skills Area # of items
PLAN Mathematics Test (30 minutes)Pre-Algebra 14
Elementary Algebra 8
Coordinate Geometry 7
Plane Geometry 11
TOTAL 40
*PLAN is a curriculum-based assessment (test) of ELA, math, science and reading skills of 10th grade students that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Features of PLAN (continued)
Content/Skills Area # of items
PLAN Reading Test (20 minutes)Prose Fiction 8
Humanities 9
Social Studies 8
TOTAL 25
Content/Skills Area
Format # of items
PLAN Science Test (25 minutes)Biology Data
Representation10
Chemistry Research Summaries
14
Physics Conflicting Viewpoints
6
TOTAL 30
Grade 8th 9th 10th
Features of the ACT
Content/Skills Area # of items
ACT English Test (45 minutes)
Usage/ Mechanics
Punctuation 10
Grammar and Usage 12
Sentence Structure 18
Rhetorical Skills
Strategy 12
Organization 11
Style 12
TOTAL 75
Content/Skills Area # of items
ACT Mathematics Test (60 minutes)Pre-Algebra 14
Elementary Algebra 10
Intermediate Algebra 9
Coordinate Geometry 9
Plane Geometry 14
Trigonometry 4
TOTAL 60
*The ACT is a curriculum-based college entrance exam that measures skills and knowledge in ELA, math, reading and science. The ACT is aligned to the Common Core State
Standards and includes an optional writing test.
Features of the ACT (continued)
Content/Skills Area # of items
ACT Reading Test (35 minutes)Prose Fiction 10
Humanities 10
Social Studies 10
Natural Sciences 10
TOTAL 40
Content/Skills Area
Format # of items
PLAN Science Test (35 minutes)Biology Data
Representation15
Earth/Space Sciences
Research Summaries
18
ChemistryPhysics
Conflicting Viewpoints
7
TOTAL 40
School Performance Score Middle School October 2013
LEAP Grade 8
i LEAP Grade 6
i LEAP Grade 7
Dropout//Credit Accumulation
Index
Assessment Points *
150 Advanced
125 Mastery
100 Basic
0 Approaching Basic
0 Unsatisfactory
Credits Accumulation Index Points
Points Per Student
6 150
5.5 125
5 100
4.5 75
4 50
3.5 25
3 or less 0
3rd year 8th grade student 0
Dropout 0
* Bonus Points - Up to 10 bonus points for students identified as non-proficient on 2012 state English language arts or math exams and exceed growth expectations on 2013 tests
* End-of-Course Points – Additional points for middle school students scoring Excellent (50) or Good (25) on EOC tests
School Performance Score High School October 2013
ACT *25%En
d-of-Course
Tests25%
Graduation Index25%
Graduation Rate25%
Graduation Index Points150 Diploma + Advanced Placement with a
score of 3 or higher
110 Diploma + Dual Enrollment or Advanced Placement with a score less than 3 or Industry Based Certification
100 Diploma
75 5th Year Graduate
25 GED
ACT Points
150.4 Score of 36
100 to 147.6 Score of 18 to 35
0 Score Less than 18
2.8 increase for each additional ACT point between 18 – 36
Graduation Rate Points
Earn points for the percent of students who graduate in four years
EOC Test Points
150 Excellent
100 Good
0 Fair
0 Needs Improvement
Tests include Algebra I, Geometry, English II, English
III, and Biology. U.S. History will be included in the 2014 SPS
* Bonus Points – Up to 10 bonus points if students:• were non-proficient on last state English language arts or math exams• took PLAN test and have targets• exceeded PLAN targets on ACT tests
Benefits for taking the ACT
• Rewards students for what they know. The ACT is the only college admissions test based on the number of correct answers—with no penalty for guessing
• Results help educators monitor academic growth from grades 8 through 12 (when combined with EXPLORE and PLAN) and better identify when and where students need help
• Motivates students to perform to their best ability and often results in increased college enrollment, especially for underrepresented students.
• Provides colleges and universities with detailed information for recruiting, advising, placement, and retention.
• Helps students identify personally relevant career options with the ACT career exploration component.
• Offers interventions to assist students in educational and career planning.
ACT Resources for Students and their Families*Visit www.actstudent.org to learn more about how these
resources are designed to help families and educators guide students during their preparation for college and career.
ACT Student appfor iPhone® and iPod® touch
• ACTStudent helps users anticipate and manage the ACT test experience. Using the “Practice” feature, students can answer answers to practice items and gain feedback from their attempts. The “Account” feature allows users to log in for limited, read-only access to their own registration and score information.
• By accessing the link to ACT’s mobile site, users can find straightforward answers to typical questions test takers have about events leading up to the test and the test day itself.
www.act.org/mobileapps/actstudent
ACT College Search appfor iPhone® and iPod® touch
• ACT’s College Search helps users focus and narrow their prospects for postsecondary education. Searching by names and/or selecting preferences, users can arrive at a manageable number of institutions for more thorough investigation.
• They can view profiles, visit the webpages and save as “favorites” information about nearly all two-and four-year postsecondary education institutions in the U.S.
www.act.org/mobileapps/collegesearch
Online Resources
ACT Student Web Account
• Students can set up an ACT Web Account to register for the ACT.
• The student account allows students to make changes to their test option, test date, or test center; add, change, or delete college choices; receives e-mail updates from ACT about registration; view scores; and request additional score reports.
www.actstudent.org
ACT Online Prep™
• ACT Online Prep offers practice tests with real ACT Test questions, a diagnostic test and personalized Study Path, and comprehensive content review for each of the ACT’s four multiple-choice tests—English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science.
• Practice essays with real-time scoring for the optional Writing Test are also included.
• Student edition: $19.95
www.actstudent.org/onlineprep
Online Resources (continued)
ACT Question of the Day
• Visit www.actstudent.org where a new ACT Test practice question is posted each day—FREE!
www.actstudent.org/qotd
ACT College Readiness Standards
• Become familiar with the ACT College Readiness Standards™, educators and parents can best equip themselves to help students understand the skills necessary for academic success.
• ACT’s College Readiness Standards clearly describe the skills and abilities typically demonstrated by students scoring in particular ranges on ACT EXPLORE, ACT PLZN, and the ACT Test.
• Download a FREE copy of Connecting College Readiness Standards to the Classroom.
www.act.org/standard
Online Resources (continued)
• ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks are the minimum ACT Test scores required for students to have a high probability of success in credit-bearing first-year college courses—English Composition, social sciences courses, College Algebra, or Biology.
www.act.org/education/benchmarks.html
College Course
ACT Subject-Area
Test
EXPLOREBenchmark
Grade 8
EXPLOREBenchmark
Grade 9
PLANBenchmark
ACTBenchmark
English Composition
English 13 14 15 18
College Algebra
Math 17 18 19 22
Social Sciences
Reading 15 16 17 21
Biology Science 20 20 21 24
The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks
Online Resources (continued)
World-of-Work Map
• The World-of-Work Map graphically shows how occupations relate to each other based on work tasks.
• When students receive scores from one ACT’s assessments, they receive a personalized report. This report suggests map regions and career areas on the World-of-Work Map for students to explore.
www.actstudent.org/wwm/world/html
Online Resources (continued)
Map of College Majors
• The Map of College Majors is unique and searchable and directs students to 80 popular majors. The map is based on the interests of thousands of college students.
• Each map point corresponds to the interests of actual students enrolled in that major.
• The map helps students see similarities and differences between majors, based on student preferences for activities involving data, ideas, people, and things.
www.actstudent.org/majorsmap/index.html
ACT Parent Newsletter
• A monthly newsletter to help parents guide students from middle school and high school toward college and careers.
• Subscribe for FREE!
www.act.org/path/parent/news
Online Resources (continued)
• March2Succes also offers 25 decks of flashcards (20 Verbal and 5 Math) ranging in difficulty from easy to hard.
• The flashcards show a word or term, will read it aloud (if you have sound turned on) and provide a definition.
• Each deck of cards includes as game or quiz to review the terms you have just learned.
• FREE tool designed to help students in the following areas:SAT/ACT Practice Tests and Flashcards
• March2Success offers 7 full length practice tests for both the SAT and ACT.
• These practice tests are timed just as each section of the real test is.
• Additionally, each section can be reviewed after the section has been scored. This will show whether each question is correct or incorrect with the correct answer and an explanation of the problem.
MARCH2SUCCESSwww.march2success.com
Print Resources
“Preparing for the ACT”
• This booklet includes descriptions of the skills measured by the ACT, test-taking strategies, general information about test day, and complete practice tests, including writing prompt. A sample answer document, scoring key, and scoring instructions are also included.
• See the school guidance counselor for your FREE copy today!
media.act.org/documents/preparing.pdf
“Using your ACT Results”
• The ACT Student Report contains a student’s ACT Test results and basic explanations of what they mean. This booklet provides more information keyed to the three parts of the Student Report: scores, College Reports, and education and career planning.
• Download your FREE copy at:
media.actstudent.org/documents/uyar.pdf
Print Resources (continued)
• This guide can help students make some important decisions about their future education. Included are: six steps to simplify college planning, information on ACT Test preparation, suggested activities and planning resources, college selection strategies, and financial aid facts.
www.act.org/path/secondary/pdf/GetSetfor Collge.pdf
• The parent version helps parents and students research colleges, discuss the information, and work together to decide which colleges are most appropriate. This brochure is meant to help parents and students prepare for opportunities and challenges ahead and make planning for college a little easier.
www.act.org/path/secondary/pdf/GetSetfor CollgeParent.pdf
“Get Set for College”
Print Resources (continued)
“The Real ACT Prep Guide”—with CD
• This is the only official ACT Test preparation guide provided by ACT.
• Included are: five practice tests with an optional Writing Test, explanations for all right and wrong answer choices, an in-depth look at the optional Writing Test and how it is scored, and valuable test-taking strategies. $34.95
www.actstudent.org/testprep/book.html
The ACT Writing Test
• The ACT offers an optional 30-minute Writing Test Component.
• The ACT Writing Test complements the English Test. The combined information from both tests tells postsecondary institutions about students’ understanding of the conventions of standard written English and their ability to produce a direct sample of writing.
Why the ACT Writing Test Is Optional
• Because postsecondary institutions have varying needs, the ACT Writing Test is offered as an option.
• Postsecondary institutions are making their own decisions about whether to require the results from the ACT
• Students will decide whether to take the Writing Test based on the requirements of the institutions they are considering.
• Students are not required to take a test that they do not need to take, thus incurring unnecessary expense, and institutions have the freedom to require the tests that best meet their information needs.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
