Best Practices for the ACT® District Testing Programs 1

Share some of the Best Practices for ACT’s District Testing programs. TODAY’S GOAL 2

THE ACT DISTRICT TESTING PROGRAM Benefits of District Testing for the students o No cost to the student o Testing on a school day eliminates job conflicts, transportation challenges and other Saturday morning distractions o Allows students to test in a familiar environment with staff who know them 3

THE ACT DISTRICT TESTING PROGRAM Benefits of District Testing for the students o Provides the test to students who otherwise might not test – opening the door to opportunities they might not otherwise have had o Provides an ACT score that can be used for college and scholarship applications 4

DISTRICT TESTING DATES 5 Testing WindowPaperOnline Mid March 2016 Initial – March 15 Makeup – March 29 March Weekdays April 2016Initial – April 19 Makeup – May 3 April 19-May 3 Weekdays

PARTICIPATION Go to the ACT District Testing testing/index.html “Enroll” in a timely manner Provide accurate information “More Information” option 6

PARTICIPATION Complete the 4 required deliverables in a timely manner BEFORE the deadline Organization File - (District task) Contract - (District task) Establishment Process - (School task) Pre-ID File - - (District task) Follow the “Schedule of Events” (formerly known as “Checklist of Dates”) Offsite testing option 7

PREPARATION AND TRAINING Watch the Webcasts available online at the ACT District testing website for individual viewing o Accommodations o Test Administration Attend Accommodations Q&A session Attend Test Administration Q&A session Checklist in the Administration Manual 8

CHOOSING STAFF Reliable, dependable, trustworthy Staff to student ratios Make sure that staff attend training and are prepared Conflict of interest policy o Relatives o Tutors o Coaches 9

ACCOMMODATIONS ACT APPROVED ACT-Approved Accommodations result in ACT scores that are fully reportable to colleges, scholarships, and other entities. o Currently on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plans o Professionally Diagnosed and Documented Disability o Submitted through Test Accommodations and Accessibility (TAA) o Materials are student specific 10

ACCOMMODATIONS NON-COLLEGE REPORTABLE Non-college Reportable Accommodations result in ACT scores that are not college-reportable; they are used for state accountability purposes only. o Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students who do not have a disability but receive accommodations in school o Materials ordered online 11

ENROLLMENT CONFIRMATION & PRE-ID FILE SUBMISSION In January schools will be asked to confirm enrollment. This used for material shipments. Have student database is current. This is used to create student Pre-ID labels. 12

RECEIVING MATERIALS Non secure shipment Secure shipments o Standard time o ACT Approved Accommodations o Non-college Reportable Accommodations Receipt and check-in of materials Secure Storage 13

PRE-TEST SESSION FOR STUDENTS Must be conducted before test day – preferably 7-10 days in advance All students – don’t forget accomms students Highlight fields o Address o 4 College choices o EOS o o Interest Inventory and SPS 14

TEST DAY PREPARATION Make sure students know what to do and expect o Where to report o No cell phones o Calculators and pencils Train staff Prepare testing rooms Assign staff keeping requirements in mind Count & prepare materials for each room 15

TEST DAY Briefing session for staff o Last minute reminders o Distribute materials -- document Admitting students o ID and mark the roster o Seat assignments Administering the test is the only thing they do Administration Forms completed accurately Collecting the materials following testing 16

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH OTHER STUDENTS? Have school as usual Educational Field trips Job shadowing College visit days ACT practice tests Visit/tour local businesses 17

PACKING AND RETURNING MATERIALS Following Packing instructions o Do not put polymailers in the boxes o Scorable items are returned in polymailers for standard time testers Different instructions for Standard Time vs. Accomms returns Keep standard time materials separate from accomms Have material ready for pick up on scheduled date 18

USING THE SCORE REPORTS There is a wealth of information for school and student use o Student score report Can be viewed online at actstudent.org o School reports o District data files Use to inform student and curriculum choices 19

DISTRICT TESTING CAN BE FUN Provide the students with food – a special lunch on test day, snacks & water a break Offer incentives for participating/testing – drawings for prizes from local merchants, movie tickets, admission to school events, preferred parking Recognize those that have high scores or beat the average 20

DISTRICT TESTING CAN BE FUN Work with local business for special recognition Make the pre-test session important – reward those that complete their answer doc – SPS, Interest Inventory, select four colleges and EOS – all things that enhance the benefits of taking The ACT Measure against previous years results or grad class data looking an overall class improvement for a class reward – a field trip or team building experience. (This might have to wait until the fall.) 21

FOR MORE INFORMATION Website -- testing/ ACT State Testing 800/ x 2800 ACT State Testing Accommodations 800/ x 1788 Contact Us Via Our Contact Us Webpage: Standard Customer service hours: M-F 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Central Time 22