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

Carl Forbes, MSED Senior Consultant East Region – Atlanta Office Lenox Road NE, Suite 320 Atlanta, GA Our ACT Consultant:

Topics/Agenda u Assessment Overview uAdministration uAfter The Test uQuestions

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 uEXPLORE- 8 th or 9th uPLAN- 10th uACT- 11 th or 12th uAssessment uStudent Planning uInstructional Support uEvaluation

EXPLOREPLANACT EPAS Scales Relationship

What Will EXPLORE Tell Us? uAcademic Progress uInterests uCareer 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 uThe EPAS tests are achievement tests. They are tests of acquired or developed abilities. uThe tasks (questions) constituting all EPAS tests correspond to recognized middle and high school learning experiences. uThe EPAS tests consists of complex, heterogeneous tasks that require students to use skills and knowledge developed over time to solve them. uEach test is developmentally appropriate for the grade level

English Test Designed to measure students’ ability to effectively communicate meaning by:  Critiquing  Revising  Editing

English Test 2 sub-scores 4053% 3060% 2563% Usage/Mechanics 3547% 2040% 1537% Rhetorical Skills Total EXPLOREPLAN ACT Words Words Words Passages Passage Length Punctuation6(.15)7(.14)10(.13) Grammar and Usage 8(.20)9(.18)12(.16) Sentence Structure11(.28)14(.28)18(.24) Strategy5(.12)6(.12)12(.16) Organization 5(.12)7(.14)11(.15) Style5(.12)7(.14)12(.16)

Mathematics Test uRequires Students to  Analyze problems – in both real world and purely mathematical settings  Plan and carry out strategies  Verify appropriateness of solutions

Mathematics Test Content Area Basic Statistical/ Probability Concepts Pre-Algebra Elementary Algebra Pre-Geometry Plane Geometry Coordinate Geometry Intermediate Algebra Trigonometry Total EXPLORE (.13) (.33) (.30) (.23) PLAN (.35) (.20) (.27) (.18) (.23) (.17) (.23) (.15) (.07) ACT

Reading Test uMeasures student proficiencies in understanding and deriving meaning from texts ranging from fiction narratives to informational passages uMeasures vocabulary by determining the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple- meaning words from context uMeasures skills used to read and understand published materials

Content Area Prose Fiction Humanities Social Sciences Natural Sciences Total Reading Test Passages Passage Length EXPLORE (.33) Words PLAN (.32) (.36) (.32) Words (.25) ACT Words

Reading Between the Lines uThose ACT-tested students who can read complex texts are more likely to be ready for college uPerformance 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 uMore students are on track to being ready for college-level reading in 8 th & 9 th grade than are actually ready by the time they reach 12 th grade uNot enough high school teachers are teaching reading skills or strategies and many students are victims of teachers’ low expectations

Science Test uMeasures student proficiencies in using and reasoning with science information, skills, and knowledge uAsks Students to:  Communicate information and use scientific research strategies  Make comparisons between, and draw conclusions from scientific findings, studies, and viewpoints

Life Science Physical Science Earth/Space Science Content areas are distributed over all formats 1 Science Test - EXPLORE Data Representation Research Summaries Conflicting Viewpoints Content Area 1 Format

Stimulus Material Data Representation Research Summaries Conflicting Viewpoints Total PLAN (.33) (.47) (.20) (.38) (.45) (.18) ACT EXPLORE (.43) (.36) (.21) Science Test

Content Area Life Science Physical Science Earth/Space Science Biology Chemistry Physics Total EXPLORE PLAN 1-2 * 5 ACT 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 REALITY Monitor College Readiness Early Based on more than 540,000 8th graders who took 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 uStudent Information Section wName wStudent ID Number wBirth Date wGender wCurrent Grade wRace / Ethnicity

Non-Cognitive Components uNeeds Assessment wExploring options for Education, Careers, and jobs after HS wImproving writing skills wImproving reading speed or comprehension wImproving study skills wImproving mathematical skills wImproving computer skills wImproving public speaking skills

Non-Cognitive Components uPlans and Background wLanguage the student knows best wTypes of courses planned in high school wHS coursework plans in 5 subject areas wParticipation in accelerated, honors, or outreach programs wParents’ highest levels of education wEducational and career plans after HS

Non-Cognitive Components uLocal Supplemental Items wWhat 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 uUNIACT Interest Inventory wIncluded in all EPAS tests at no extra charge w72 item unisex interest inventory of work relevant activities wIdentifies personally relevant career options wBridged to World-Of Work Map and Holland Types

World of Work Map

R C E S A I E= Enterprising S=Social I=Investigative R=Realistic C=Conventional A=Arts

World of Work Map Interest Inventory Results

What We Need to Know to Help Students’ Scores Improve uWhat skills the test measures uHow the test measures the skills uHow the test relates to my curriculum uWhat skills my students already know uWhat skills my students need to learn uWhat 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 Score15 Score Range (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 Coursework ACT Minimum Core

Your High School Course Plans Compared 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 Planning Page 10

Coursework Planner Page 12

EXPLORE Score Report Side 2

Building Your Skills

Additional Resources

Supplemental Report Review

EXPLORE Reports uSchool Summary Profile Report uPresentation Packet uEarly Intervention Roster uItem-Response Summary Report uCollege Readiness Standards Report

Profile Summary Report uThis report provides an overall summary of information on all students who have taken the test in the district/school uIncludes option for 12 local items

Page 2 EXPLORE (1 – 25)

EXPLORE Subscores Page 3 Subscores Scale: EXPLORE 1-12

Improving ScoresImproving 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 Standards by Learning Strands and Score Ranges Standards: ideas for progress Basic Operations and... Probability, Statistics, & Data... Numbers: Concepts & Properties Scores are seen as for Assessment for Achievement, rather than of Assessment of Achievement!

EXPLORE CRS Tables Page 3

Educational Plans Page 5

EXPLORE Summary Profile Report Activity

Presentation Packet

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 10 th 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 uFor 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 uCollege Readiness Guides  Examples 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

Building Success Strategies uWhat is the data telling us? uWhat are our College Readiness goals? uWhat strategies need to be implemented this year? uWhat are our long term strategies? uWhat type professional development is needed?

Carl Forbes, MSED Senior Consultant East Region – Atlanta Office Lenox Road NE, Suite 320 Atlanta, GA Our ACT Consultant: