The ACT College & Career Readiness System Bloom Township High School District – January 7, 2013

Contact ACT: Chris Mitchell Senior Consultant ACT Midwest Regional Office 300 Knightsbridge Parkway, Suite 300 Lincolnshire, IL / ● FAX: 847/

A Question for All: What do I know about ACT? Not for Profit Mission Driven Research Achievement Based

A Question for All: What is College and Career Readiness? Ensuring that all students, graduating from high school, have acquired the skills in English, mathematics, reading, and science that they need to be ready for entry-level college courses without remediation

ACT College & Career Readiness System Planning for School Improvement Improving Course Rigor Measuring Student Progress Toward College and Career Readiness Research EXPLORE 8 th & 9 th grade curriculum- based educational and career planning program PLAN 10 th grade curriculum- based educational and career planning program The ACT 11 th & 12 th grade curriculum- based measurement for learning outcomes ENGAGE Middle and High School assessment that measures factors of academic success QualityCore Research- driven solutions for strengthening curriculum & instruction CoreWork Diagnostics Online service to diagnose and improve content and practice areas ACT College Readiness Standards ACT College Readiness Benchmarks ACT Core Course Standards WorkKeys Job skill assessments and portable credentials necessary for career pathways College & Career Readiness Information System Core Practice Audit Online service to diagnose and improve content and practice areas

College & Career Readiness Vocabulary

ACT’s College Readiness Standards Narrative Description of what students need to know and be able to do Reflect a Common Continuum of Achievement Progressive Model of Student Progress from Middle to High School Reflect Student Strengths/Weaknesses Evaluate Student Readiness for Next Levels of Learning

College Readiness Standards College Readiness Standards Intervals

Through collaborative research with postsecondary institutions nationwide, ACT has established the following college readiness benchmarks*: * Minimum score needed on an ACT subject-area test to indicate a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding first-year credit-bearing college course. DEFINE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS College Readiness Benchmark Scores TestCollege CourseACT English English Composition 18 Math College Algebra 22 Reading Social Science 21 Science Biology 24 TestCollege Course EXPLORE 8EXPLORE 9PLAN 10ACTCOMPASS English English Composition Math College Algebra Reading Social Science Science Biology NA

ACT Core Courses

April, 1983 – A Nation at Risk We recommend that State and local high school graduation requirements be strengthened and that, at a minimum, all students seeking a diploma be required to lay the foundations in the Five New Basics by taking the following curriculum during their 4 years of high school: (a) 4 years of English; (b) 3 years of mathematics; (c) 3 years of science; (d) 3 years of social studies; and (e) one-half year of computer science. For the college-bound, 2 years of foreign language in high school are strongly recommended in addition to those taken earlier. National Commission on Excellence in Education

ACT’s Educational Planning and Assessment System

ACT College & Career Readiness System 8th–9th Grade Score Scale: 1—25  Baseline Assessment  Helps Increase PLAN and ACT Scores  Documents if Students are On Track for College 8th–9th Grade Score Scale: 1—25  Baseline Assessment  Helps Increase PLAN and ACT Scores  Documents if Students are On Track for College 10th Grade Score Scale: 1—32  Midpoint Assessment  Helps Increase ACT Scores  Documents if Students are On Track for College 10th Grade Score Scale: 1—32  Midpoint Assessment  Helps Increase ACT Scores  Documents if Students are On Track for College 11th–12th Grade Score Scale: 1—36  Measures What Students Have Learned  Increases College Readiness When Used with EXPLORE & PLAN  Documents Readiness for College 11th–12th Grade Score Scale: 1—36  Measures What Students Have Learned  Increases College Readiness When Used with EXPLORE & PLAN  Documents Readiness for College Longitudinal Assessments 9th–12th Grade Instructional Improvement End Of Course Assessments Researched-Based Educator Resources Aligned Formative Item Pool For 12 High School Core Courses Based on Empirical Research Helps improve College Readiness for ALL Students by ensuring High School Courses are Focused on Essential Postsecondary Skills 9th–12th Grade Instructional Improvement End Of Course Assessments Researched-Based Educator Resources Aligned Formative Item Pool For 12 High School Core Courses Based on Empirical Research Helps improve College Readiness for ALL Students by ensuring High School Courses are Focused on Essential Postsecondary Skills Instruction English, math, reading, science, optional Writing Test (ACT only) Career and Educational Components

The EPAS Assessments - a Holistic View of the Student Academic Achievement Measures: –English –Math –Reading –Science Reasoning UNIACT Interest Inventory Plans and Background Information Needs Assessment

English Test Measures students’ understanding of: –Usage and Mechanics (punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence structure) –Rhetorical Skills (strategy, organization, and style)

Rhetorical Skills15(.38)20(.40)35(.47) Usage and Mechanics25(.63)30(.60)40(.53) Strategy5(.12)6(.12)12(.16) Organization5(.12)7(.14)11(.15) Style5(.12)7(.12)12(.16) English Test All Programs: 2 subscores Total Passages445 Passage Length300 Words300 Words325 Words EXPLORE PLAN ACT Content Area Punctuation6(.15)7(.14)10(.13) Grammar and Usage8(.20)9(.18)12(.16) Sentence Structure11(.28)14(.28)18(.24)

Mathematics Test Measures students’ skills in: –Analyzing problems in both real-world and purely mathematical settings –Planning and carrying out mathematical strategies –Verifying appropriateness of solutions

Mathematics Test PLAN: 2 sub scores; ACT: 3 sub scores Basic Statistical/ Probability Concepts 4(.13) Pre Algebra 10(.33)14(.35)14(.23) Elementary Algebra 9(.30)8(.20)10(.17) Pre-Geometry 7(.23) Plane Geometry 11(.27)14(.23) Coordinate Geometry 7(.18)9(.15) Intermediate Algebra 9(.15) Trigonometry 4(.07) Total EXPLORE PLAN ACT Content Area

Reading Test Measures students’ skill in understanding and deriving meaning from texts by: –Referring to what is explicitly stated –Reasoning to determine implicit meanings and to draw conclusions, comparisons, and generalizations

Reading Test ACT: 2 sub scores Prose Fiction10(.33)8(.32)10(.25) Humanities10(.33)9(.36)10(.25) Social Sciences10(.33)8(.32)10(.25) Natural Sciences10(.25) Total Passages334 Passage Length500 Words500 Words750 Words Content Area EXPLORE PLAN ACT

Science Test Measures students’ skills in: –Interpretation –Analysis –Evaluation –Reasoning –Problem solving

Science Test Number of Passages Content Area Life Science3 Physical Science2 Earth/Space Science11-2*1-2* Biology1-2*1-2* Chemistry1-2*1-2* Physics1-2*1-2* Total657 *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. EXPLORE PLAN ACT

EPAS Reports

EXPLORE/PLAN Score Reporting Student Score Reports (2) Student Score Labels Student Roster (Individual Scores) Profile Summary Report (Group Scores) –College Readiness Standards Report Presentation Package Early Intervention Roster –Low Scores –Reported Needs Student Data File on CD Item Response Summary Report

Student Reports

Side 1 Student Score Report Side 2

Student Score Report

Career Interest Survey Student Score Report

Side 1 Student Score Report Side 2

Side 2 – Item Analysis Student Score Report

School Reports

EXPLORE/PLAN Score Reporting Student Score Reports (2) Student Score Labels Student Roster (Individual Scores) Profile Summary Report (Group Scores) –College Readiness Standards Report Presentation Package Early Intervention Roster –Low Scores –Reported Needs Student Data File on CD Item Response Summary Report

Student List Report

Profile Summary Report

Frequency Distribution N = Students Above Benchmark 129 Students Below Benchmark 94 Students on the Cusp -28 in danger of slipping -66 within 2 points of benchmark EXPLORE Math Frequency Distribution EXPLORE Math Benchmark – Grade 8 = 17

Student List Report

From the Data CD EXPLORE 8 th Grade Math Benchmark = 17

EXPLORE Item-Response Summary Report

PLAN Item Response Summary Report

Item Response Summary Report College Readiness Standard: Math – PSD 303 (16-19) Probability, Statistics, and Data Analysis Read tables and graphs. PLAN Form 31B ( )

Improving Student Performance & Readiness

10 Ways to Raise ACT Scores or 10 Ways to Improve Your Students ’ Postsecondary Readiness Increase % of students taking core coursework Provide test preparation experience Review content and format of the ACT Assessment Align curriculum with skills tested Involve faculty and parents Examine and discuss core trends and school profile report Focus on improvement, not composite Retesting Promote a serious attitude about importance/uses of ACT Student Motivation

Curriculum Review Worksheets

Connecting Standards to the Classroom

Contact ACT: Chris Mitchell Senior Consultant ACT Midwest Regional Office 300 Knightsbridge Parkway, Suite 300 Lincolnshire, IL / ● FAX: 847/