Welcome! ACT Training Please help yourself to refreshments!

Goal What you will leave with today…

Housekeeping EILA CreditEnding Today CandyDrinks BreakfastLunch Signed in?

Meeting Norms If cell phones are driving you crazy, here are a few simple rules of courtesy to pass out to your family and friends:

Turn off your phone as you enter a theater, classroom, workshop, conference, or other public function. If you really can't be out of touch, PUT IT ON VIBRATE!

If you do need to answer a phone during one of the previously mentioned, please get up out of your seat and go out into the hall to have your conversation.

The rule of two feet… We are all adults We aren’t responsible for students today. Thus, we can use our two feet beyond the confines of these walls.

Side-bar talking Please limit talking with other participants unless group work is under way.

Overview of materials Who is in the room with us?

ACT SUCCESS

What makes your students successful their first year in college? Is it the facts they learned in your classroom, or the skills?

The Explore Purpose: Help 8 th graders plan for their high school coursework as well as career choices. Score Range: Testing Window: Sept

The Plan Purpose: Helps students measure their academic development and make plans for remaining high school years and beyond. Score Range: Testing Window: Sept

The ACT Purpose: Assess general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work Score Range: Testing Window: March 11, March 11 – 25 for accommodations testing, and March 25 for make-ups

Kentucky and the ACT Why is Kentucky administering? What is the law surrounding this mandate? Senate Bill Related to the bill is KRS

Let’s take the test Science (page 188) will take the complete test Math (page 164) will take either the odd or the even… Everyone will have 35 minutes

BREAK...

Test Analysis… Math: Match problem with strand and what strategy did you use? (p 51) Science: What do kids have to know and be able to do in order to be successful on the math and science portions of the ACT?

Two Column Chart: 1 st column: What do students have to know and be able to do to be successful on the test? 2 nd column: What experiences do they then have to have in the classroom?

Other Pertinent Information… Please get out your BROWN sheet

Structure…

Math Content

Science Content pg. 99 Content AreaFormat%# of Qs Biology Data Rep. Research Summaries Conflicting Viewpoints 38% 45% 17% Chemistry Earth/Space Physics

College Readiness

District Work by discipline to examine college readiness standards and classroom practice… Where are these happening? Are they embedded throughout? Are they consistent or 1-time shots in the dark?

It’s really just GOOD INSTRUCTION!

Curriculum, Program of Studies, & 21 st Century Skills

District Initiative, not just high school

DOK of 1 DOESN’T Reflect Difficulty

Other faculty affected Technical Reading  Kind and Speed Math classes using science data examples Science classes including algebra

IEPs

ARP

ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks College Course or Course Area Test EXPLORE Score PLAN Score ACT Score English Comp. English Social Sciences Readin g Algebra Mathem atics BiologyScience202124

Begin District Planning

Let’s Share Some Ideas Give 1, Get 1 Strategy

Share out…

Group Planning & Discussion

What Colleges Expect

ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks College Course or Course Area Test EXPLORE Score PLAN Score ACT Score English Comp. English Social Sciences Readin g Algebra Mathem atics BiologyScience202124

What do the benchmarks mean? According to the ACT site, a benchmark of 22 on the mathematics section, a 24 on the science section means a student has approximately a 50% chance of earning a B or better and 75% chance of earning a C or better in an equivalent college course.

Among Kentucky Students 67% met or surpassed the English benchmark, compared to 69% nationally 34% met or surpassed the math benchmark, compared to 42% nationally 50% met or surpassed the reading benchmark, compared to 53% nationally 23% met or surpassed the science benchmark, compared to 27% nationally

The Math Test There are sixty multiple choice questions in sixty minutes It’s the mathematics needed for college mathematics courses

Math Content

The Science Test There are forty multiple choice questions in thirty- five minutes The test emphasizes application of scientific reasoning skills rather than recall of content, math skill, or reading level.

Science Content Content AreaFormat%# of Qs Biology Data Rep. Research Summaries Conflicting Viewpoints 38% 45% 17% Chemistry Earth/Space Physics

Strategies… Before that, we must say something very important! There is no “quick fix”  So, think crock pot, not microwave

Student Strategies

Pacing Questions are arranged in order of difficulty

Answer the easy questions first Don’t forget to mark—in the test booklet—the questions you skip

Answer ALL the Questions There is no penalty for guessing and no penalty for wrong answers! Therefore, guess when all else fails and guess consistently!

Read Each Problem Carefully You don’t necessarily have to use all the information you are given There are “Cannot be determined from the given information” problems

Look for clues in the answer choices Sometimes just substituting answer choices will yield a correct answer This strategy is time consuming!

Take Practice Tests

Know when & how to use the calculator! (Math ONLY)

Familiarize yourself & use the ACT site

Instructional Strategies

Modeling How do successful problem solvers work?

Study Cards Math Science Workshops

Summative Assessment Use ACT items from the ACT site and The Real ACT Prep Guide on each unit assessment Label the section ACT Style Questions Teacher and student monitor progress on each question

Integration Integrate more algebra in geometry Integrate more science examples while teaching probability and statistics Science incorporate data interpretation in all units

A district we work with has taken their average ACT scores from an 18 to a 23… IN 4 YEARS! Remember, crock pot, not microwave!

How did they do THAT?

Opening Problems

Openers (Bell Ringers) In math it’s not about the answer to the question, rather the process! In science, it’s about “real” practice on data interpretation!

Bell ringers Answer isn’t part of discussion Focus is on the process only This isn’t easy for students or teachers Question(s) does not always have to fit the content 10 minutes or less Department/school “buy in” Main strategy and used consistently

Teachers familiarize themselves & use the ACT site

Interpreting Graphs

Administrative Strategies

Have a long term district plan When will you meet next Who else will attend

Curriculum aligned with Program of Studies

Math & Science each do technical writing piece synthesized from technical text

Effective, ongoing Professional Development

Algebra I & II taught at least every three years by all members of the math department

No Credit for Pre- Algebra

Counseling What Course Work Prepares a Student to be Successful on the ACT?

Data Review The Plan Past years’ ACT scores Look at Patterns Compare Course Work

Comparison Strategy

Resources Then do a search for ACT and click on ACT Alignment Study May 2007 Senate Bill Related to the bill is KRS There is no recommended software in preparation for taking the ACT.

Resources Then on the left of the page, click on EPAS Educational Planning and Assessment System. Once there, on the right click on Use the EPAS Information Request formEPAS Information Request and complete the form that appears on the screen. College Readiness Standards Poster Order Form is in your folder. Each poster is specific to one content area and only $0.35.

Resources sitory/News+Room/Current+Press+Releaseshttp://education.ky.gov/KDE/HomePageRepo sitory/News+Room/Current+Press+Releases dfwww.act.org/path/policy/pdf/benchmarks.p df

Resources KDE Office of Assessment and Accountability Christine Powell Questions about modifications… Cheryl Pulley Bridget Stanfield

Book Ordering Information Ky’s ACT Representative is Jayne Rogers ext

Our Contact Information Tami Pickett  Becky Smith 