1. ACT Plus Writing – Grade 11 Director, Assessment and Accountability
Assessments
Dr. Cathy McNeal
Director, Assessment and Accountability
October 13, 2016

2. ACT Assessments Are Critical to Measuring Student Development
The ACT Assessments (ACT Plus Writing) allow us to measure college and career readiness for our students
Content area benchmark scores on ACT assessments indicate that there is a
50% likelihood that students will earn a B or higher in their first college course in a content area
75% likelihood that students will earn college credit in their first college course in a content area
The ACT Test provides students with opportunities for
Advanced coursework
College entry
Scholarships
ACT assessments are highly aligned with Alabama College and Career Readiness Standards and our quarterly benchmark assessments in Math and English Language Arts

3. HCS Grade 11 Students Outperformed Grade 11 students from across the State of Alabama on the ACT Test in Every Content Area, and Showed Growth in Most Content Areas as Well
Percent of Students Attaining a Benchmark Score by ACT Content Area
Content Area

4. A Higher Share of HCS Grade 11 Students Attained “College Ready” Benchmark Scores than Were Attained by Students Across Alabama; HCS Students Attained Benchmarks at Similar Rates to States with High ACT Participation
Percent of Students Attaining a Benchmark Score by ACT Content Area
Content Area
*States with 100% ACT participation include Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming; percents are approximate for these states

5. Benchmark Attainment Increased or Stayed the Same Year-to-Year at Grissom, Johnson, Lee, and New Century; 3 Students received a perfect score on the ACT Test at Grissom
Percent of Students Attaining One or More ACT Benchmark Scores
High School

6. Students Receive $50 for Every Benchmark Score Attained and $100 for Attaining the Composite Benchmark Score of 22 on the ACT Test; 887 Students in the Class of 2017 (63%, up from 59% the Previous Year) Qualified for an ACT Incentive, Totaling $178,600 (up from $169K the Previous Year)
Total Incentive Amount
Benchmarks

7. Huntsville City School Assessments for the School Year Are Mandated by the ALSDE, Except for STAR
STAR
Pre K- 8 – 3 benchmarks
STAR Benchmarks have been ELIMINATED from high schools
SchoolNet – Formative Assessment Mandated by ALSDE
K – 12 – 4 benchmarks
PSAT - Preliminary SAT - National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
Grade 10-11
ACT WorkKeys – Mandated by ALSDE
Grade 12
ACCESS for ELLs – Mandated by ALSDE
K – Grade 12
ACT Aspire (Accountability Measurement) – Mandated by ALSDE
Grade 3-8 and Grade 10
ACT Plus Writing – Mandated by ALSDE
Grade 11
ACT End of Course Quality Core – ELIMINATED for school year
Grade 7 -12

8. Eliminating 3 STAR Benchmarks in HS and 12 ACT Quality Core End of Course Assessments Did Away With 35,709 Assessments for the School Year

9. HCS Students Spent Less Time on Assessments for 180 School Days for School Year Compared to the School Year

10. Math, Reading, and Writing
The following 8 Huntsville City Schools Have Been Selected to Administer the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) January 30 – March 10, 2017
School
Subject
Grade
ASFL
Math and Reading
Grade 8
Chaffee ES
Math, Reading, and Writing
Grade 4
Goldsmith
McNair
Providence
Westlawn
Williams ES
Williams MS