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

2. Carl Forbes, MSED Senior Consultant East Region – Atlanta Office 404-231-1952 3355 Lenox Road NE, Suite 320 Atlanta, GA 30329 carl.forbes@act.org Our ACT Consultant:

3. Topics/Agenda u Assessment Overview uAdministration uAfter The Test uQuestions

4. 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

5. EPAS - Educational Planning and Assessment System uEXPLORE- 8 th or 9th uPLAN- 10th uACT- 11 th or 12th uAssessment uStudent Planning uInstructional Support uEvaluation

6. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 EXPLOREPLANACT 32 25 36 EPAS Scales Relationship

7. What Will EXPLORE Tell Us? uAcademic Progress uInterests uCareer Plans  at key transition points

8. Educational Planning and Assessment System – EPAS CONTENT How are the test constructed? What do the tests measure?

9. 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

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

11. English Test 2 sub-scores 4053% 3060% 2563% Usage/Mechanics 3547% 2040% 1537% Rhetorical Skills Total405075 EXPLOREPLAN ACT 4 300 Words 4 300 Words 5 325 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)

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

13. Mathematics Test Content Area Basic Statistical/ Probability Concepts Pre-Algebra Elementary Algebra Pre-Geometry Plane Geometry Coordinate Geometry Intermediate Algebra Trigonometry Total EXPLORE 4 10 9 7 30 (.13) (.33) (.30) (.23) PLAN 14 8 11 7 40 (.35) (.20) (.27) (.18) 14 10 14 9 4 60 (.23) (.17) (.23) (.15) (.07) ACT

14. 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

15. Content Area Prose Fiction Humanities Social Sciences Natural Sciences Total Reading Test Passages Passage Length EXPLORE 10 30 (.33) 3 500 Words PLAN 8 9 8 25 (.32) (.36) (.32) 3 500 Words 10 40 (.25) ACT 4 750 Words

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Stimulus Material Data Representation Research Summaries Conflicting Viewpoints Total PLAN 10 14 6 30 (.33) (.47) (.20) 15 18 7 40 (.38) (.45) (.18) ACT EXPLORE 12 10 6 28 (.43) (.36) (.21) Science Test

22. Content Area Life Science Physical Science Earth/Space Science Biology Chemistry Physics Total EXPLORE 3 2 1 6 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.

23. 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

24. Non-Cognitive Components uStudent Information Section wName wStudent ID Number wBirth Date wGender wCurrent Grade wRace / Ethnicity

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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?

28. 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

29. World of Work Map

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

31. World of Work Map Interest Inventory Results

32. 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

33. Student Score Report Review

35. Using Your EXPLORE Results

36. Student/School Information

37. What do Your Scores Mean? Composite Score15 Score Range (1-25)

38. Your Estimated PLAN Composite Score Range

39. 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

40. Your High School Course Plans Compared to Core

41. Your Reported Needs

42. Your Plans for After High School

43. 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.

44. College Readiness Benchmark Scores Explained

45. College Readiness

46. Career Area List

47. Coursework Planning Page 10

48. Coursework Planner Page 12

49. EXPLORE Score Report Side 2

50. Building Your Skills

51. www.explorestudent.org

52. Additional Resources http://www.act.org/explore/downloads.html

53. Supplemental Report Review

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

56. 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

57. Page 2 EXPLORE (1 – 25)

58. EXPLORE Subscores Page 3 Subscores Scale: EXPLORE 1-12

59. 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

61. College Readiness Standards by Learning Strands and Score Ranges Standards: 16-19 20-23 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!

62. EXPLORE CRS Tables Page 3

63. Educational Plans Page 5

64. EXPLORE Summary Profile Report Activity

65. Presentation Packet

66. Early Intervention Rosters

67.  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

68. Item-Response Summary Report

70. College Readiness Standards Report

71. 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?

73. 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

74. Connecting College Readiness Standards To The Classroom www.act.org/standard/guides/explore

75. 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?

77. Carl Forbes, MSED Senior Consultant East Region – Atlanta Office 404-231-1952 3355 Lenox Road NE, Suite 320 Atlanta, GA 30329 carl.forbes@act.org Our ACT Consultant: