1. Using EXPLORE Results for Student Success

2. Gennine Brewer, MA Senior Consultant P-16 Assessment Services gennine.brewer@act.org 404-231-1952 ACT Atlanta, GA Office gennine.brewer@act.org

3. What is College Readiness? Level of student preparation needed to be ready to enroll and succeed without remediation in college-level, credit-bearing coursework

4. What is Our Research Telling Us ? October 2004

5. College and Workforce Ready National research provides empirical evidence that the levels of readiness that high school graduates need to be prepared for college and workforce training are comparable. All students, therefore, should “experience a common academic program….regardless of their postgraduation plans.” College-Ready and Work-Ready: Same or Different? ACT 2006

6. Rigorous Curriculum for ALL Students No matter where they are bound:  Vocational or Technical Colleges  Apprenticeships  Community College, or  4-year College  Directly into the workforce …a rigorous college preparatory curriculum gives students the best options for life after high school.

7. College Readiness Begins in Middle School ACT Policy Report

8. CR Begins in Middle School uExamined the extent of early exploration and planning in certain college readiness areas wSetting educational goals wSelecting classes wExploring Postsecondary options uExplore how parents, school staff and school experiences help students with their early educational planning

9. CR Begins in Middle School Four Policy Recommendations: 1.College Readiness should begin in middle school 2.Schools should explain to students and their parents the effects of taking a rigorous curriculum on their future educational, career and income options 3.Schools should use multiple sources of information, including standardized assessments, to help inform students and their parents of the students’ progress toward college readiness 4.Schools should work with families to calculate college costs and develop a plan to meet these rising costs.

10. 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

11. CCRS – College And Career Readiness System uEXPLORE- 8 th or 9th uPLAN- 10th uACT- 11 th or 12th uAssessment uStudent Planning uInstructional Support uEvaluation

12. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 EXPLORE 8 th /9 th Grade PLAN 10 th grade ACT 11 th /12 th grade 32 25 36 Score Scales Relationship English Math Reading Science English Math Reading Science English Math Reading Science Writing

13. Guiding Principles of CCRS uThe CCRS tests are achievement tests. They are tests of acquired or developed abilities. uThe tasks (questions) constituting all CCRS tests correspond to recognized middle and high school learning experiences. uThe CCRS 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

14. Student Score Report Review

16. Using Your EXPLORE Results

17. Student/School Information

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

19. Your Estimated PLAN Composite Score Range

20. 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

21.  A rigorous college preparatory curriculum in high school is the best indicator of college success. To help students develop proficiency in the four core content areas, ACT strongly recommends that students take, at a minimum: Importance of Rigorous Coursework English (4 years+) English 9 English 10 English 11 English 12 Math (3 years+) Algebra I Algebra II Geometry Trigonometry (1 semester or more) Calculus (1 semester or more) Any courses beyond Algebra II Social Studies (3 years+) American History World History American Government Economics Geography Psychology History Other (European, State, etc.) Natural Science (3 years+) General/Physical/Earth Biology Chemistry Physics

22. Your High School Course Plans Compared to Core

23. Your Reported Needs

24. Your Plans for After High School

25. 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.

26. Students who meet ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks are:  substantially more likely to enroll in college  less likely to need remediation  more likely to achieve a grade of B or higher in specific college courses  More likely to re-enroll at the same postsecondary institution their second year Recent ACT Research

27. College Readiness

28. u Included in all CCRS tests at no extra charge u 72 item unisex interest inventory of work relevant activities u Identifies personally relevant career options u Bridged to World-Of Work Map and Holland Types

29. World of Work Map Interest Inventory Results

32. Using Your EXPLORE Results

33. Coursework Planning Page 11

34. Coursework Planner Page 12

35. www.explorestudent.org

41. EXPLORE Score Report Side 2

42. Review Your Answers

43. Building Your Skills

44. Understanding Scores 26 23 30 1515 18 34 1919 What Does a Score Mean? Nothing. Until it’s interpreted and used

45. EXPLORE 8th-Grade Benchmark = 17 Score Range: 16 – 19  Perform one-operation computation with whole numbers and decimals  Solve problems in one or two steps using whole numbers  Perform common conversions (e.g., inches to feet or hours to minutes) Translating Scores to Skills

46. College Readiness Standards uCollege 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. uThe CRS link EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT Assessment scores to curriculum and instructional decision making.

47. www.act.org/standard

48. 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!

50. Free Resources and Publications

52. Resources for Parents

55. Gennine Brewer, MA Senior Consultant P-16 Assessment Services gennine.brewer@act.org 404-231-1952 ACT Atlanta, GA Office gennine.brewer@act.org