1. Welcome! ACT Training 2007-08 Please help yourself to refreshments!

3. Goal What you will leave with today…

4. Housekeeping EILA CreditEnding Today CandyDrinks BreakfastLunch Signed in?

5. 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:

6. 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!

7. 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.

8. 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.

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

10. Overview of materials Who is in the room with us?

11. ACT SUCCESS

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

13. The Explore Purpose: Help 8 th graders plan for their high school coursework as well as career choices. Score Range: 1 - 25 Testing Window: Sept. 17 - 28

14. The Plan Purpose: Helps students measure their academic development and make plans for remaining high school years and beyond. Score Range: 1 - 32 Testing Window: Sept. 17 - 28

15. The ACT Purpose: Assess general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work Score Range: 1 - 36 Testing Window: March 11, March 11 – 25 for accommodations testing, and March 25 for make-ups

16. Kentucky and the ACT Why is Kentucky administering? What is the law surrounding this mandate? Senate Bill 130 http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/06rs/sb130.htm Related to the bill is KRS 158.6453

17. 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

18. BREAK...

19. 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?

20. 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?

21. Other Pertinent Information… Please get out your BROWN sheet

22. Structure…

23. Math Content

25. Science Content pg. 99 Content AreaFormat%# of Qs Biology Data Rep. Research Summaries Conflicting Viewpoints 38% 45% 17% 15 18 7 Chemistry Earth/Space Physics

26. College Readiness

27. 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?

28. It’s really just GOOD INSTRUCTION!

29. Curriculum, Program of Studies, & 21 st Century Skills

30. District Initiative, not just high school

31. DOK of 1 DOESN’T Reflect Difficulty

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

33. IEPs

34. ARP

35. ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks College Course or Course Area Test EXPLORE Score PLAN Score ACT Score English Comp. English131518 Social Sciences Readin g 151721 Algebra Mathem atics 171922 BiologyScience202124

36. Begin District Planning

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

38. Share out…

39. Group Planning & Discussion

40. What Colleges Expect

41. ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks College Course or Course Area Test EXPLORE Score PLAN Score ACT Score English Comp. English131518 Social Sciences Readin g 151721 Algebra Mathem atics 171922 BiologyScience202124

42. 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. www.act.org

43. 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

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

45. Math Content

46. 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.

47. Science Content Content AreaFormat%# of Qs Biology Data Rep. Research Summaries Conflicting Viewpoints 38% 45% 17% 15 18 7 Chemistry Earth/Space Physics

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

49. Student Strategies

50. Pacing Questions are arranged in order of difficulty

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

52. 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!

53. 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

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

55. Take Practice Tests

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

57. Familiarize yourself & use the ACT site

58. Instructional Strategies

59. Modeling How do successful problem solvers work?

60. Study Cards Math Science Workshops

61. 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

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

63. 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!

64. How did they do THAT?

65. Opening Problems

66. 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!

67. 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

68. Teachers familiarize themselves & use the ACT site

69. Interpreting Graphs

70. Administrative Strategies

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

72. Curriculum aligned with Program of Studies

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

74. Effective, ongoing Professional Development

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

76. No Credit for Pre- Algebra

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

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

79. Comparison Strategy

80. Resources www.act.org www.kde.com www.kde.state.ky.us/KDE Then do a search for ACT and click on ACT Alignment Study May 2007 Senate Bill 130 http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/06rs/sb130.htm Related to the bill is KRS 158.6453 There is no recommended software in preparation for taking the ACT.

81. Resources www.act.org/education/index.html 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. http://www.ket.org/act College Readiness Standards Poster Order Form is in your folder. Each poster is specific to one content area and only $0.35.

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

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

84. Book Ordering Information Ky’s ACT Representative is Jayne Rogers 1-800-338-3282 ext. 53483 jayne.rogers@petersons.com

85. Our Contact Information Tami Pickett  tami.pickett@garrard.kyschools.us Becky Smith  warf45@alltel.net