pdf, 9.7mb - Public Schools of North Carolina

College and Career Readiness:
Using PLAN Data
to Assist Student Success

What makes ACT unique?
Not-for-profit
Reinvestment
Education and the Workforce
50+ years worth of functional data
Research agenda
Customer service

What is Our Research Telling Us?
http://www.act.org/research/

Affirming the Goal
Research Report that confirms:
ACT’s College Readiness Standards
and the new Common Core State
Standards are competitive world
wide. wde.
These standards are high and
challenging standards on their own.
http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/AffirmingtheGoal.pdf

Alignment with the Common Core
Describes the strong alignment between ACT’s College Readiness
Standards and the new Common Core State Standards.
www.act.org/commoncore

Every student should be
prepared to a standard of
readiness for postsecondary
education and work

College and Career Readiness Defined
ACT defines college and career readiness as the acquisition of the
knowledge and skills a student needs to enroll and succeed in creditbearing,
first-year courses at a postsecondary institution (such as a twoor
four-year college, trade school, or technical school) without the need
for remediation.
ACT’s definition of college and career readiness was adopted by the
Common Core State Standards Initiative and provides a unifying goal
upon which educators and policymakers must now act.

Guiding Principles
• The tests are achievement tests. They are tests of acquired or
developed abilities.
• The tasks (questions) constituting all tests correspond to
recognized middle and high school learning experiences.
• The tests consists of complex, heterogeneous tasks that require
students to use skills and knowledge developed over time to solve
them.
• Each test is developmentally appropriate for the grade level.

College and Career
Readiness System
SCIENCE
READING
MATHEMATICS
ENGLISH

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

• Content Development
– State objectives
– State approved texts
– National professional organizations
– Surveys (middle to postsecondary)
• Item Writers
• Fairness Consulting

College Readiness Standards
Help interpret what the scores earned in
EXPLORE ® , PLAN ® and the ACT ® mean
Identify the knowledge and skills students are
likely to demonstrate at various score levels on
each academic test
Serve as a direct link between what students
have learned and what they are ready to learn
next

The PLAN Interpretive Guide is
designed to help you understand
and effectively use the:
Student Score Reports
Student Score Labels
Student List Report
Profile Summary Report
Presentation Packet
Early Intervention Rosters
How the College Readiness
Standards & Benchmarks
should be Interpreted and Used
www.act.org/plan/pdf/PlanInterpGuide.pdf

ACT’s College
Readiness Standards
Example:
Mathematics
College Readiness Standards

Curriculum Review Worksheet
TABLE 1 (continued): English College Readiness Standards for Score Range 16–19
English Standards
For each skill, knowledge, or process:
Is it included in your
English
curriculum?
At what grade level (or in which course) are
students first introduced to it?
At what grade level (or in which course) are
students expected to demonstrate
proficiency?
Identify the basic purpose or role of a specified phrase or sentence
Delete a clause or sentence because it is obviously irrelevant to
the essay
Select the most logical place to add a sentence in a paragraph
Delete obviously synonymous and wordy material in a sentence
Revise expressions that deviate from the style of an essay
Determine the need for punctuation and conjunctions to avoid
awkward-sounding sentence fragments and fused
sentences
Decide the appropriate verb tense and voice by considering i the
meaning of the entire sentence
Solve such grammatical problems as whether to use an adverb or
adjective form, how to ensure straightforward subject-verb
and pronoun-antecedent agreement, and which preposition
to use in simple contexts
www.act.org/standard/instruct/pdf/CurriculumReviewWorksheets.pdf

College Readiness Benchmark
Scores Explained
Research-based
Real students’ grades in freshman-level
college courses, from colleges around US,
compared to ACT scores
These benchmarks represent the median
(50% above/50% below)
Represent “typical” students at” “typical”
colleges
www.act.org/readiness/

*Th ACT B h k S i di t 50% h f
*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.

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
More likely l to persist to degree completion

North Carolina’s
College and Career Readiness System
Longitudinal Assessments
Career/CTE
+ Writing
8th–9th Grade
Score Scale: 1—25
10th Grade
Score Scale: 1—32
11th Grade
Score Scale: 1—36
12th Grade
Career Readiness Gauge
English, math, reading, science, optional Writing Test
(ACT only)
Career and Educational Components
Students completing
a CTE sequence
The College Readiness System is a comprehensive program intended to
help states implement the policy actions necessary to help pprepare
p
every student for college and work. The system is a fully aligned,
research-based solution.

WorkKeys
® is a job skills assessment system
that helps employers select, hire, train, develop,
and retain a high-performance workforce.
• All testing in February 2012
• CTE Concentrators
• Internet or Paper Assessments
• Approximately 40,000 students
• Eligible students will receive the NC CRC (Career Readiness
Certificate)

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 regardless of their post-graduation
plans.”
College-Ready and Work-Ready: Same or Different?
ACT 2006
www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/ReadinessBrief.pdf
/ / i i f f

North Carolina’s
Accountability Assessments
+ Writing
11th Grade
Score Scale: 1—36
&
12th Grade
Career Readiness Gauge
English, Math, Reading, Science,
Writing
Career and Educational Components
Reading for Information,
Applied Mathematics,
Locating Information

NC Legislation…
i
SB 479 and HB 766 call for a series of
nationally and internationally
benchmarked tests with a history of
successfully predicting college success
to measure college readiness and
progress towards these readiness targets
t
in the secondary schools.

Post‐Secondary Readiness
Recommendation
Administer ACT and WorkKeys to
all students as part of the new
Accountability
Model.
Rationale
•Set the same standard for all students
•Give all students options post‐graduation
•Results are usable and transportable
•Avoid possibility of “tracking” students

• Curriculum-based achievement test that measures college
readiness
• Scores tied to empirically-derived College Readiness Standards
• Provides a midpoint assessment of academic progress toward
college and career readiness when used with EXPLORE and the
ACT
• Most powerful predictor of performance on the ACT
• Used for course placement including dual-enrollment/rigorous
courses
• Career Interest Inventory and educational/career plans collected

What Schools Need to Know to Help
Students’ Skills/Scores Improve
• What skills the test measures
• How the test measures the skills
• How the test relates to curriculum
• What skills students already know
• What skills students need to learn
• What instructional ti methods would be most effective
in meeting the students’ needs
. . .

PLAN Content
PLAN Part 1
Non Cognitive (45-60 minutes)
• Student Information
• Plans and Background
• Needs Assessment
• Supplemental Local Items
• UNIACT Interest Inventory
• 72 Questions
• Typically completed on a
separate day yprior to the
academic test.

PLAN Content
PLAN Part 2
Academic Sections (120 minutes)
• English 50 Items (30 minutes)
• Math 40 Items (40 minutes)
– Calculators Allowed (page 9) on Math only
• Break (5 minutes)
• Reading 25 Items (20 minutes)
• Science 30 Items (25 minutes)
Students Must Complete All Sections

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

Mathematics Test
Requires Students to:
Analyze problems – in both real world and purely
mathematical settings
Plan and carry out strategies
Achieve an integrated understanding of two or more major
concepts so as to solve non-routine problems

Reading Test
Measures student proficiencies in understanding and deriving
meaning from texts ranging from fiction narratives to
informational passages
Measures vocabulary by determining the meaning of
unfamiliar a or multiple-meaning utpe ea words from context
t
Measures skills used to read and understand published
materials

Science Test
Measures student proficiencies in using and
reasoning with science information, skills, and
knowledge
Ak Asks Students to:
Communicate information and use scientific research
strategies
Make comparisons between, and draw conclusions
from scientific findings, studies, and viewpoints

Science Test
Content Area
1
Format
Earth/Space
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Data Representation
Research hSummaries
Conflicting Viewpoints
1 Content areas are distributed over all formats

Focus on the PLAN Program:
The PLAN Test and non-cognitive components
School Reports Package: District Reports Package:
-Student Reports (2)
-Student Score Labels (2)
-Profile Summary Report
-Profile Summary Report
-Presentation Packet
-Presentation Packet
-Intervention Rosters
-Item Response Summary Report
-Item Response Summary Report
-Research Data File
-Research Data File
Planning Distribution/interpretation of reports
Sharing Data with teachers and administrators

www.act.org/plan/pdf/UsingPLANResults.pdf
www.act.org/plan/pdf/UsingPlanResultsSP.pdf

http://www.act.org/plan/downloads.html

Student Score Report
Scores
Course Plans
College Readiness
Benchmarks
College/Career Plans
Needs Assessment
Career Interest
Inventory
Item Analysis

Student/School Information

What do Your Scores Mean?
Composite Score 18
Range
(1-32)
Please
Note:
State
Norms are
Not
Currently
Available
in NC;
this
column
will be
blank.

Estimated ACT Composite Score Range

What is a Good ACT Score?
Depends on:
1. Where you want to go to school
2. How much scholarship hi money you need
3. NCAA Requirements
• National Composite Average = 21.1
• North Carolina Composite Average = 21.9

A few North Carolina examples:
Middle 50% of 2011 freshman classes:
NC State Raleigh 23-28
UNC Chapel Hill 27-31
East Carolina University 20-24
24
Appalachian State 21-26
UNC Wilmington 22-26
Source: ACT College Search and for iPhone ® and iPod ® touch
http://www.act.org/mobileapps/

www.act.org/plan/pdf/HelpStudentsUsePLAN.pdf

Use PLAN to Predict Student Success on
AP Exams

NC College Readiness Benchmarks on PLAN:
PLAN
English 15
Reading 17
Mathematics 19
www.careercollegenc.org/pathways-collegetransfer.htm

College Readiness

High School Course Plans Compared to Core

Profile for Success

EOS – Improving Student Access to
Postsecondary Education
• Students opt in to EOS by agreeing to the EOS
release statement on PLAN and the ACT
• Colleges obtain student names, based on their
selection criteria from, so they may contact
students about educational and scholarship
opportunities
• ACT does NOT provide student SSNs as part of
the EOS record

EOS Conditions of Use
Access to The ACT® and PLAN® names is
restricted to accredited, postsecondary educational
institutions and scholarship agencies that offer
programs of study at the secondary or
postsecondary level, educational enrichment
programs, or financial aid for Postsecondary study

Students’ Reported Needs
Making plans for my education, career, and work after high school
Improving my writing skills
Improving my reading speed and comprehension
Improving my study skills
Improving my mathematical skills
Improving my computer skills
Improving my public speaking skills

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

World-of-Work of Work Map Tutorial:
http://www.act.org/wwm/about.html

Information for Counselors
Based on John Holland’s theory of careers
Provides Holland Code/Career Cluster Scores:
R = Realistic (Technical)
I = Investigative (Science & Technology)
A = Artistic (Arts)
S = Social (Social Service)
E = Enterprising (Administration & Sales)
C = Conventional (Business Operations)
% of Like, Indifferent, and Dislike Responses

PLAN Score
Report
- Side 2

Review Your Answers

Your Skills

www.planstudent.org

Aggregate g Reports
Student List Report
School Summary Profile Report
Presentation Packet
Early Intervention Roster
Item-Response Summary Report
Schools Receive a Paper Copy of
Schools Receive a Paper Copy of
each of the above Reports

Student List Report

Profile Summary Report

Profile Summary Report
Provides an overall summary of information on students who
have taken the test in the district/school
Includes students who have a valid composite score and those
who tested under standard time limits
Organized to assist in addressing certain issues that are common
among schools
Includes option for 12 local items

Profile Summary Report:
Subjects & Composite Scores Page 2

Profile Summary Report: Subscores Page 3

Profile Summary Report:
College Readiness Standards Tables Page 4

Profile Summary Report:
Ethnic & Gender Tables Page 5

Course Taking Patterns: Page 6

Coursework Relationship to
Educational Plans: Page 7

PLAN Composite and
Expressed Needs for Help: Page 7

Career Preferences: Page 8

Career Clusters from World of Work Map: Page 9

Response to Local Items: Page 10

Presentation Packet
The Presentation Packet summarizes your school’ss
PLAN results in charts and graphs for easy
presentation to groups.
Includes charts with data from Profile Summary Report
Will include three-year trends in your school’s average
PLAN scores once your school has three years of data
available

Norm Group Comparison
Subject and Composite Scores: Page 1

Norm Group Comparison
Subscores: Page 1

Early Intervention Rosters
The Early Intervention Rosters identify students
who qualify under three categories:
Early Identification
Coursework Intervention
Need for Assistance
This information can help you to design intervention
strategies to assist students to reach their academic and
career goals.

Early Identification Report

Coursework Intervention Report

Coursework Intervention Report

Need for Assistance Report

Item-Response Summary Report
This report provides tables describing the item-by-item
performance of your PLAN examinees.
Item response results are categorized by:
Test (e.g., English)
Subscore (e.g., Usage/Mechanics)
Content Area (e.g., Punctuation)
Provide comparisons to other students taking the
Provide comparisons to other students taking the
same test form.

Item-Response Summary for English: Page 1

www.act.org/plan/pdf/ItemResponseSummaryGuide.pdf

www.act.org/plan/pdf/PlanInterpGuide.pdf

• Curriculum-based achievement test that measures
college readiness
• Administered in the 11 th or 12 th grade
• Scores tied to empirically-derived College Readiness
Standards
• Accepted by all four-year colleges nationwide and many
two-year colleges

From NC DPI…
Weekly Message to Superintendents: Monday, Sept. 12, 2011
As North Carolina moves toward a new school accountability
model in 2012-13, the ACT will become a key high school
measure for students and schools. Please mark your school
district and high school calendars for March 6, 2012,
planned as the first statewide ACT test administration date
for high school juniors. More information about the ACT
administration (training, ordering materials, accommodations,
etc.), . . . will be coming in the future, but I wanted you to be
able to mark this date on your calendars now. The cost of the
ACT will be handled at the state level, so this college
admission i test will be free of charge for individual id students.
June Atkinson
State Superintendent

What Scores are Reported?
The ACT
English (1-36)
Mathematics (1-36)
Reading (1-36)
Science (1-36)
Composite (1-36) An average
The ACT Plus Writing
Combined English and Writing Score (1-36)*
Writing Test Subscore (2-12) *
* Composite not affected

Use of ACT Scores
HIGH SCHOOLS:
Advising
i
Skills assessment
College planning
Eligibility --
scholarships, programs
Curricular review &
enhancement
COLLEGES:
Recruiting
Admissions
Placement
Advising
Identification of
“at risk” students
Scholarships
Participation in sports

www.act.org/aap/hsreport.html

ACT – SAT Comparison
Length
Sections
Subjects
Reading Science
ACT
SAT
3 hours, 25 minutes
3 hours, 45 minutes
(includes optional 30-minute Writing
Test)
4 Sections (plus optional Writing 10 Sections: 3 Critical Reading, 3
Test): English, Math, Reading,
Math, 3 Writing (including Essay), 1
Science, Writing
Experimental (not scored)
English
Critical Reading
Math
Math
Reading
Witi Writing
Science
Writing (optional)
4 passages, 10 questions per passage Reading passages with questions
pertaining to comprehension and
sentence completion
Science (analysis, knowledge, problem N/A
solving)
Math
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and
trigonometry
Arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and
algebra II

ACT – SAT Comparison
ACT
SAT
Essay p ( ) q
Essay Optional (final section) Required
Score
Composit
ion
Scoring
¼ English
1
/ 3 Math
¼ Math
1
/ 3 Reading
¼ Reading
1
/ 3 Writing
¼ Science
Composite score 1-36 based on Aggregate score 600 - 2400 based
average of 4 sections on total of 3 scores 200- 800
(English Math, Reading Science) (Reading, Math, Writing)
Score 0-12 for Optional Essay. Score of 0-12 for Essay
Penalties
No penalties for incorrect
answers
Penalties (typically ¼ point
deducted) for wrong answers

Reading
www.careercollegenc.org/pathways-collegetransfer.htm

Colleges currently accepting the ACT Test in lieu of
both the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests
School State School State
Amherst College
Barnard College
Boston College
Boston University
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Connecticut College
Duke University
MA
NY
MA
MA
MA
RI
PA
CT
NC
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY
Swarthmore College
PA
Trinity College
CT
Tufts University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond
Vassar College
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Johns Hopkins University Yale University
MD
McGill University Canada
Middlebury College
Pomona College
VT
CA
MA
PA
VA
NY
MA
CT
CT

www.act.org/essayview/

ACT Resources

www.explorestudent.org
www.planstudent.org
www.actstudent.org

http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html
t t t /t t /i d

http://www.actstudent.org/qotd/
t t t / td/

Resources for Educators
Resources for Educators
www.act.org/plan/downloads.html

PLAN Interpretive Visuals (PowerPoint)
PLAN Interpretive Visuals (PowerPoint)
http://act.org/plan/ppt/InterpVisual.pptx

www.act.org/stateservices/northcarolina/

http://act.org/aap/northcarolina/

North Carolina
ACT State Testing
For more information on:
ACT State Testing
800/553-6244 x 2800
ACT State Testing
Accommodations 800/553-6244
x 1788
NCtest@act.org
65

www.act.org/news/use/

www.act.org/path/parent/

www.act.org/path/parent/college/firstgeneration.html
/ /fi i h l

Attend FREE ACT Webinars to increase the college and
career readiness of your students
Here's what you'll learn:
Interpret the information in each part of the student score report
Utilize ACT data reports to see if your students are on track for college and
career readiness
Quantify the progress your students are making
Identify any gaps in skills and where to adjust curriculum to close the gaps
Advise students and create student-specific interventions
To learn more and register, go to
www.act.org/learningevents.

www.act.org/standard

There’s an App for that!

…and this too!
There’s an App for that…

= College and
Career Readiness

Thank You!
Southeast Region- Atlanta Office
404-231-1952
3355 Lenox Road NE, Suite 320
www.act.org