Welcome!

1. Welcome! ACT/EPAS Training Fall/Winter 2008 Please help yourself to refreshments!

2. ACT

3. Housekeeping

4. Goal What you will leave with today…

5. Meeting Norms • Please Put Your Cell Phone on Vibrate… • If you do need to answer a phone, please go into the hall/other room. • Use The Rule of Two Feet… • We are all adults • We’re not responsible for students today. Thus, we can use our two feet beyond the confines of these walls. • Side-bar talking • Please limit talking with other participants unless group work is under way.

6. Overview of materials • Who is in the room with us? • Administration • Middle School Math • High School Math • Middle School Science • High School Science

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

8. Guiding Question – Part 1 • What is the format of the Educational Planning Assessment System?

9. The Explore Purpose: Help 8th graders plan for their high school coursework as well as career choices. Score Range: 1 – 25 Testing Window: September 15 - 26

10. 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: September 15 - 26

11. The ACT Purpose: Assess general educational development and their ability to successfully complete freshmen level college courses Score Range: 1 - 36 Testing Window: Administration - March 10ACT Make-up Day - March 24ACT Accommodations Window –March 10-24

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

13. Let’s take the test Science (page 188) will take the complete test Math (page 164) will take either the odd or the even… Math folks will have 30 minutes. Science will have 35 minutes.

14. BREAK...

15. Test Analysis Math: Match problem with algebra, geometry, or trig. Then, what strategy did you use to solve? (pg 51) Science: What do kids have to know and be able to do in order to be successful on the science portions of the ACT? (pg 99)

16. Two Column Chart: 1st column: What do students have to know and be able to do in order to be successful on the test? 2nd column: What experiences do they then need to experience in the classroom? (NOT TEST TAKING STRATEGIES!)

17. Other Pertinent Information…

18. Structure…

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

20. Math Content

21. Math Content

22. 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.

23. Science Contentpg. 99

24. College Readiness • State Performance Descriptors • 21st Century Skills • College Readiness Standards

25. 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?

27. It’s really justGOOD INSTRUCTION!

28. Curriculum Aligned to program of studies…not core content

29. College Readiness Standards and Program of Studies Standards Alignment Website: http://www.kde.state.ky.us/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Curriculum+Documents+and+Resources/Educational+Planning+and+Assessment+System+%28EPAS%29+College+Readiness+Standards+and+Program+of+Studies.htm Rae McEntyre, NBCT Assessment Liaison Kentucky Department of Education 500 Mero Street Frankfort, KY  40601 (502) 564-2106 (voice) (502) 564-9848 (fax) Rae.McEntyre@education.ky.gov

30. District Initiative, not just high school------------------------------DOK of 1 DOESN’T Reflect Difficulty

31. Depth of Knowledge Descriptors Level 1 Basic Recall and Reproduction Level 2 Basic Reasoning/Skills and Concepts Level 3 Complex Reasoning/Strategic Thinking Level 4 Extended Reasoning/Thinking Some DOK Reminders: Is not the same as difficulty Focuses on the cognitive processing used to solve the problem Used to align standards with items/tasks It is not a taxonomy

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

33. IEPsStudents with developmental needs by subject, All Kentucky public college entrants Students with developmental needs by subject, All Kentucky public college entrants Source: CPE Comprehensive Data Base

34. Intervention Plans • The Law • Q and A

35. ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks

36. What do the benchmarks mean? www.act.org 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.

37. Guiding Questions – Part 2 • What is our responsibility for EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT? • What do the statutes say about the school’s responsibility?

38. School Responsibilityfor EPAS Interventions • Identified students whose scores on the EXPLORE, PLAN, or ACT do not meet benchmarks in English, Reading or Math • These students shall have intervention strategies for accelerated learning incorporated into his/her ILP

39. Interventions for Accelerated Learning • Middle Schools, High Schools, and School Districts shall develop and implement accelerated learning that…. • Allows a student’s ILP to be individualized to meet academic needs as per assessment results • May include changes in a student’s class schedule

40. Attributes of Successful Interventions • Data-based and student-centered • Purpose is to help students reach identified benchmarks by the next testing window • Systemic Interventions

41. Attributes of Successful Interventions • Fluid enough to allow flexibility • Designed to address course weaknesses • Facilitated by teachers who have been trained • Interventions that are more than a single event • Formative/reoccurring assessments

42. How/Where can we provide necessary interventions? • ILP • Advisor/Advisee Sessions • Freshmen Academy • Schedule Changes/Course Offerings • Rigorous Courses for all students • Extended School Services

43. Who should be involved in developing necessary interventions? • School Leadership Team • SBDM • Parents • Faculty • Professional Learning Community

44. --------------------Discuss District Planning Look at 2007 state results…

45. Let’s Share Some IdeasChart Ideas

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

47. Pacing Questions are arranged in order of difficulty Student Strategies

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

49. 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!

50. 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