North CarolinaEXPLORE and PLAN

Test Administration Training September 11, 2012

Carol Clark Senior Coordinator Contract Operations

Management ACT, Inc.

Iowa City, Iowa 52243 carol.clark@act.org

• Serves as the entry measure of academic progress toward college and career readiness when used with PLAN and the ACT

• Designed to help 8th and 9th grade students

• Curriculum-based achievement test that measures college readiness

• Assesses academic progress

• Helps students understand and begin to explore the wide range of career options open to them

• Career Interest Inventory and educational/career plans collected

• Provides a midpoint assessment of academic progress toward college and career readiness when used with EXPLORE and the ACT

• Designed to help 10th grade students

• Curriculum-based achievement test that measures college readiness

• 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

The testing window for EXPLORE and PLAN:• October 1 – October 31, 2012

Answer Document Return Deadline (ADRD)• November 16, 2012

Important Dates

1 or 2 day administration:

• Student Information & noncognitive sections always first

• Four academic tests performed second

• In no case should the academic portion of the exam be administered prior to the noncognitive components

2012 Test Administration

EXPLORE Test

Standard Time • English 30 minutes

(no break)• Mathematics 30 minutes

(10-minute break)• Reading 30 minutes

(no break)• Science 30 minutes

Students Must Complete All Sections

PLAN Test

Standard Time • English 30 minutes

(no break)• Mathematics 40 minutes

(10-minute break)• Reading 20 minutes

(no break)• Science 25 minutes

Students Must Complete All Sections

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10152025303540

EXPLORE8th/9th Grade

PLAN10th grade

ACT11th/12th grade

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25

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Score Scales Relationship

English

Math

Reading

Science

English

Math

Reading

Science

English

Math

Reading

Science

Writing

Who may test?•State provides school eligibility to ACT.•EXPLORE = 8th grade, PLAN = 10th grade •State affiliated public schools

When can I test?•Testing window: October 1 – 31, 2012•Schools determine test date within the test window•Testing can be given anytime during the day

Who orders?•State submits eligibility list to ACT•Supplemental and accommodated orders placed by district

PLAN and EXPLORE for North Carolina

TEST ADMINISTRATION POLICIES

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Standard Testing Requirements

• Apply to all days of testing • Facilities• Personnel• Security• Exact Timing• Test Day Documentation

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Selecting / Preparing Rooms

• Desks & surfaces• Students face same direction• Adequate spacing• Bulletin boards• Comfortable temperature and lighting• Limited distractions• Materials provided by school

• Extra #2 pencils, pencil sharpener, calculators, Supply of scratch paper,audio CD or cassette player

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Standard-Time Testing Staff Roles

• Test Supervisors• Room Supervisors

• One for each room

• Proctors – assist room supervisor • A proctor may be used in addition to the room

supervisor in rooms with 10 or more examinees.• A Proctor must be used if a room has 26 or more

examinees

• Reader and Gridder

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Training Testing Staff

• Staff must read the Supervisor’s Manual • Train testing staff prior to test day

• Policies and requirements• Pre-test duties• Test-day assignments• Attentiveness during testing• Post-test activities

• Conduct a brief training session on test day

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Attentiveness During Testing

• Read only the appropriate Supervisor’s Manual or Administration Instructions

• Walk around room• Discourage prohibited behavior• Answer questions about testing procedures

• Must not engage in non-test related activities:• No grading papers• No reading books• No talking casually• No using computer• No eating or drinking in the test room

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PRE-TEST ACTIVITIES

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Testing Materials

• Check all materials upon arrival • Report shortages or evidence

of tampering • Contact ACT Customer Service at 877-789-2925• Securely store test materials

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Testing Materials (cont’d)

What materials do I receive?•Supervisor’s Manual•“Why Take EXPLORE or PLAN?” handouts•“Instructions for Completing Your Answer Folder” •Test booklets •Answer folders•School header•Return envelopes•School postersMaterials are shipped two weeks prior to the testing window

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Pre-Test Activity

• Read the Supervisor’s Manual• Determine test date• Test Supervisor identifies: Room Supervisor,

Proctors and trains staff• Reserve test rooms• Determine when to complete non-test sections• Determine if testing one or two days?• Will sort codes be used?• Will supplemental local items be administered?

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Pre-ID Barcode Labels

• Optional tool to save administration time and ensure accuracy

• Order by downloading the Pre-ID order form and template at www.act.org/education/order/preid

• Apply to page 1 of the answer folder prior to test day• Pre-ID labels will be shipped separately from test

materials• Make certain pre-ID barcode label corresponds to

correct student (e.g., double-check labels for twins, students with the same/similar first and last names)

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Determine 1-Day or 2-Day Administration

• 1-Day Administration– Student Information components of the test

must be administered first, followed by the four academic tests

• 2-Day Administration– Student Information components of the test

are administered on Day 1. Academic tests administered on Day 2

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Pre-test Session: Non-test Portions

• Only students may complete the non-test portions of the answer document (not staff)

• Pre-test session must be held before academic test portion

• Include all students in this session, including any with accommodations

• Verbatim instructions

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Choose a Testing Option

• Determine which administration option will be used to present instructions for student information prior to test day:• Option 1: TS reads all directions aloud to

students as they follow along• Option 2: Students read most of the

directions themselves• Option 3: Test supervisor reads directions for

Pre-ID label users aloud to students as they follow along

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Prior to Testing

• Check-in and Secure test materials • Distribute copies of Why Take PLAN or

EXPLORE? to students• Remind students

• Bring 2 - #2 pencils and erasers• Bring permitted calculator • Bring Student ID• DO NOT bring cell phone or any electronic devices

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Test Day Pre-planning

• Select testing rooms• Organize answer documents• Assign and train staff• Authorized Room Supervisors should prepare

test day materials – other trained staff may help• Practice verbal instructions• Give student reminders

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TEST DAY

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Avoiding the Pitfalls

• Arrange test room seating appropriately• Administer tests in proper sequence• Ensure full amount of time is allowed

for each test • Room Supervisor frequently circulates through

the testing room to ensure students are working on the correct exam and discourage inappropriate behavior

• Do not leave testing room unattended

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Test Day: Briefing Session

• Room Supervisors and Proctors • Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to student

check-in

• Review procedures

• Last-minute details

• Test Supervisor hand-deliver test materials to Room Supervisor(s)

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Admitting Students

• Direct students to seats• Alphabetical • Left / right and front / back

• No late arrivals

• No cell phones or other electronic devices

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Permitted Calculators

• Details on permitted calculators at http://www.actstudent.org/faq/answers/calculator.html

• Prohibited features - see website• Check at the door upon students entering the

room and periodically during Test 2 – Mathematics• Permitted calculator is ultimately the student’s

responsibility• If school provides students calculators – distribute

before testing begins as students are being admitted to the test room

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Exact Timing of Tests

• Use more than one timepiece (not a cell phone)

• Time each room individually• No “central” timing

• Provide 5-minute remaining reminders

• You may post Start and Stop times and or time allowed for each test on the board.

• Record times in the Supervisor’s Manuals

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Break(s) Between Tests

• There are no break(s) identified during the exam

• Break(s) are at the discretion of the testing location

• Suggested Breaks:– 1-Day administration

• 5-10 min break prior to the start of Test 1 • 5-10 min break between Tests 2 and 3

– 2-Day administration• 5-10 min break between Tests 2 and 3

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Irregularities

• Document irregularities using the Testing Irregularity Report (TIR) in the back of the Supervisors Manual

• Retain TIR’s and voided answer documents until results are received and returned to students

• Copy TIR’s involving defective materials, challenged test items or timing errors and forward to ACT

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Types of Irregularities

• Defective materials• Examinee illnesses• Mistimed tests• Marking or reading in future section of answer folder or

test booklet• Student challenge of testing items • Irrational behavior• Unauthorized testing aids• Voiding answer folders

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POST-TEST

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Post-Test: Test Room Documentation

Room Supervisors Responsibilities•Account for all test booklets, answer folders and scratch paper before dismissing students

•Verify you have an answer folder for each student who tested

•Check answer folders to ensure correctly marked and student information is entered on the folder

•Secure testing materials

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Post-Test: Test-Day Documentation

Test Supervisor•Account for all materials returned by each Room Supervisor•Complete Testing Irregularity Reports for all irregularities •Schedule and administer makeup testing•Securely store used test books to be returned to students with score reports•Destroy unused answer folders•Complete School Header•Fill in accommodation codes•Keep copies for your files of all forms and reports mailed to ACT

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Returning Test Materials • ADRD November 16, 2012• Return answer folders (standard, makeup, and special testing)

together, to ACT immediately after your last testing session.• Keep test booklets for return to students for review once score

reports arrive • Use the prepaid, pre-addressed mailing envelop(s) provided with

your order or box large amounts of answer documents to the address below:• EXPLORE (or PLAN) Scoring Service

2727 Scott Blvd. P.O. Box 4026 Iowa City, IA 52243-4026

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Packing Test MaterialsFollow the instructions for packing order listed in the back of the Test Supervisors Manual:

• School Header – top (one per grade)• Testing Irregularity Reports (only those reporting

defective material or testing challenges)• Test Supervisor’s Comment Forms• Answer Folders• Class Group Header

• EXPLORE only (optional)

• Answer Folders

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Shipping Test Materials • ACT provides a UPS return mailing label• If your school has regular pickup, leave packages in a

supervised secure area of the school• Do Not call UPS if they do not make regular stops at

your location• Take sealed packages to a staffed UPS drop-off location

• Make note of the drop-off location and time• Do not leave packages at an unattended drop-off

location

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Other Test Materials • Keep voided answer folders for your records• Destroy used answer folders• Used text books should be stored and returned to

students with score reports• Securely store unused test books. Provide to staff when

reviewing the item-response data in reporting • Return Braille test forms after test results have been

reviewed with students • All other material should be securely destroyed

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ACCOMMODATIONS

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Test Accommodations

• We will discuss:• Approval/Eligibility

• Accommodation Options

• Accommodated Material

• Ordering Materials

• Administration procedures

• Return of materials

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Accommodations Approval

• Accommodations are a local (school) decision

• No approval is needed from ACT• Suggestions include:

• Current documented disability within the last three years

• Supported by Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan

• Align to what student is granted in regular classroom

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Accommodation Options

• Audio CD or Braille test book • Reader (with use of reader’s script)• Scribe to record student responses• Additional breaks with standard time• Separate test sessions• Testing over multiple days• Extended time to complete each test• Sign language interpreter

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Accommodated Material

The following accommodated testing material is available from ACT:•Large print package•Braille Booklet•Audio CD•Reader’s Script

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Ordering Accommodated Material

• ACT provided order form by district testing coordinators. Emailed or faxed to ACT

• Test materials are shipped to arrive in schools by indicated “need by date”

• Order Deadline: September 5, 2012

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Accommodations Testing

• Administer at a time mutually convenient for student and test supervisor

• As close as possible to the date administered to other students

• Extended time, reader and marker assisted students should be tested individually in a separate room. One per student

• Students using audio cassette or CD can test as a group provided they have individual ear phones and can progress on their own

• Administer tests in proper sequence – never unattended

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Accommodations Testing (cont’d)

• If separate sessions/days, must complete each test (Test 1, Test 2, etc.) in a single session

• When using Large-print response worksheet, item responses must be transferred by staff to the standard answer folder for scoring

• Mark the one accommodation code that best describes the accommodation on the back of the answer folder

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Avoiding the Pitfalls – Accommodations

• All students in a room must be working on the same test section at the same time, unless self-paced

• No single test session may be longer than one day for multi-day testing

• Tests must be administered in sequence (test 1, then test 2, then test 3…)

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Avoiding the Pitfalls – Accommodations (cont’d)

• Days of testing must be administered in sequence (Day 1 first, then Day 2)

• Review Manuals for appropriate student seating arrangements• All students must be seated facing the same direction• All students must be within Room Supervisor’s line of

sight• One Room Supervisor required for each room – No

“dual” supervision of students in different rooms• One student per reader

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Returning Accommodations Materials• Mark the appropriate accommodations code on the

answer folder

• Return used accommodations answer folders together with used standard test answer folders and appropriate School Header Sheet for return to ACT

• ACT does not require return of accommodated test materials with exception of braille test forms

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Reporting

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EXPLORE and PLAN Reporting

School Reports Package: District Reports Package: -Student Reports (2)

-Student Score Labels (2)

-Student List Report

-Profile Summary Report -Profile Summary Report

-Presentation Packet -Presentation Packet

-Intervention Rosters

-Item Response Summary Report -Item Response Summary Report

-Student Level Data File -Student Level Data File

-School Norms - District Norms

EXPLORE and PLAN Reporting (cont’d)

• College Readiness Standards Report (EXPLORE only)

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• EXPLORE / PLAN Customer Services– 877/789/2925

• EXPLORE Student Website– http://www.actstudent.org/explore

• PLAN Student Website– http://www.actstudent.org/plan

• Webcast posted to the state website– http://act.org/aap/northcarolina/index.html

Questions?