ACT ReadinessBarb Calton and Jeremy Conn

Goshen High School

Why Prepare Kids for the ACT?

1. The number of high school students taking the ACT is on the rise.

2. The ACT may become a graduation requirement in Ohio.

• Ohio Considers Making ACT Test Graduation Requirement , U.S. News & World Report, February 03, 2009

• Ohio may replace graduation test with ACT, 13ABC.com, June 01, 2010

• Ohio Governor Strickland's Plan to Get Rid of the OGT (“Highlights of this revised plan include replacing the OGT with the ACT”), Associatedcontent.com, March 18, 2009

• “All students will take the ACT college entrance examination” – Governor Ted Strickland, State of the State 2009

3. 68% of Ohio Jobs Require Postsecondary Education

How are our Kids Doing?

How does Ohio Compare to the Nation?

The Graduating Class of 2008

Percent of ACT-Tested Students Ready for College Level Coursework

(Averages of several schools in Clermont-Brown Counties)

0

20

40

60

80 67

3754

27 20

72

4858

34 28

66

4352

29 24

School State National

ACT Scores for Area Colleges and Universities

School Combined English Math Reading Science

OSU 30-27-25 31-28-25 30-27-25 30-26-23 28-25-23

Miami U 28-26-24 29-26-23 28-26-24 N/A N/A

UC 27-24-22 28-24-21 28-25-22 N/A N/A

OU 26-23-21 26-23-20 26-23-20 28-25-22 26-24-22

Bowling Green 24-21-19 25-22-19 24-21-28 26-22-19 24-22-19

NKU 24-21-19 24-21-18 24-20-17 N/A N/A

Wilmington 23-20-17 22-18-15 23-20-17 N/A N/A

Score Reports

The ACT High School Report

E M R S C

Student’s Relative Rank at College

ACT Student Report

College Readiness for All: An Action Plan for Schools and Districts

College Readiness for All: An Action Plan for Schools and Districts

1. Create a Common Focus: Establish collaborative partnerships with local and state postsecondary institutions to come to a shared understanding of what students need to know for college and workplace readiness.

Source: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/ready_to_succeed.pdf

College Readiness for All: An Action Plan for Schools and Districts

2. Establish High Expectations for All: Create a school culture that identifies and communicates the need for all students to meet or exceed College Readiness Benchmark Scores.

Source: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/ready_to_succeed.pdf

College Readiness for All: An Action Plan for Schools and Districts

3. Require a Rigorous Curriculum: Review and evaluate rigor and alignment of courses offered and required in your school in English, mathematics, and science to ensure that the foundational skills leading to readiness for college-level work are taught, reaffirmed and articulated across courses.

Source: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/ready_to_succeed.pdf

College Readiness for All: An Action Plan for Schools and Districts

4. Provide Student Counseling: Engage all students in early college and career awareness, help them to set high aspirations, and ensure that they plan a rigorous high school coursework program.

Source: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/ready_to_succeed.pdf

College Readiness for All: An Action Plan for Schools and Districts

5. Measure and Evaluate Progress: Monitor every student’s progress early and often using college readiness assessments like EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT. Make timely interventions with those students who are not making adequate progress in meeting college readiness standards.

Source: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/ready_to_succeed.pdf

Additional Points

• Students who take a minimum of Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry typically achieve higher ACT Mathematics scores than students who take less than three years of mathematics. In addition, students who take more advanced mathematics courses substantially increase their ACT Mathematics score.

Additional Points

• Students taking Biology and Chemistry in combination with Physics typically achieve higher ACT Science scores than students taking less than three years of science scores.

What Material is Covered on the ACT?

What Material is covered on the ACT?

ACT chooses material based on their ACT National Curriculum Survey. The survey draws from the following:• A review of state educational standards• Survey of middle school/junior high and

high school teachers• Survey of entry-level-course

postsecondary faculty• Expert content panels

College Readiness Standards

13-15 Select a single piece of data (numerical or nonnumerical ) from a simple data presentation

16-19 Select two or more pieces of data from a simple data presentation

20-23 Select data from a complex data presentation

24-27 Compare and combine data from two or more simple data presentations

ACT at a Glance

The English Test

The Reading Test

The Math Test

The Science Test

Subject Prep

Science Prep

• Data Representation (38%). This format presents graphic and tabular material similar to that found in science journals and texts. The questions associated with this format measure skills such as graph reading, interpretation of scatterplots, and interpretation of information presented in tables, diagrams, and figures.

• 3 Data Representation passages: 5 questions eachSources: www.act.orgwww.sparknotes .com

Science Prep

• Research Summaries (45%). This format provides descriptions of one or more related experiments. The questions focus on the design of experiments and the interpretation of experimental results.

• 3 Research Summaries passages: 6 questions each

Sources: www.act.orgwww.sparknotes .com

Science Prep

• Conflicting Viewpoints (17%). This format presents expressions of several hypotheses or views that, being based on differing premises or on incomplete data, are inconsistent with one another. The questions focus on the understanding, analysis, and comparison of alternative viewpoints or hypotheses.

• 1 Conflicting Viewpoints passage: 7 questionsSources: www.act.orgwww.sparknotes .com

Math Prep

40% Pre-Algebra and Elementary Algebra•Number System and Operations•Algebraic Operations•Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring•Elementary Statistics

Math Prep

30% Intermediate Algebra and Coordinate Geometry•Quadratic Formula•Sequences and Patterns•Solving Systems of Equations•Slope and Distance•Graphing Inequalities

Math Prep

23% Plane Geometry•Plane Figures•Angle Relationships•Properties of Geometric Figures•Proofs

Math Prep

7% Trigonometry•Right Angle Trigonometry•Values and Properties of Trigonometry

Functions•Use of Trigonometry Identities•Solving Trig. Equations

Using the Web

iPhone ACT apps

SparkNotes

ACT.org

ePrep

WolframAlpha