Everything You

Wanted to Know

About the ACT

2

Today’s ACT

Mission-Driven

We create products that genuinely help our customers

succeed.

Research-Based

We use data and research to drive policy, product and

business decisions.

Nonprofit

We re-invest in research, programs and services to

support our mission.

Contact Info

Sean.Corcoran@act.org

319-383-1813

My business card says Iowa but I live in Connecticut.

Sean

Corcoran

3

Meet Emery

4

Agenda

• ACT National and New England Class of 2017 Data

• Introduction to Holistic Framework

• What do my students test scores really mean?

• El Supports

• What is the ACT?

• ACT Enroll

• Conclusion

5

2017

Condition

of College

and Career

Readiness

• Over 2 million 2017 graduates tested—60 percent of the national graduating class

• 39 percent of the 2017 graduates met three or four of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks

• 21.0 was the national average ACT composite score for the 2017 graduating class

• Underserved students lag far behind their peers when it comes to college and career readiness

• Only 4 percent of graduates (80,873 students) expressed interest in an education major

• Fewer than three in 10 graduates were likely, based on their ACT composite score, to attain an ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®)

6

New

England

2017

Graduate

Class Key

Findings

• 42,058 students took the ACT in the 2017 graduate class

• New England graduates of 2017 had an average Composite score of 25.2, compared to the national average of 21.0

• 190 students earned a 36 composite score

• Business and Health Science Technology

• 3 percent indicated planning on majoring in education. They had an average Composite score of 22.5

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8

Introduction:

ACT Holistic Framework

ACT

Holistic

Framework™

The holistic model of

education and work

success

Page 6

9

Core Academic Skills Cross-Cutting Capabilities

Behavioral Skills Education & Career Navigation

English Language ArtsMathematicsScience

Information and Communication TechnologyCollaborative Problem SolvingThinking SkillsLearning Skills

Acting Honestly Getting Along Well with OthersKeeping an Open MindMaintaining ComposureSocializing with OthersSustaining Effort

Self KnowledgeEnvironmental FactorsIntegrationManaging Career & Education Actions

Advantages of ACT’s Holistic Framework

• Comprehensive – recognizes broad range of skills needed for college and career readiness

• Integrative – can organize personalized results and insights for users in a coherent way

• Actionable – addresses the “so what?” (alignment to valued outcomes) and “what’s next” (connecting current K&S to training)

• Developmental – outlines progressive learning across key developmental and transition periods in K – career

• Authoritative – includes research-based content from a brand you trust

10

ACT

Continuum

11

12

What do my students’ test

scores really mean?

How do I know if my

students are meeting

educational standards?

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National Curriculum Survey

Collects data from almost 10,000 educators every 3 to 5 years about what entering college students should know and be able to do to be ready for college-level coursework in English, math, reading, and science.

• The results inform ongoing efforts to develop, refine, and update common academic standards and to inform policymakers and educators.

• The results help guide development of ACT’s curriculum-based assessments—ACT Aspire™

PreACT ® and the ACT® test—and ensure that they meet the needs of college and career readiness.

http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/NCS_Report_Web.pdf

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National

Curriculum

Survey

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ACT College and Career Readiness Standards

Empirically derived descriptions

of the skills and knowledge

students need to be ready for

college and career.

These standards give clear

meaning to test scores and

serve as a link between what

students have learned and what

they are ready to learn next.

Page 10

16

ACT College and Career Readiness Standards—

Ideas for Progress

Page 10

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ACT College Readiness Benchmarks

Scores on the ACT and PreACT subject-area tests that represent the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college courses.

College Course ACT-Subject Area Test The ACT Benchmark

English Composition English 18

College Algebra Mathematics 22

Social Sciences Reading 22

Biology Science 23

Page 10

English

Learner

Supports

The ACT and PreACT

• Beginning fall of 2017-2018 school year

• Additional time on test (not to exceed time-and-a-half)

• Use of an approved word-to-word bilingual dictionary (containing no word definitions)

• Test instruction provided in the student’s native language (including Spanish and a limited number of other languages initially)

• Testing in a non-distraction environment (i.e. in a separate room)

For the ACT test, English Learner supports will be requested by schools on behalf of their students utilizing ACT’s Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) system.

This content pack has a lot of great info about EL supports

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ACT

Center for

Equity and

Learning

At ACT, we believe that talent and potential are

widely distributed across society, and that the

circumstances of a child’s birth should not

determine their college and career

opportunities.

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21

The ACT

Test

The ACT test measures a student’s academic

readiness for college

The ACT is curriculum based, directly related to what you’re teaching in the classroom

The ACT National Curriculum Survey, which gives ACT regular feedback from you on what students are learning, informs the continued development of the ACT test

Recently enhanced reporting helps you and your students better understand, interpret, and use results

The ACT test high school report contains information you can use to help students prepare for life after high school:

Needs

Interests

Background

Abilities

ACT test results can help convince students not considering college, especially underrepresented students, that they’re ready for college-level coursework

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The ACT

Overview

• Curriculum-based college entrance

exam

• Measures academic achievement• English: 75 questions – 45 minutes

• Mathematics: 60 questions – 60 minutes

• Reading: 40 questions – 35 minutes

• Science: 40 questions – 35 minutes

• Total: 215 questions

• Writing: 1 prompt – 40 minutes

• High-stakes assessment

23

ACT

Overview

High School

• ACT — 11th–12th grade students

• Multiple test dates– September, October, December, February, April, June and

July*

• Counseling – Academic and career student advising based on test

results

• Links to ACT Educational Opportunity Service (ACT EOS)– Connects students with relevant college and scholarship

information at no cost

Postsecondary

• Admissions, Enrollment Managers, Retention, Academic Advisors

• Data on ACT record can help institutions shape enrollment (quantity, quality, diversity, fit)

• Retention begins with recruitment

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ACT

Features

Key Non-Cognitive Components

High School Course/Grade Information−Courses completed or intend to take−Grades received

ACT Interest Inventory−Helps students explore personally relevant career

options

Student Profile Section (SPS)oEducational and vocational aspirationsoPost-high school plansoActivitiesoAccomplishmentsoNeeds

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National

Testing

and

State and

District

Testing

National Testing

• Helps educators monitor

academic growth and identify

interventions

• Grades 3 through 12 when

combined

with ACT Aspire

• Helps educators improve

curriculum and instructional

tools

• ACT reporting categories

aligned with ACT College and

Career Readiness Standards

• Provides colleges and

universities with detailed data

• Improves recruiting, advising,

placement, and retention

State and District

Testing

• All the benefits of a national test

date

• Test occurs during school day in

familiar surroundings

• Less stressful environment

• No travel or Saturday

commitment

• Free of charge to students

• State or District billed per student

tested

• Exempt from photo upload

requirement

• Provided to all students

• Reach students who were not

previously considering college

• Opportunity to opt-in to ACT

Educational Opportunity Service

• Connects students to interested

colleges and universities

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Test Dates

National

September 9, 2017

October 28, 2017

December 9, 2017

February 10, 2018

April 14, 2018

June 9, 2018

July 14, 2018*

District

Initial Test Date (Paper)

October 3, 2017

February 27, 2018

April 3, 2018

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*New test date

The ACT

Test Facts

and

Benefits

Facts

• The only college admissions test

linked to the ACT College and Career

Readiness Standards

• Accepted by all four-year colleges and

universities in the United States

• Enables school and district leaders to

trace student performance with

aggregate and standards-based

reporting

• Used by many states as an

instructional improvement program

statewide to improve the college and

career readiness of their students

• The only college entrance exam that

includes a science test and STEM

score to compare with a validated

STEM Benchmark

• Helps students plan for their futures

with tools such as the ACT interest

Inventory, Student Profile Sections,

Career Map, and Career Readiness

Indicator

Benefits

• Raises college awareness and

exposure among all students—rather

than just self-selected, college-bound

students—when used statewide

• Helps educators improve curriculum

and instructional tools with the

alignment of the ACT subject test

scores to ACT College and Career

Readiness Standards

• Motivates students to perform to their

best ability and often results in

increased college enrollment, for

underrepresented students

• Helps students identify personally

relevant career options Offers

interventions to assist students in

educational and career planning

• Provides colleges with detailed

information for recruiting, advising,

placement, and retention

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Essay

View

29

Getting to Know Your Students

Meet Ann

Meet Ann –

Basics

• Colorado address

• Specific high school

• Phone #

• email address

• Interest in accounting

as major

Student’s Interests

• Very likely to enroll at your school

• Will likely enroll in-state

• Interested in a college of 5-10,000 students

• Plans to be full time residential student

• Cost is a concern

• Plans to apply for FinAid and get a job

• Her parents have completed some college

• May be interested in performing Arts and is likely to be politically engaged

Student’s Academics

• Has been on a college prep academic path in high school

• She has a composite ACT of 21 & HSGPA of ~3.0-3.4

• Having an accounting major is crucial for Ann

• Is likely to struggle in college algebra and natural sciences

• Will likely do very well in English Comp

• Will have completed HS courses in two foreign languages

• Has some interest in Honors courses and ROTC involvement

• Campus visit

• High school visit

• Family connection to college

• College fair interaction

• Phone calls

• Email

• Strong admission counselor?

Traditional Methods to

“Get to Know” Students

“Ann” Simply Sent Her ACT Score

Math & Science

struggles likely

English Composition

success likely

Composite ACT

Score

Likely to

enroll

In/out of

state

Size

preference

Cost

Concern

HS GPA

Academic

Interest

FinAid &

work plans

Educ of

parents

FT/PT &

Res plans

Honors &

ROTC

Interest in

performing

arts &

politics

HS Acad

Preparation

Foreign

Languages

ACT

Enrollment

Manageme

nt

Services

(ACT EMS)

Overview

A suite of data-driven solutions designed to increase postsecondary education enrollment and retention success

40

ACT EMS

Overview

ACT collects an enormous amount of information from students, assessments, and institutions.

The ACT EMS suite translates that data into usable reports and services that assist in enrollment decisions.

ACT Class Profile Service

Educational Opportunity Service (EOS)

Enrollment Information Service (EIS)

ACT Course Placement Service

Engage College

ACT ENROLL

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Class

Profile

Report

Contents

Personal/Demographic Enrollment PreferencesACT Composite ranges Level of college choiceType of high school Preferred college typeSize of HS grad class Preferred tuitionRace/ethnicity Preferred college sizeReligious preference Preferred distance home to collegeFamily income

Trends/Other Plans/Interests/NeedsFive-year trends Planned majorTop 30 high schools Hours to work in collegeTop 30 competing institutions Degree aspirations

Needs help with (6 areas)College extracurricular plans (16 areas)

42

ACT Enroll

Portal

New access point for ACT EOS

New & Improved EOS in Enroll

Multiple data sources: ACT and PreACT names will be available (& ACT Profile)

A redesigned user interface and innovative tools for analyzing, understanding, selecting and downloading student names and records….much less time consuming!

Greater flexibility in the timing and way you purchase and order names

oOn demand record availability vs. “search as an event”

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ACT Enroll Portal

New & Improved (cont’d)Sort and re-sort previous orders

Interactive maps

Expanded segments (latest US Census data)

Expanded export capabilities

More ordering options

Consultant/delegate roles within institutional account

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Step 1: Create a (Geographic)

Market

Markets in Enroll

are “Geographic

Markets”

(Geographic) Markets:

• One market can be linked to

multiple populations

• Populations will be defined in

step 2

• Define address type:

• Where student lives

• Or address of school

attended

Non-US countries

now available

Upload zips…if in

error, will define error

for user

Step 2:

Define

Population

Enroll Population Basics:

• Built for one of the

markets you select from

step 1

• Defined by student:

• Demographic

characteristics

• Academic information

• Educational plans

• Select a market

created in step 1.

• Every population

requires one market

Notice geographic

market characteristics

are listed here…and

corresponding map

• Build Major Set(s)

• Save Major Sets for

future populations

PO Number optional & not

required

• Select all 66 available

• Define future purchase

commitment

• Set end date

ACT Enroll

Portal

Future Phases of Enroll PortalLongterm goal is that ACT Enroll will be the “one-stop” for higher ed

oAIRO

oResearch Reports

Campus specific (Freshmen Class Profile Report)

General Higher Ed (Condition Report, Test Optional)

oEIS & AIM

70

ACT

Enrollment

Management

Summit

I invite you to submit a proposal to present at the 2018 ACT Enrollment Management Summit. The 33rd annual event will be held July 18-20, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Denver.

Submit Your Proposal Today

Priority consideration will be given to proposals submitted by January 19, 2018, 2018.

Learn more about the 2018 ACT Enrollment Management Summit

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Conclusion

ACT

Continuum

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Get

Involved

With ACT

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Join Your ACT State Organization!

Membership is free and open to all champions of

education and workforce success.

Access to the latest news and research

Opportunities to network with over 10,000 education and

workforce colleagues

Professional development

Statewide recognition

www.act.org/stateorgs

Apply To Join Your ACT State Council!

20 education and workforce leaders in each state who

guide the direction of the ACT State Organization; new

members selected by the council each fall.

Hour long conference calls each month

Two in-person meetings each year

Opportunities to attend national summits with other

council leaders

Contact rose.babington@act.org for more information or

to apply.

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Sean Corcoran

Sean.Corcoran@act.org

319-383-1813

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77

Thank You!

One

Counselor

has a

Million

Dollar

IMPACT

Leslie Trundy, counselor, Morse High School in Maine

• Her story begins with a study of 277 students over 10 years

• Compared the differences• Students performance on SAT and ACT tests

• Merit aid students would receive at the University of Maine

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66% were offered some kind of merit award based on their ACT score (compared to only 44% with an SAT score)

A counselor finds a way for her students - and possibly your students –

to earn more merit awards

Students

benefit by

taking the

ACT in

addition to

the SAT

80

118 received greater amounts of merit awards based upon their ACT score (only 4 students received greater amounts based upon their SAT score)

Greater amounts of merit awards were offered

The ACT

makes a

difference

81

Students were collectively offered $262K more in total merit awards for their first year of college based upon their ACT scores (compared to $8K more with their SAT score)

$262,000

$8,000

vs

Merit Award Opportunities

per year

Merit

awards

help

students

82

Over 4 years of college, the amount of merit awards offered could add up to more than $1 million for these students* (compared to $32,000 in possible merit awards over four years by those who took the SAT)

“I feel like

our state is

missing

out by not

promoting

and

favoring

the ACT.”

* All scholarships offered are renewable for up to 4 years.

$1,048,000

$32,000

vs

Merit Award Opportunity over four years of college

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NOW it’s your turn to have a similar IMPACT

• Tell your students about The ACT• With emails

• Via your social media channels

• At meetings with students and parents

• Find already made emails, social media and PowerPoint slides at www.act.org/counselortoolkit

Ready for

impact