ACT Test Planning
Tips for Sanity and Success
Questions for the group...
➔ How many of you have given the ACT before?
➔ How many of you have given the PLAN before?
➔ How many of you have requested ACT accommodations?
➔ Has anybody read the manuals (ACT and STATE)?
➔ How many of you are doing this work SOLO?
➔ How many of you have a “team” to work with?
Topics
1.
Preparing to administer: Things to think about
2.
Securing dates
3.
Accommodations
4.
Logistics & Space
5.
Preparing students, staff, parents
Preparing to Administer the ACT
Things to think about:
★ Follow testing time windows as determined by MDE.
★ Adhere to the strict test security guidelines from MDE; these include things like
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nondisclosure training for staff;
accounting for secure materials;
maintaining the Chain of Custody of testing materials;
verifying student accommodations;
actively monitoring the testing sessions;
preventing cheating;
reporting security breaches;
avoiding consequences for staff members who mis-administer a test or breach
security by providing thorough staff training.
Preparing…
★ Consider Quality and availability of test supervisors (consider experience,
full-time vs. part-time, etc)
★ Provide proctor training for sufficient breadth and depth so that no teacher
licences are pulled by the State of Minnesota.
★ Administer tests in quietest areas of the building as much as possible
(Lower C).
★ Create a building atmosphere that is conducive to testing (quiet, minimal
movement in hallways, no bells, no announcements, no fire drills, no noisy
construction vehicles, etc.). Also remember these things on your make-up
day.
Preparing...
★ Create testing/proctor schedules and room usage that are easy for students to
figure out.
★ Match students with known, grade level teachers as much as possible.
★ Offer Student Test Prep session for the Inventory and Test.
★ Disrupt TEACHING and LEARNING time as little as possible.
★ Notify PSEO/DCTC students about Inventory and ACT test.
★ Follow teacher contract in terms of proctor training times, PREP times, and
LUNCH times (work with Union Representatives).
★ Consider printing picture Rosters for each testing group
Preparing...
★ Remember length of time the for ACT is 4.5 hours and highly regulated (up to 6
hours or more; and possibly over multiple days for extended time)
★ Decide how to handle LUNCH (open lunch for juniors this year). Tricky for kids
with extended time.
★ Remember that Hall Supervisors MUST attend the Proctor Training
★ ACT Minnesota for more information
Securing Dates
Securing dates (and space) EARLY is recommended!
We set aside following dates for 2014-2015:
●
INVENTORY Training for ENG 11 Teachers (April 16: sessions before and after school). Give “real” copies of
the Inventory, remind teachers to get started right away with giving Inventory as it takes 90+ minutes to
complete.
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INVENTORY: (April 20 & 21 in ENG 11 - Super Block week; Science MCA testing those days also)
●
INVENTORY Make-up: (April 22, 23, & 24, as needed)
●
Student ACT “Need to Know” Training: April 15 during HR : PPT to all 11th graders in Auditorium, and April
20 & 21 during the Inventory - handout at end). Math reviews Mar 18, April 8, April 9
●
ACT TEST Supervisor/Proctor Training: (April 17: sessions before and after school).
●
ACT TEST: (April 28)
●
ACT Make Up Day: (May 12)
Securing Dates…
TESTING CALENDAR 2014-2015
Jefferson SUPER BLOCK schedule
SUPER BLOCK Rationale
Dealing with Accommodations
● State accommodations CAN be ordered for students who were denied
accommodations from the ACT approval process. ACT will NOT send these scores
to colleges. Parents need to be notified and approve STATE accommodations.
● Our building Test Accommodations Coordinator processes all students who need
accommodations, directly through ACT.
IEP’s: (demographics page, assessments page, testing page).
Other documentation must be included in some cases - i.e. medical diagnosis,
psychological diagnosis. Professional evaluations conducted inside or outside of
school, by qualified professional count as documentation.
504 Plans: (copies of each 504 plan). Documentation is required for any medical or
psychological diagnoses.
Accommodations…
● Types of accommodations available. Show KC’s sheet for recording accommodations to
submit to ACT. Accommodations from Manual
● Anything you are ordering MUST be in the 504 plan or IEP.
● Parents need to sign a release for us to send confidential information for
accommodations to ACT; phone verification is permissible
http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/ConsenttoReleaseInformation.pdf
● We have 59 STUDENTS with ACT Accommodations!
LOGISTICS
9th grade:
10th grade:
12th grade:
run regular schedule and classes
all-day biology field trip
senior retreat off campus
OPEN LUNCH for 11th graders after TEST;
PERIOD 6 run for students in grades 9, 11 & 12
LOGISTICS...
ACT ROOM SUPERVISORS
ACT FIELD TRIP CHAPERONES
ACT HALLWAY PROCTORS
ACT TEACHING 9th GRADE
9th Grade Teacher Room Assignments
Preparing your STUDENTS
ACT Student Prep Session
Preparing your STAFF
ACT Day 9th, 10th, 12th grade
Room Supervisor and Proctor Training
Instructions for Materials Pick-up
*SHOW INVENTORY / TEST BOX
Preparing your PARENTS
In early January we sent out a Blackboard Connect
(mass email) message with testing dates and ACT
and MDE website resources.
The INVENTORY: things we’ve learned...
★ Must be completed before starting test
★ Best to do separate training, specifically for those
administering it (US History teachers)
★ Typically takes 90-120 minutes for students to complete
★ Best to allocate 120 minutes to assure all will finish
★ Good idea to have a transcript for each student ahead of time.
Survey from 2013-2014
Room Supervisor Survey after TEST
What are some take-aways from today’s session?
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Contacts:
Kristin Wetzel, Testing and Chemical Health
kwetzel@bloomington.k12.mn.us
Deborah Holman, Assistant Principal
dholman@bloomington.k12.mn.us