ACT Aspire
Test Design
Office of Student Assessment
Students Grades
3-11
Alternate
NCSC for Math
and ELA
Grades 3-8 and 11
Science Portfolio
Grades 5,7 and 10
only
ACT Aspire/ACT
Math, English,
Writing, Reading
and Science
ACT Aspire
ACT Aspire
O Grades 3-10
O English, writing, reading, math, and science
yearly
O Accountability will be calculated at grade 10
only for the high school
O Online schools set their own test schedule
O Test Administrators must be licensed by ADE
Aspire Test Windows
Online - April 11 – May 13
Paper – April 18 – April 29
Scheduling
Shift in Thinking
O ACT Aspire is shorter – Only one
administration window
O Allows for more time to teach
O Focus on the standards and teach them well
O ACT Aspire has questions above and below
grade level
O Foundations and prediction
O Overviews- https://actaspire.tms.pearson.com/
Scheduling Computer Based Testing
O No more than three subject tests per day
O There is no order in which the subject tests have to
be administered
O Grade cohorts must test on the same day, or as
close together as possible
O Small groups may be needed
O http://actaspire.avocet.pearson.com/actaspire/ho
me#6482
ACT Aspire Resources
O Live Binder
O Exemplars
O Example Test Question Booklet (PDFs)
O TestNav8 examples
O Landing Page
O Knowledge and Skills Map
LiveBinder
O http://tinyurl.com/arkansasassessment
Exemplars - Test Design
O
Exemplars- http://actaspire.pearson.com/exemplars.html
O Example Test Question Booklet (PDF) – grade
level per content area PDFs that explain test
questions from the Student Sandbox and
explanations of scoring.
O Student Sandbox – TestNav online examples –
currently various grades are represented for each
content area except writing. Future plans are to
offer grade-by-grade per content area examples.
(Example – 4th grade reading, 4th grade English,
4th grade science, 4th grade math)
Landing Page
http://actaspire.pearson.com
13
ADE Staff
Training - Aug.
2015
Knowledge and Skills Map
O http://skillsmap.actlabs.org/
O Login: actlabs
O Password: actlabs
NEW!!!
English Language
Arts
English Language Arts
O ACT Aspire divides ELA into 3
separate assessments:
O Reading
O English
O Writing
Test Item Types
O Multiple Choice/Selected Response
O 1 point each
O 4 to 6 choices
O Technology Enhanced
O 1 point each
O Example - Drag and Drop
O Constructed Response (Justification and
Explanation)
O 2 to 4 points each
O Short answer/evidence based
Reading
O Two main types of passages
1. Literary
2. Informational – science and history
O
Number of passages per type
O Grades 3-5: 4 operational reading passages
(2 literary narratives, 1 history text, and 1 science)
O Grades 6-EHS: 3 operational reading passages
(1 literary narrative, 1 history text, and 1 science)
O Estimated number of items per passage type
O Grades 3-5 – 10-14 literary, 10-14 informational
O Grades 6-10 – 7-8 literary, 16-18 informational
( A field test passage set will also be added in each grade)
Reading Examples
Technology Enhanced
Reading Example
Paired Passage/Constructed Response
English
O The ACT Aspire requires students to revise and edit.
Students will read passages and make editorial decisions
that provide evidence of their understanding in the following
areas:
O Conventions of Standard English
O Punctuation and Usage Conventions
O Sentence Structure and Formation
O Production of Writing
O Topic Development
O Organization, Unity, and Cohesion
O Knowledge of Language
English
O Approximate number of items per grade:
O Grades 3-5 – 25 operational items
O Grades 6-8 – 35 operational items
O Early High School (EHS) – 40 operational items
(4-8 field test items will also be added in each grade)
O There are 2 main item types used on the English
assessment for the online format (CBT- computer-based
test):
(1) MC - multiple choice - 1 point each
(2) TE - technology enhanced - 1 point each
English Examples
Multiple Choice
English Examples
Technology Enhanced
Writing
O Three modes of writing:
O Analytical Expository
O Reflective Narrative
O Persuasive Argumentative
O Essay format
O One prompt only per grade
O 30 minutes total per grade
O Scratch paper is allowed for pre-writing
Analytical Expository
Reflective Narrative
Persuasive/Argumentative
Mathematics
Math
O The ACT Aspire mathematics assessments
emphasize quantitative reasoning frequently applied
to real-world contexts rather than memorization of
formulas or computational skills. (Occasionally the
formulas are given)
O Three item types used:
1.
2.
3.
Multiple choice – 1 point
Technology enhanced – 1 point
Constructed response (also called Justification
and Explanation for math) – 2 to 4 points
Math
Grade Band
3-5
6-7
8-10
Approximate
Number of
Operational
Items
25
34
38
Testing Time
55
60
65
Math
O Calculator Policy
Grades 3-5
O NO CALCULATOR - Even as an accommodation
O Grades 6-10
O ACT-approved personal calculator OR
Online calculator tool
O
O Formula Sheet
O None allowed or provided
O Needed formulas are written into test questions
O
O
http://actaspire.avocet.pearson.com/actaspire/home#6585
http://www.actstudent.org/faq/calculator.html
Math Examples
Multiple Choice
Math Examples
Constructed Response
Justification/Explanation
Math Example
Constructed Response
Justification/Explanation
Science
Science
O ACT Aspire focuses on science practices that encompass
three domains:
O Interpretation of Data
O Scientific Investigation
O Evaluation of Models, Inferences and Experimental
Results.
O ACT Aspire science assessments focus on assessing science
practices using rich, real-world scientific scenarios. The
scenarios in the upper-grade assessments include student
investigations, formal scientific research, formal scientific
data from references, and students or scientists providing
competing explanations for real scientific phenomena.
Science
O The content of the science assessment includes:
O biology (life science at the earlier grades)
O chemistry and physics (physical science at the earlier
grades)
O Earth/space sciences (e.g., geology, astronomy, and
meteorology).
O The ACT Aspire science assessments stress science
practices over recall of scientific content, complex
mathematics skills, and reading ability."
Science-Item Types
O Selected response (multiple choice)
questions will be tied to a scenario which
could include a data table, a graph, or a
scientific phenomenon
O Constructed response which can vary in
both point value and length of response
O Technology enhanced questions will provide
the student with a drop down menu or a
drag and drop choices for students.
Science Test Items
O Grade
Level
Total Test
Total Test
Operational
Items-Paper Items-Computer
Items
Field Test
Items
O
3-5
35
33-34
28
5-6
O
6-7
40
37-38
32
5-6
O
8
40
38-40
32
6-8
O
EHS
40
O Note: item counts may vary.
38-40
32
6-8
Science Examples
O Grade 3 Exemplar – Selected Response - Students
will need to scroll to see the entire table.
Science Examples
O Grade 6 Exemplar – Constructed Response –The scroll bar
will have to be noticed and used to generate a correct
response.
Science Examples
O Early High School Exemplar – Technology Enhanced –
drag and drop type. Student will have to scroll to see the
full stem.
ACT Aspire
Periodic Assessments
O Available December 1st
O Set up in the same system as the summative.
O Students must be entered and PNPs completed
before interims can be given.
O Schools will schedule their own periodics and
managing all data
O Fixed forms for both Interim and Classroom
online delivery only (no paper periodics)
Classroom vs. Interim
Differences are underlined
Classroom
Interim
O
Grades: Grades 3-8
O
Grades: Grades 3-10
O
Content Areas: English, reading, math,
O
Content Areas: English, reading, math,
science (no writing)
science (no writing)
O
Administration: local control
O
Administration: local control
O
6 assessments - per subject/per grade
O
4 assessments - per subject/per grade
O
Format: fixed format, all multiple choice
O
Format: fixed format, all multiple choice
O
Duration: 15 - 20 minutes/test
O
Duration: 45 minutes or less /test
O
Feedback: usually 15 minutes
O
Feedback: usually 15 minutes
O
Reports: student, parent, teacher,
O
Reports: student, parent, teacher,
school/district; Item Report/Analysis
school/district; Item Report/Analysis
Sandbox Exemplars
http://tinyurl.com/arkansasassessment
Additional Information
Contact the Office of Student Assessment
O
Hope.Allen@arkansas.gov
Director
O
Susan.Gray@arkansas.gov
Test Administration
O
Alex.Pritchett@arkansas.gov
Periodic Assessments
O
Jared.Hogue@arkansas.gov
Accommodations
O
Ann.Finch@arkansas.gov
Science
O
Janice.Morley@arkansas.gov
ELA/Communications
O
Jimmy.Blevins@arkansas.gov
Data Literacy
O
Ernie.Huff@arkansas.gov
Tech
O
Sheree.Baird@arkansas.gov
K-2/ELA
O
Charlotte.Marvel@arkansas.gov Alternate Assessments
O
Alan.Lytle@arkansas.gov
ELPA21