EPAS: Educational Planning and Assessment System

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June York
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1 EPAS: Educational Planning and Assessment System AUDREY HARPER DISTRICT INTERVENTION TEACHER SOUTH WARREN HIGH SCHOOL ADAPTED FROM: AUDREY NEAL GEAR UP KENTUCKY

2 10 STRATEGIES FOR IMPACTING SCORES Increase percentage of students taking core coursework Provide test preparation experiences Review content and format of the test Align curriculum with the skills tested Involve faculty and parents Examine and discuss data Engage early in college readiness assessments Retesting Promote a serious attitude Enhance student motivation

3 What Kind of Test Prep is Best? Increase in ACT Composite Score Short-term activities Long-term activities (core or more)

4 What is the EPAS? Assess middle and high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work English, Math, Reading, and Science optional writing assessment Explore is scored on a scale of 1-25 PLAN on a scale of 1-32 ACT on a scale of 1-36 The ACT:215 questions within 2 hours and 55 minutes

5 COLLEGE READINESS STANDARDS The EPAS testing system focuses on curriculum skills and not content knowledge The College Readiness Standards outline skills that students need to be successful in college Allow us to: map the development of your students knowledge and skills analyze your students progress to identify areas of strength and areas that need more attention help determine next steps in the instructional planning process

6 COLLEGE READINESS STANDARDS One set of standards for each content area that is assessed Standards correspond to test score ranges Each test item is connected to a standard The standards also offer suggestions for ways to improve student performance and move them to the next level CommonCoreAlignment.pdf

7 Why is the ACT important? College admissions Scholarships or other programs KEES bonus money Placement in college courses determined by benchmark Indicator of readiness for AP or other advanced courses Career exploration Planning tool

8 How does the test differ from the types of tests our students are accustomed to taking? Timed test All questions are worth the same number of points The test does not progress from easy to hard in terms of subject matter Students can miss almost half the questions on the test and still score at benchmark in most areas Ex: To score a 20 on the ACT, you need to answer 53% of the questions correctly

10 Breakdown of test questions EXPLORE PLAN ACT ENGLISH MATH READING SCIENCE 40 questions 30 minutes 50 questions 30 minutes 75 questions 45 minutes 30 questions 30 minutes 40 questions 40 minutes 60 questions 60 minutes 30 questions 30 minutes 25 questions 20 minutes 40 questions 35 minutes 28 questions 30 minutes 30 questions 25 minutes 40 questions 35 minutes

11 ENGLISH Understanding of the conventions of standard written English in punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure Ability to make the kinds of decisions made by good writers related to strategy, organization, and style EXPLORE (1-12) PLAN (1-16) ACT (1-18) Punctuation Grammar & usage Sentence structure Strategy Organization Style TOTAL PASSAGES/LENGTH 4/300 4/300 5/325

12 MATH Ability to analyze and solve problems rather than basic memorization of formulas*, knowledge of techniques, or computational skill Basic statistical/ probability concepts EXPLORE PLAN ACT 5 Pre-algebra Elementary algebra Pre-geometry 7 Plane geometry Coordinate geometry 7 9 Intermediate geometry Trigonometry 4 TOTAL

13 ALGEBRA SKILLS STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW Evaluate algebraic expressions Multiply binomials Factor a polynomial Simplify an algebraic fraction Solve a linear equation Solve a quadratic equation Solve a system of equations Solve an inequality Find the distance between two points Find the slope of a line

14 GEOMETRY SKILLS STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW Line crossing two parallel lines angle measurements Special triangle properties Area calculations (triangle, circle, etc) Similar triangles with corresponding angles Pythagorean theorem Calculation of a minor arc, given an angle and radius Combining different area calculations for odd shapes Properties of special triangles ( triangle, triangle, etc) refer to 100 key concepts

15 READING Ability to understand and derive meaning from text by using both stated and implied information to identify main ideas, locate important supporting information, and understand characters relationships Sequences, cause-effect relationships, generalizations and comparisons about stated information and characters, understand events and complex processes Determine the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple-meaning words from context Use passage cues to generalize about author s purpose, attitude, or POV EXPLORE PLAN ACT PROSE FICTION HUMANITIES SOCIAL SCIENCES NATURAL SCIENCES 10 TOTAL Passages/length 3/500 3/500 4/750

16 SCIENCE Interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills required in coursework in the natural sciences EXPLORE PLAN ACT DATA REPRESENTATION RESEARCH SUMMARIES CONFLICTING VIEWPOINTS TOTAL LIFE SCIENCE 3 PHYSICAL SCIENCE 2 EARTH/SPACE SCIENCE BIOLOGY CHEMISTRY PHYSICS TOTAL 6 5 7

CAAP. Content Analysis Report. Sample College. Institution Code: 9011 Institution Type: 4-Year Subgroup: none Test Date: Spring 2011

CAAP. Content Analysis Report. Sample College. Institution Code: 9011 Institution Type: 4-Year Subgroup: none Test Date: Spring 2011 CAAP Content Analysis Report Institution Code: 911 Institution Type: 4-Year Normative Group: 4-year Colleges Introduction This report provides information intended to help postsecondary institutions better