ERIC ED510457: College Readiness Standards[TM] for EXPLORE[R], PLAN[R], and the ACT[R]: Includes Ideas for Progress

2008·0.47 MB·English

by  ERIC

C R
OLLEGE EADINESS
S TM
TANDARDS
For EXPLORE®, PLAN®, and the ACT®
Includes Ideas for Progress
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
ACT Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back cover
Introduction
What do
EXPLORE, PLAN, College Readiness StandardsTM and the EPAS® System
and ACT scores
ACT’s Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) is an
tell me about what
integrated series of assessment and career planning programs—EXPLORE®
my students know?
(grades 8 and 9), PLAN®(grade 10), and the ACT®(grades 11 and 12)—
designed to help students increase their academic readiness for college.
Specifically, each program measures student achievement in English,
mathematics, reading, and science. (The ACT also includes an optional
Writing Test.) EPAS, a curriculum- and standards-based system, is ideal for
connecting teaching, learning, and assessment to impact student growth
from grade 8 through 12.
At the foundation of the EPAS programs are ACT’s College Readiness
Standards. The Standards offer learning strategies that are likely to help
students meet state standards and acquire the more advanced concepts
associated with higher EPAS test scores and, more importantly, increased
college readiness.
What Are ACT’s College Readiness Standards?
College Readiness Standards are detailed, research-based descriptions of
the skills and knowledge associated with what students are likely to know
and to be able to do based on their EXPLORE, PLAN, and/or ACT test
scores. For each content area—English, mathematics, reading, and science—
Standards are provided for six score ranges along a scale common to
EXPLORE (1–25), PLAN (1–32), and the ACT (1–36). Standards for the
optional ACT Writing Test have also been developed, although on a
different score scale (2–12). The Standards are organized by strands—the
column headings at the top of the page.
The common score scale ensures that skills associated with each score range
are identical regardless of the test used to obtain the score. As the tests
increase in complexity from EXPLORE to PLAN to the ACT, the
Standards ranges reflect this. Therefore, Standards for the 28–32 score
range are specific to PLAN and the ACT, while those for the 33–36 score
range are specific to the ACT only.
2
Since the EPAS programs measure students’ progressive academic
development, the Standards are cumulative. That is, a student scoring in the
24–27 score range is likely able to demonstrate the skills associated with the
13–15, 16–19, and 20–23 score ranges as well. This enables EPAS to
provide seamless data describing student achievement over time from grade
8 through 12.
Why Are College Readiness Standards Needed?
The Standards were developed in response to the need for better
information about student achievement and to answer the often-asked
question, What does a given score on EXPLORE, PLAN, or the ACT
really mean? The Standards serve as a direct link between what students
*Success is defined
have learned, what they are ready to learn next, and what they must learn
as a 50% or higher
before leaving high school in order to be prepared for college. The
probability of
Standards are an effective tool for enhancing student learning based on test
scores that students earn. The Standards are complemented by ideas for earning a B or
progress—brief descriptions of learning experiences from which students
higher in the
might benefit.
corresponding
college course or
What Are ACT’s College Readiness Benchmark Scores?
courses.
While the College Readiness Standards describe the skills students likely
have based on their EPAS test scores, ACT’s College Readiness Benchmark
Scores, given in the table below, are early indicators of likely college
success based on those same scores. College Readiness Benchmark Scores
for the ACT represent median test scores that are predictive of student
success* in relevant college courses. The EXPLORE and PLAN
Benchmark Scores are indicative of probable readiness for college-level
work by the time the student graduates from high school. Used together,
the Standards and the Benchmark Scores provide an effective means for
communicating college readiness expectations to middle and high schools
and for measuring progress toward them.
College Readiness Benchmark Scores
EXPLORE PLAN ACT
Subject Test Test Score Test Score Test Score
Grade 8 Grade 9
English 13 14 15 18
Mathematics 17 18 19 22
Reading 15 16 17 21
Science 20 20 21 24
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C R S
OLLEGE EADINESS TANDARDS
ENGLISH
Topic Development in Terms Organization,Unity,and Word Choice in Terms of Style,
Score
Range of Purpose and Focus Coherence Tone,Clarity,and Economy
1–12 Standards ■ Students who score in the 1–12 range are most likely beginning to develop the knowledge and skills
assessed in the other score ranges.
ideas for ■ read and discuss the work of ■ write short texts, in a variety of ■ revise writing to clarify sentences
progress favorite writers genres, illustrating simple containing too many phrases and
■ regularly write informal organization clauses
responses to literature (fiction ■ use paragraphing as an ■ check writing to make sure
and nonfiction) in their journals organizational device pronoun references are clear
■ identify sentences that convey ■ revise writing to edit out empty
the main ideas in a variety of words (e.g., really, very, big,
texts and then practice kind of)
composing such sentences
13–15 Standards ■ Use conjunctive adverbs or ■ Revise sentences to correct
phrases to show time awkward and confusing
relationships in simple narrative arrangements of sentence
essays (e.g., then, this time) elements
■ Revise vague nouns and
pronouns that create obvious
logic problems
ideas for ■ read writers of various genres ■ write many simply organized ■ identify and revise obviously
progress and imitate their work short texts of various genres wordy, redundant, or cluttered
■ revise writing to ensure that ■ revise writing to ensure that material
every sentence is necessary to information is in the best order
the purpose of the piece and
that no important information
has been left out
16–19 Standards ■ Identify the basic purpose or ■ Select the most logical place to ■ Delete obviously synonymous
role of a specified phrase or add a sentence in a paragraph and wordy material in a
sentence sentence
■ Delete a clause or sentence ■ Revise expressions that deviate
because it is obviously from the style of an essay
irrelevant to the essay
ideas for ■ continue reading writers of ■ recognize and experiment ■ revise writing to make it more
progress various genres and imitating with more sophisticated concise and precise
their work organizational structures ■ discuss and model tone and
■ write longer and more (e.g., comparison-contrast, style
complicated essays, stories, cause-effect)
reviews, etc. ■ revise writing to delete illogical
■ state the main theme of or conjunctive adverbs
summarize essays they have ■ discuss the most logical place
written to add specific information in a
■ revise essays by eliminating draft essay
sentences or ideas that violate ■ discuss the purpose and the
the essay’s focus importance of the opening
paragraph for directing the rest
of the piece
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Sentence Structure and Formation Conventions of Usage Conventions of Punctuation
■ vary sentence length by combining ■ make sure to use adjectives like well, ■ learn to recognize when commas are
simple sentences less,and worstcorrectly overused
■ check writing to make sure verb tenses
are consistent
■ Use conjunctions or punctuation to join ■ Solve such basic grammatical problems ■ Delete commas that create basic sense
simple clauses as how to form the past and past problems (e.g., between verb and direct
■ Revise shifts in verb tense between participle of irregular but commonly used object)
simple clauses in a sentence or between verbs and how to form comparative and
simple adjoining sentences superlative adjectives
■ revise writing to correct glaring shifts in ■ revise writing to correct basic grammar ■ practice using punctuation correctly in
verb tense or voice and punctuation errors simple sentences (e.g., “He ran, jumped,
■ practice and understand correct usage and swam.”)
of common homonyms (e.g., their/there, ■ check for and correct unnecessary
past/passed) commas
■ Determine the need for punctuation and ■ Solve such grammatical problems as ■ Provide appropriate punctuation in
conjunctions to avoid awkward-sounding whether to use an adverb or adjective straightforward situations (e.g., items in
sentence fragments and fused form, how to ensure straightforward a series)
sentences subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent ■ Delete commas that disturb the sentence
■ Decide the appropriate verb tense and agreement, and which preposition to flow (e.g., between modifier and
voice by considering the meaning of the use in simple contexts modified element)
entire sentence ■ Recognize and use the appropriate word
in frequently confused pairs such as
thereand their,pastand passed,and
ledand lead
■ experiment with writing more ■ revise sentences to ensure that each ■ use commas to set off parenthetical
sophisticated sentences; check to verb agrees with its subject when there phrases
ensure verbs agree with subjects and is some text between the two
modifiers don’t dangle
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C R S
OLLEGE EADINESS TANDARDS
ENGLISH
(continued)
Topic Development in Terms Organization,Unity,and Word Choice in Terms of Style,
Score
Range of Purpose and Focus Coherence Tone,Clarity,and Economy
20–23 Standards ■ Identify the central idea or main ■ Use conjunctive adverbs or ■ Delete redundant material
topic of a straightforward piece phrases to express straight- when information is repeated in
of writing forward logical relationships different parts of speech (e.g.,
■ Determine relevancy when (e.g., first, afterward, in “alarmingly startled”)
presented with a variety of response) ■ Use the word or phrase most
sentence-level details ■ Decide the most logical place to consistent with the style and
add a sentence in an essay tone of a fairly straightforward
■ Add a sentence that introduces essay
a simple paragraph ■ Determine the clearest and
most logical conjunction to link
clauses
ideas for ■ continue reading the work of ■ experiment with using words ■ continue to edit sentences for
progress writers of various genres; begin and phrases that create clear empty language, wordiness, and
experimenting with a variety of transitions in writing redundancy
writing styles ■ rearrange sentences in a ■ revise structurally complex
■ revise fairly straightforward paragraph in order to improve sentences to correct vague or
writing to sharpen focus and its coherence ambiguous pronoun references
coherence of entire piece ■ write introductions that capture
the reader’s interest, write
conclusions that provide a
sense of closure, and describe
the rhetorical effects that each
creates
24–27 Standards ■ Identify the focus of a simple ■ Determine the need for ■ Revise a phrase that is
essay, applying that knowledge conjunctive adverbs or phrases redundant in terms of the
to add a sentence that sharpens to create subtle logical meaning and logic of the entire
that focus or to determine if an connections between sentences sentence
essay has met a specified goal (e.g., therefore, however, in ■ Identify and correct ambiguous
■ Delete material primarily addition) pronoun references
because it disturbs the flow and ■ Rearrange the sentences in a ■ Use the word or phrase most
development of the paragraph fairly uncomplicated paragraph appropriate in terms of the
■ Add a sentence to accomplish for the sake of logic content of the sentence and
a fairly straightforward purpose ■ Add a sentence to introduce tone of the essay
such as illustrating a given or conclude the essay or to
statement provide a transition between
paragraphs when the essay is
fairly straightforward
ideas for ■ develop awareness of ways that ■ experiment with more subtle ■ select and manipulate words,
progress form and content can be organizational structures phrases, and clauses to convey
changed as the audience for ■ revise writing by refining shades of meaning and tone
the writing changes introductions, conclusions, ■ avoid clutter and use vivid
■ learn how meaning can be and transitions in complex verbs and specific nouns
expressed through connotation paragraphs
6
Sentence Structure and Formation Conventions of Usage Conventions of Punctuation
■ Recognize and correct marked ■ Use idiomatically appropriate ■ Use commas to set off simple
disturbances of sentence flow and prepositions, especially in combination parenthetical phrases
structure (e.g., participial phrase with verbs (e.g., long for, appeal to) ■ Delete unnecessary commas when an
fragments, missing or incorrect relative ■ Ensure that a verb agrees with its subject incorrect reading of the sentence
pronouns, dangling or misplaced
when there is some text between the two suggests a pause that should be
modifiers)
punctuated (e.g., between verb and
direct object clause)
■ revise writing to correct faulty ■ check to be sure pronouns agree with ■ use punctuation to set off nonessential
coordination and subordination of antecedents in increasingly complex information in a sentence
clauses sentences ■ recognize inappropriate uses of
■ revise sentences to correct commas
inconsistencies in verb tense and
pronoun person
■ Revise to avoid faulty placement of ■ Ensure that a pronoun agrees with its ■ Use punctuation to set off complex
phrases and faulty coordination and antecedent when the two occur in parenthetical phrases
subordination of clauses in sentences separate clauses or sentences ■ Recognize and delete unnecessary
with subtle structural problems ■ Identify the correct past and past commas based on a careful reading of a
■ Maintain consistent verb tense and participle forms of irregular and complicated sentence (e.g., between the
pronoun person on the basis of the infrequently used verbs and form elements of a compound subject or
preceding clause or sentence present-perfect verbs by using have compound verb joined by and)
rather than of ■ Use apostrophes to indicate simple
possessive nouns
■ Recognize inappropriate uses of colons
and semicolons
■ use sentence-combining techniques to ■ recognize the difference between itsand ■ use commas to set off nonessential
create more sophisticated sentences; it’s, yourandyou’re, whoand whom appositives or clauses
check to avoid fragments, comma ■ use semicolons to indicate relationships
splices, and run-ons between independent clauses
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ENGLISH
(continued)
C R S
OLLEGE EADINESS TANDARDS
Topic Development in Terms Organization,Unity,and Word Choice in Terms of Style,
Score
Range of Purpose and Focus Coherence Tone,Clarity,and Economy
28–32* Standards ■ Apply an awareness of the ■ Make sophisticated distinctions ■ Correct redundant material
focus and purpose of a fairly concerning the logical use of that involves sophisticated
involved essay to determine the conjunctive adverbs or phrases, vocabulary and sounds
rhetorical effect and suitability particularly when signaling a acceptable as conversational
of an existing phrase or shift between paragraphs English (e.g., “an aesthetic
sentence, or to determine the ■ Rearrange sentences to improve viewpoint” versus “the outlook
need to delete plausible but the logic and coherence of a of an aesthetic viewpoint”)
irrelevant material complex paragraph ■ Correct vague and wordy or
■ Add a sentence to accomplish ■ Add a sentence to introduce clumsy and confusing writing
a subtle rhetorical purpose such or conclude a fairly complex containing sophisticated
as to emphasize, to add paragraph language
supporting detail, or to express
meaning through connotation
ideas for ■ write essays that indicate a ■ revise or add introductory ■ revise writing to delete
progress heightened awareness of the sentences or transitions based redundancies in terms of the
audience for those essays on an understanding of the logic paragraph as a whole
■ recognize the role that specific and rhetorical purpose of the
sentences play in terms of the paragraph and the essay as a
essay as a whole whole
33–36† Standards ■ Determine whether a complex ■ Consider the need for ■ Delete redundant material that
essay has accomplished a introductory sentences or involves subtle concepts or that
specific purpose transitions, basing decisions is redundant in terms of the
■ Add a phrase or sentence to on a thorough understanding of paragraph as a whole
accomplish a complex purpose, both the logic and rhetorical
often expressed in terms of the effect of the paragraph and
main focus of the essay essay
* PLAN and ACT only
† ACT only
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Sentence Structure and Formation Conventions of Usage Conventions of Punctuation
■ Use sentence-combining techniques, ■ Correctly use reflexive pronouns, the ■ Use commas to set off a nonessential/
effectively avoiding problematic comma possessive pronouns itsand your,and nonrestrictive appositive or clause
splices, run-on sentences, and sentence the relative pronouns whoand whom ■ Deal with multiple punctuation problems
fragments, especially in sentences ■ Ensure that a verb agrees with its subject (e.g., compound sentences containing
containing compound subjects or verbs
in unusual situations (e.g., when the unnecessary commas and phrases that
■ Maintain a consistent and logical use of subject-verb order is inverted or when may or may not be parenthetical)
verb tense and pronoun person on the the subject is an indefinite pronoun) ■ Use an apostrophe to show possession,
basis of information in the paragraph or
especially with irregular plural nouns
essay as a whole
■ Use a semicolon to indicate a
relationship between closely related
independent clauses
■ maintain parallel structure between ■ revise sentences to ensure agreement ■ use the colon to introduce an example
phrases and clauses in a complex between verb and subject when a or an elaboration
sentence phrase between the two suggests a
■ employ a variety of sentence structures different number for the verb
in their writing
■ Work comfortably with long sentences ■ Provide idiomatically and contextually ■ Use a colon to introduce an example or
and complex clausal relationships appropriate prepositions following verbs an elaboration
within sentences, avoiding weak in situations involving sophisticated
conjunctions between independent language or ideas
clauses and maintaining parallel ■ Ensure that a verb agrees with its subject
structure between clauses when a phrase or clause between the two
suggests a different number for the verb
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MATHEMATICS
C R S
OLLEGE EADINESS TANDARDS
Score Basic Operations & Probability,Statistics,
Range Applications & Data Analysis Numbers:Concepts & Properties
1–12 Standards ■ Students who score in the 1–12 range are most likely beginning to develop the knowledge and skills
assessed in the other score ranges.
ideas for ■ practice and apply estimation and ■ interpret data from a variety of
progress computation using whole numbers displays and use it in computation
and decimals (e.g., mean, median, mode, range)
■ choose the appropriate method of ■ organize, display, and analyze
computation to solve multistep data in a variety of ways
problems (e.g., calculator, mental,
or pencil and paper)
■ practice selecting appropriate
units of measure (e.g., inches or
feet, hours or minutes, centimeters
or meters) and converting between
units
■ model and connect physical,
verbal, and symbolic represen-
tations of money
13–15 Standards ■ Perform one-operation computation ■ Calculate the average of a list of ■ Recognize equivalent fractions and
with whole numbers and decimals positive whole numbers fractions in lowest terms
■ Solve problems in one or two steps ■ Perform a single computation
using whole numbers using information from a table or
■ Perform common conversions chart
(e.g., inches to feet or hours to
minutes)
ideas for ■ investigate and build ■ solve real-world problems that ■ recognize and apply place
progress understanding of the concept of involve measures of central value, rounding, and elementary
percentage as a comparison of a tendency (e.g., mean, median, number theory concepts
part to a whole mode)
■ use multiple operations to solve ■ interpret data from a variety of
multistep arithmetic problems displays (e.g., box-and-whisker
plot) and use it along with
additional information to solve
real-world problems
■ conduct simple probability
experiments and represent results
using different formats
†ACT only
10