Contact Information
| Assessment Supervisor Jessica Steinbrenner (307) 777-8568 jessica.steinbrenner@wyo.gov |
Evidence for Paper and Online Mode Comparability
About the Program
The ACT Suite is composed of ACT’s College and Career Readiness System. The College and Career Readiness System (ACT Aspire, and ACT Plus Writing) measures a student’s skills in English, math, reading, writing and science. The final administration in Wyoming for ACT Explore and ACT Plan was spring 2015. During the 2015 legislative session, the Wyoming State Legislature enacted Enrolled Act 87. This Act allows the use of constructed response items which enables Wyoming to contract with ACT Aspire, LLC (a partnership between ACT and Pearson) to implement Aspire, an online assessment, for the 2015-2016 school year. The ACT Plus Writing will continue to be administered as a paper and pencil assessment.
ACT has also made the decision to phase out the Compass program. ACT Compass 5.0 will be available for testing through January 15, 2016. Data will be available through January 31, 2016. ACT eCompass will be available through November 30, 2016; data will be available through December 31, 2016.
Except for students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in alternate assessments per their IEPs, all high school students are expected to participate in the ACT Suite. ACT WorkKeys will continue to be provided as an option for interested juniors (and seniors), but it cannot be substituted for ACT participation.
ACT Suite Portals
The ACT Aspire portal provides resources and links to help district and school staff, and students learn about, prepare for, and deliver the ACT Aspire assessment. The portal can be accessed here.
The ACT Suite portal provides administrators and teachers with access to calendars, forms, instructions and other documents that are needed to coordinate the ACT Suite of assessments. The portal can be accessed here.
ACT Aspire
- Test Coordinator Manual
- Room Supervisor Manual (PBT)
- Room Supervisor Manual (CBT)
- Training Sessions Presentation (.pptx)
- Technical Training Recording (WebEx Presentation)
- Portal Functionality Training Recording (WebEx Presentation)
ACT Plus Writing
- Welcome to ACT State and District Testing
- Manual for State and District Testing
- Manual for State and District Testing (Special Testing)
- Schedule of Events
- Accommodations on the ACT
- Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) User Guide
- Re-testing With Accommodations
- Accommodations Q & A link
ACT WorkKeys
Creation of the Wyoming ACT Scale
With the September 2014 release of ACT results for school accountability, WDE developed a Wyoming ACT scale for reporting. While the traditional ACT scale has been successfully used for years for college entrance, its 36 point scale has proven unsuitable for use in determining student performance levels and school accountability as required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. With assistance from experts on its Technical Advisory Committee as well as the Legislature’s consultants on assessment and accountability issues from the National Center on Improvement of Educational Assessment, the WDE developed the Wyoming ACT scale to establish student performance levels for use in school accountability calculations. A paper that fully describes the rationale for the new scale and its suitability for use in school accountability measures can be found here.
Further Reading
In the early fall of 2014, WDE worked with research scientists at the ACT to develop written descriptors of each of the performance levels that reflect the recommendations made by the standard-setting panelists in August of 2014. As you can see from the descriptors below, the proficient cuts in the content areas were developed in a way that results in approximately a 50% probability (range: 44-53%) of students earning a B or higher in entry-level credit bearing courses in college and about a 60% chance (range: 57-65%) of enrolling in college the fall after high school graduation. Given the emphasis of our state’s adopted standards on college and career readiness – and given that ACT’s research indicates that the skills necessary for most careers are very similar to those required for success in higher education, these PLDs and associated cuts are appropriate for adoption in Wyoming. More information can be found in the link below.
Grade 11
Mathematics
Basic: Students meeting the Basic standard in math have a 22% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in math, and a 51% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Thirty-six percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Basic standard in math enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
Proficient: Students meeting the Proficient standard in math have a 44% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in math, and a 69% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Fifty-seven percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Proficient standard in math enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
Advanced: Students meeting the Advanced standard in math have a 73% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in math, and a 85% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Seventy-two percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Advanced standard in math enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
Reading
Basic: Students meeting the Basic standard in reading have a 33% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in social science, and a 63% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Forty percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Basic standard in reading enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
Proficient: Students meeting the Proficient standard in reading have a 53% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in social science, and a 76% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Sixty-two percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Proficient standard in reading enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
Advanced: Students meeting the Advanced standard in reading have a 69% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in social science, and a 85% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Seventy-four percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Advanced standard in reading enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
Science
Basic: Students meeting the Basic standard in science have a 26% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in science, and a 59% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Forty-seven percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Basic standard in science enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
Proficient: Students meeting the Proficient standard in science have a 49% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in science, and a 77% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Sixty-five percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Proficient standard in science enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
Advanced: Students meeting the Advanced standard in science have a 77% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year credit-bearing college course in science, and a 91% probability of earning a C or higher in the course. Seventy-two percent of the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class in Wyoming who met the Advanced standard in science enrolled in college the fall after high school graduation.
In the Spring of 2014, the WDE requested an opinion from the Wyoming Attorney General’s office regarding parent opt outs from state-mandated testing (e.g. PAWS, ASPIRE, ACT, Wy-ALT). The following is part of the AG’s response:
“In summary, the State Board of Education is authorized to establish the statewide accountability system pursuant to state law, including the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act. It has promulgated rules that require districts to administer the relevant assessments to all students in the appropriate grade levels. These requirements are within the authority granted to the Board by the legislature. Consequently, districts may not allow students or their parents to opt them out of the assessments provided by law.”
The full opinion can be found here:
Test Administration Archive
The ACT Suite
As we move forward with preparations for our spring 2016 assessment windows, we would like to share an overview of the status of the ACT Suite (ACT Plus Writing, ACT Aspire, ACT WorkKeys, and COMPASS).
ACT Plus Writing
At this time, schools are established and should be entering their assessment counts in the portal. ACT has enhanced the writing portion of the assessment. here is a link to the changes that have been implemented.
ACT Aspire
Schools now have access to the Aspire portal. There is an Infrastructure Trial webinar available which teaches districts how to test the local infrastructure, work with simulated student data, set-up practice test sessions, and print authorization tickets. Schools should now be reviewing student data, focusing on the Personal Needs Profile (PNP), and identifying any student accommodations. Additionally, schools can begin configuring local technology. It is also possible to begin setting up testing sessions in the portal. Please visit the Test Management System for tutorials and other information about the administration steps.
Aspire Testing Times
ACT has made available a timeline (with relevant resources) of the administration steps for the ACT Aspire assessment.
- Spring 2016 Readiness Resources
- Tech Readiness Training – PowerPoint
- Computer-Based Testing Step-By-Step
- Paper/Pencil Testing Step-By-Step
- Room Supervisor Checklist
- ACT Aspire End-to-End Test Administration Flow Chart
- Aspire Infrastructure Trial Guide
- Aspire Avocet
Aspire Training Videos
- Aspire Training Management System Requires log-in
- Aspire Test Administration Training Video
- Test Nav 8 Overview Requires log-in
- Monitoring Test Sessions Requires log-in
- Monitoring Dashboard & Registered/Returned Status Report Requires log-in
ACT COMPASS
The spring and fall 2016 COMPASS administrations will be the final administrations.
In the meantime, please watch the newsletter for further information and updates. For more information about these assessments please visit this page.