1. Getting Ready for PreACT®
Administration Training for Faculty and Staff
North Carolina
This deck can be used and modified to train your own staff.

2. Administration Manual
Presentation Materials
PreACT At A Glance
Administration Manual
Step-by-Step Guide
Presenter Note: We suggest distributing the following materials to all attendees at the training.
PreACT At A Glance: provides an overview of the PreACT for any attendees who are unfamiliar with the test
Administration Manual: each attendee who will serve as a proctor or room supervisor needs to become familiar with the contents of the Administration Manual.
Step-by-Step Guide: a high-level summary of the steps for administration

3. Things to Remember PreACT Testing window: October 16 – November 30
Materials Ordering Window: September 18 – November 15
Answer Document Return Deadline: December 15
Orders Placed: 2 weeks prior to test date (District Coord.)
For Help:
Phone:
Customer Service Hours During Testing Window (excluding ACT holidays): Monday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. ET
We will go into more detail on ordering later in this presentation.

4. Getting Ready Making Connections Understanding PreACT
Implementing PreACT follows these three phases:

5. Faculty  Students  Parents
Understanding PreACT
Getting Ready
Making Connections
Faculty  Students  Parents
The first phase is Understanding the PreACT.
In this phase, we want to make sure everyone involved understands PreACT and why we are administering it. This includes all of the faculty, of course, but also our students and their families.
Presenter Note: ACT provides an overview PowerPoint deck that you can use as the basis for these introductory communications, or you can use the overview information included in this presentation to serve that purpose.

6. Getting Ready Making Connections Understanding PreACT
Before  During  After
This Getting Ready portion of the timeline will be the focus of our training today: exactly what goes into administering PreACT?
We will cover what needs to happen before, during, and after testing.

7. Instruct  Intervene  Plan
Understanding PreACT
Getting Ready
Making Connections
Instruct  Intervene  Plan
And on the back side of the testing, we will have lots of opportunities to connect the insights from the PreACT back to individual students and our school community.
We will be able to use PreACT reports to reflect on instruction, intervene with individual students, and to help students begin their college and career planning process.

8. Faculty  Students  Parents
Understanding PreACT
Getting Ready
Making Connections
Faculty  Students  Parents
What is the PreACT?
Why are we taking it?
What should we expect?
Presenter Note: Slides 8-14 focus on “Understanding PreACT.” If you have already introduced the PreACT to your staff or wish to skip this part of the presentation to focus on “Getting Ready,” you can do so by right clicking on Slides 8-14 in the film strip and selecting “Hide Slide.”
As we build familiarity with any new test we give students, we’ll need to answer questions for people like: [CLICK] what is the PreACT, [CLICK] what is it adding to the current assessment program, and [CLICK] what can students, their families, and school staff expect—at a high-level—over the coming weeks or months?

9. The PreACT® Practice the pressure Robust reporting Ready
Understanding the PreACT
The PreACT®
Practice the pressure
Robust reporting
Ready
The PreACT is one of the first actionable steps a student will take to be college ready. With robust PreACT reporting and a low-stakes but high-pressure testing simulation, your students will gain a wealth of experience in preparation for taking the ACT test.
Transition: So, you’ll notice some similarities between PreACT and the ACT.

10. 10th Grade Understanding the PreACT
Currently, PreACTTM is a [CLICK] paper-based, multiple-choice test for [CLICK] 10th graders. It uses previously released ACT items and is based on the ACT test blueprint. Since most students first take the ACT in 11th grade, the PreACT gives students, parents, and educators current status of a student’s performance on the 1—36 ACT scale and a predictive score to help show where the student will be after one year of academic progress.
Just like the ACT, the PreACT is available as a battery of [CLICK] English, mathematics, reading, and science, but it can be administered modularly if you choose. Some information like Composite scores are only available with the full battery. A STEM score requires both math and science, for instance.

11. Understanding the PreACT
The actual testing time required for the PreACT is about 2 hours and 10 minutes, plus [CLICK] about one hour for pre-assessment activities.

12. Benefits for Students Early Practice for the ACT Predicted ACT Scores
Understanding the PreACT
Early Practice for the ACT
Benefits for Students
Predicted ACT Scores
The PreACT provides
[CLICK] early practice for the ACT test-taking experience including predicted score ranges on the ACT. This helps level-set a student’s expectation on their ACT performance, and will provide students with ideas for improvement.
[CLICK] Predicted ACT scores, and
[CLICK] Students can opt to have their information shared with colleges and scholarship agencies when they take PreACT, providing greater opportunities for recruitment.
Transition: Students and parents will get some valuable information from this early opportunity, but there are benefits for educators, too!
Connection to Colleges & Scholarships

13. Benefits for Educators
Understanding the PreACT
Flexible Administration
Quick Report Turnaround
Benefits for Educators
Snapshot of Performance
Insights for Improvement
[CLICK] Often, assessments tell US when to test. PreACT is different. It can be administered anytime between September 1 and June 1 for maximum flexibility around our school schedule and how we want to use the results.
[CLICK] We can expect quick report turnaround. ACT will be shipping out reports 5-10 days after they receive the score sheets. This gives us quick access to individual student data and patterns of performance across the entire class to help us plan for success.
[CLICK] The PreACT provides a snapshot of how students are performing across subjects. Plus, score reports will include performance by reporting categories that will help us drill into the strengths and learning needs of students.
[CLICK] The reports will include insights that can inform improvement efforts with individual students and across students. These improvement suggestions include skills by subject and score band.
[CLICK] Finally, the reports will enable counselors to have college and career planning conversations with students including college selection, scholarship and career planning.
Transition: While we are on the subject of reports, let’s take a quick look at the reports. I think you’ll be excited about the types of information that we will be getting back.
Interest–Career Fit Counseling

14. Getting Ready Making Connections Understanding PreACT
Before  During  After
Let’s move on to the “Getting Ready” portion of our show, which is why we are here today!

15. Getting Ready Making Connections Understanding PreACT
Before  During  After
We are going to zoom in on just the Getting Ready portion of this general timeline to talk about what to expect and do before, during, and after testing for the PreACT.

16. Getting Ready Order Receive & Check Prepare Administer Return
Basically there are five steps to administering PreACT.
Three steps happen before testing. [CLICK] We order our materials, [CLICK] receive and check the materials and [CLICK] prepare for test day.
During Testing is basically just to [CLICK] administer the test. We will go over what that means.
And then, after testing, we will [CLICK] return the materials to ACT for scoring.
So, simple, simple, simple.
Transition: We’ll go through each of these steps to review what each one entails, but you will want to also refer to the same information in the [CLICK] Test Administration Manual for more detail.

17. [Insert Testing Day(s)]
Getting Ready
Test Day
Presenter Note: Edit the slide to reference the selected testing day at your school. If that hasn’t been determined, delete the textbox. Also make note if you are planning for students to complete the Student Information Section at a separate time than the subject tests.
The first two steps will be completed by our Test Coordinator/Administration [Presenter Note: edit title to fit your school].
The first step was to select a test date and order test materials. We will be administering the PreACT on [insert date specific to your school].
[Insert Testing Day(s)]

18. Getting Ready  
The second step was to receive and check all the materials. [Staff Member responsible] has done this and is responsible for the security of the testing materials prior to test day.
Each testing staff member is an important part of test security.
Describe how the materials will be distributed to the test rooms, and how room supervisors are to count them.
Emphasize that room supervisors are to count test booklets when they receive them from the test coordinator and again after examinees are dismissed.
Emphasize that staff members should never leave a test room unattended.
[Insert name of Staff Member responsible for receiving and checking materials]

19. Communicating with Parents and Students about Testing
Getting Ready
Communicating with Parents and Students about Testing
[State your purpose for testing]
We are testing on [insert date] at [insert time]
We will administer the test [insert language to detail the location(s) of testing]
Students should bring [insert what students should bring]
The next two steps are what we will focus on today.
The Prepare step consists of three tasks. The first task is related to Understanding PreACT, and that is to communicate with parents and students about the testing:
Purpose
Day/time of testing. We are testing on [insert date] at [insert time].
And logistics such as the location of testing rooms and what students should bring. We will administer the test [insert language to detail the location(s) of testing]
Presenter note: Remember that each staff member is a valued part of the communication plan and should be able to answer any questions from students or their families about the school’s administration of the PreACT.

20. Getting Ready
Presenter note: The notes on this slide assume you are planning to have students complete the Student Information Section at a different time than the subject testing. You may make adjustments if students will complete the section at the same time as the subject test sections.
Another way to prepare for the administration of the PreACT is to have students complete the student information sections of their answer sheet prior to administration of the subject tests.
[CLICK] Make sure that all students fill in the ovals on answer folders, not just the boxes. Then collect the answer folders from the students to be redistributed on test day.

21. Supplemental local items (Block V)
Getting Ready
Value to students
Where and when
Verbal instructions
Sort codes (Block M)
Supplemental local items (Block V)
Accommodations and special status codes
Presenter note: The notes on this slide assume you are planning to have students complete the Student Information Section at a different time than the subject testing. You may make adjustments if students will complete the section at the same time as the subject test sections.
There are many valuable reasons
[CLICK] Value: I want to make sure you know the value of this information to students so you can help students take this task seriously. In addition to associating their answers with their name, the student information section also allows ACT to provide personalized feedback to the students about their early educational and career planning. We will be able to use this information to assist and counsel students over the next few years.
[CLICK] Where and When: We will be taking an hour on [Date] for students to complete these sections on their answer folder in [LOCATION, e.g., advisory class, homeroom, English class]
[Note: It is preferable that this section be completed before the test day.]
[CLICK] Verbal Instructions: There are two sets of verbal instructions in your manual, beginning on p. 23. We will be using [Option 1 (reading aloud all applicable instructions) or Option 2 (reading aloud only selected instructions)].
[CLICK] Sort Codes [if to be used, otherwise delete]: We will be using sort codes so that student reports can be sorted by group. Students will need to enter their corresponding three-digit sort code into Block M on their answer folder for their results to be properly grouped. [You will need to insert these instructions into the verbal instructions included in your manual.] [See p. 12 of the administration manual for more information about Optional Sort Codes. Instructions for the room supervisors must be drafted and distributed.]
[CLICK] Local Items [if to be used, otherwise delete]: We will be using supplemental local items to gather additional information specific to our school. You will need to distribute copies of these questions, and students will enter their responses into Block V on their answer folder. [See p. 12 of the administration manual for more information about Supplemental Local Items].
[CLICK] Accommodations: [See p for more information about testing students with accommodations, and p for information about completing relevant section of answer folder]. Some of our students will be testing with locally-approved accommodations. Any accommodations or special status for the student must be designated on the answer folder. The testing coordinator will confirm this information after testing.
p. 23

22. Plan seating arrangements
Getting Ready
Secure locations
Plan seating arrangements
3 feet
[CLICK] The third task is to prepare seating arrangements
The Administration Manual includes detailed information about how to arrange student seating for testing. Be sure to review this section of the Administration Manual for more details like [CLICK] seating students at least 3 feet apart and how to address the needs of left-handed students.
Presenter note: Include specific information about your school’s seating arrangements. If the test coordinator is planning all arrangements, this is sufficient. If each teacher will need to arrange their room, provide detailed information about how they will be expected to do so. Seating requirements can be reviewed in the Administration Manual on pages 8-9.
p. 8-9

23. Setting the Stage Timing Monitoring Documenting Checking Getting Ready
We are going to go into a little more detail on the tasks needed to actually administer the assessment on test day. Test Administrators, room supervisors, and proctors all need to be familiar with the procedures outlined in the Administration Manual. In particular, they all need to understand their roles in:
[CLICK] Setting the stage: seating students, distributing materials, and checking calculators.
[CLICK] Timing the test
[CLICK] Monitoring students during testing
[CLICK] Documenting anything unusual that happens
And finally, [CLICK] checking the materials before shipping them back to ACT for scoring.
Transition: we will go through each of these components in turn.

24. ! ! p. 9-10 1. Setting the Stage p. 21 Direct students to their seats.
Getting Ready
Test materials must not be distributed prior to admitting examinees. !
1. Setting the Stage
Direct students to their seats.
Check calculators.
Distribute answer documents.
Have students complete student information sections.
Hand out test booklets.
Read verbal instructions verbatim.
p. 9-10
Be sure to hand out the test booklets individually. !
Setting the stage has to do with all of the pre-testing details. You can find important details about the testing day, beginning on p. 21 of the Administration Manual.
[Presenter Note: discuss when and where staff members are to report on the test day, and describe how the materials will be distributed to the test rooms. Include instructions describing that room supervisors should count test materials when they receive them.]
[CLICK] It is important that students not be allowed to chose their own seats. Make sure that you are directing students to their seats. Testing must begin on schedule; room supervisors and proctors are not to wait for examinees who arrive late. No one may be admitted to the testing room once the timed tests have begun. [Presenter Note: describe how your school will handle late arrivals.]
[CLICK] Check any calculators that students will be using. The Testing Administration Manual has more specific information about the types of calculators that are permitted, beginning on p. 9.
[CLICK] When students are seated, you can distribute answer documents. You can count out these documents and distribute to the head of each row to be passed back.
[CLICK] Then, have students complete the student information section. This can be done prior to the main test day or just prior to beginning the subject tests. If completed just prior to the subject tests, you can give students a break after completing the student information section. [Presenter Note: adjust information in this step to reflect the manner in which your school will have students complete this section]
[CLICK] When everyone finishes the student information section and their break, you can hand out the test booklets. [CLICK] Be sure to hand out the test booklets individually. These you should not have students pass them back or across rows. Have students clearly print their name on their test booklet.
[CLICK] Then, read the verbal instructions in the Manual before each test section. The Administration Manual includes the exact language to use for the instructions for each section, beginning on p. 23.
p. 21

25. Getting Ready
2. Timing the Test
Time each test exactly according to the prescribed timing for each test section.
Record start/stop & 5-minutes remaining times in the manual.
Provide a rest break between tests 2 and 3.
Use a stopwatch or interval timer to ensure exact time is allowed. !
Include any mistiming on the Testing Irregularity Report. !
The room supervisor has the responsibility for carefully timing each section of the test.
[CLICK] Each section of the test has a different length, so be sure to give students the exact time allowed for each section.
[CLICK] There is space in the Administration Manual to record the start and stop time for each section, as well as a “5-minutes remaining” time, beginning on p. 36.
[CLICK] Use a stopwatch or interval timer to ensure the exact time prescribed for each section. Scores cannot be adjusted to compensate for mistiming.
[CLICK] You should give students a rest break between tests 2 and 3.
And [CLICK] if you find that you have mistimed a section, allow examinees to make up a shortage of time before being dismissed. If a shortage on a previous test is discovered after students have begun work on the next test, do not interrupt their work. Wait until that test has ben completed; then, allow the additional time on the previous test. You will need to report any mistiming on the Testing Irregularity Report and return the report with your answer folders. The Administration Manual has more information on mistiming if needed.
p. 36

26. p. 20 3. Monitoring the Room Unauthorized testing aids
Getting Ready
3. Monitoring the Room
Unauthorized testing aids
Electronic devices
Working on wrong section
Other prohibited behavior
p. 20
The primary administrative task of room supervisors and proctors is to monitor the testing rooms during testing. All proctors and room supervisors must be familiar with these procedures in the Administration Manual, beginning on 17.
These include monitoring for [CLICK] unauthorized testing aids, [CLICK] using electronic devices besides an approved calculator, [CLICK] working on the wrong section of the test, or [CLICK] exhibiting other prohibited behavior during the test. Again, the Administration Manual has a more comprehensive list of behaviors to watch for.
To review some of the prohibited behaviors we’re going to play a short game. [CLICK] Turn to p. 20 in your Administration Manual for a list of Prohibited Behaviors to specifically look for.
Let’s start with a practice one.
p. 17

27. p. 20 Getting Ready Answer: Too funny for words
So you get the idea. Now, look in your Administration Manual on p. 20, and see if you can find the answer to the following prohibited behaviors.
p. 20

28. Getting Ready
Answer: Sharing a calcuator
p. 20

29. Getting Ready
Answer: Looking Back
p. 20

30. Getting Ready
Answer: highlighters
p. 20

31. Getting Ready
Answer: Disturbing other examinees
p. 20

32. Getting Ready
Answer: Giving (or receiving) assistance
p. 20

33. Getting Ready
Answer: Bubbling ovals after time is called.
p. 20

34. ! ! ! 3. Monitoring the Room Unauthorized testing aids
Getting Ready
Give monitoring the room your full attention. !
3. Monitoring the Room
Unauthorized testing aids
Electronic devices
Working on wrong section
Other prohibited behavior
Don’t leave the room unattended. !
Room supervisors and proctors serve an important role in the validity of the PreACT, so it is important that
you [CLICK] give monitoring the room their full attention. Room supervisors and proctors must not read any materials other than the Administration Manual, correct papers, or do anything not related to administering the test while monitoring the room. You may not eat or drink in the test room.
[CLICK] you do not leave the room unattended at any time, and
[CLICK] that you don’t answer questions about individual test items or how to use a calculator. There are directions about guessing on the back of the test booklet that you can direct students to if they are unsure what to do.
[presenter note: Discuss what actions staff should take if they observe prohibited behavior, including where students who are being removed from the testing room should be sent, how to maintain vigilance in the room during that transition, and how to document the occurrence.]
Remember, conversations among staff must be quiet and kept to a minimum. Even whispered conversations can be distracting to students while testing.
Don’t answer questions about individual test items. !

35. ! 4. Documenting Voiding Tests/Answer Folders Reporting Irregularities
Getting Ready
4. Documenting
Voiding Tests/Answer Folders
Reporting Irregularities
Do not return a completely voided answer folder. !
Documenting irregularities is another component of test administration that room supervisors need to understand.
[CLICK] Individual tests may be voided by gridding the appropriate oval under Void Scoring Codes (VCS) a the top of the back page of the answer folder. Should this situation come up, you can find more information in the Administration Manual. If you find that an entire answer folder should not be scored, you will mark the document as VOID and keep it. [CLICK] Do not return completely voided answer folders to ACT.
[CLICK] The second part of documentation for the PreACT is the Testing Irregularity Report, which is intended for use as a record of any test administration irregularities that may affect examinee scores or the interpretation of results. Testing personnel should use the form to report any of the irregularities occurring within the room. The Administration Manual includes a full list of instances that should be documented, but these include when:
[CLICK] An examinee becomes ill or leaves the room during testing.
[CLICK] An examinee fails to follow instructions (marks responses randomly, obviously does not read questions prior to responding, or refuses to mark responses).
[CLICK] An examinee exhibits behavior that disrupts other examinees, or some other disturbance or distraction occurs which could affect one or more examinees’ scores.
[CLICK] A test is mistimed.
[CLICK] An examinee has a defective test booklet or answer sheet.
p. 18

36. ! 5. Checking Answer Folders Turn all folders the same way.
Getting Ready
5. Checking Answer Folders
Turn all folders the same way.
Confirm there is one answer folder for each examinee.
Check folders for proper marks.
Use Testing Irregularity Report to document any irregularities. !
Separate used and unused materials, and return to the test coordinator
To ensure that each examinee’s test results are reported as accurately and quickly as possible, each room supervisor should assemble and check the answer folders carefully.
[CLICK] Turn all answer folders the same way with the same side up; they need not be alphabetized.
[CLICK] Make sure there is one answer folder for each examinee who took the test.
[CLICK] Check the answer folders for the following and correct as necessary:
Are answers marked with a soft-lead pencil? If an examinee used a pen or marker, you’ll need to use a soft-lead (no. 2) pencil to mark over his or her answer choices.
Have all stray marks or doodles been erased?
Are all marks neat and dark, filling the answer spaces completely?
Is each examinee’s name printed and gridded properly in block B?
Is all examinee information requested on page 1—Student ID number, date of birth, gender, grade, etc.—complete and accurate?
Did the examinees mark the correct test form?
[CLICK] Use the Testing Irregularity Report to describe any irregularities which could affect examinees’ scores. Forward the report to our test coordinator with the completed answer folders.
[CLICK] Keep other used and unused test materials separate and return all materials to the test coordinator.
Transition: When the test coordinator receives the materials from each room supervisor, they can begin assembling the materials for shipment back to ACT for scoring.
p. 40

37. Getting Ready Polymailer Bag(s)
And that is the final step in the administration process: to return the answer documents to be scored.
The test coordinator will assemble and submit all necessary documents to ACT.

38. ! Getting Ready Reports will be shipped to schools in 2–4 weeks.
Test Day
ACT will score the answer folders and ship reports back to us within 5-10 days. Which means we can have reports in hand between 2 and 4 weeks after testing!

39. Getting Ready
So those five steps are all you need to attend to in order to administer the PreACT, and your help particularly with the Prepare and Administer steps will be critical to validity of our results.

40. With those five steps under our belt, we will be well-equipped to administer the PreACT so that our school and our students reap the benefits that PreACT offers.
After we administer the PreACT, you can watch for an ACT webinar on Making Connections using the reports.

41. For Help
Phone:
Customer Service Hours: (excluding ACT holidays):  10/16-11/30: Monday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET

42. 
Questions?