EXPLORE 2006

1
EXPLORE 2006
Memphis City SchoolsNovember 16, 2006
2
Administrators Handbook
3
Schedule of Events

• The EXPLORE test date is November 16. All 8th
  grade students should be tested on that day.
• All used answer sheets, the School Report Header,
  and copies of any Testing Irregularity Reports
  should be returned to the Office of Assessment on
  November 17 between 800 a.m. and 300 p.m.

4
Schedule of Events

• All used and unused test booklets, unused answer
  sheets, unused copies of Instructions for
  Completing Your Answer Sheet, and Directions for
  Testing should be repacked and sealed in the
  original carton(s), and will be picked up by
  Farmville warehouse trucks on November 20.
• All materials should remained locked up until
  November 20.
• Please make sure materials are placed in the
  school office for pick up.
• Please contact the Office of Assessment at
  416-5450 if your materials are not picked up by
  the end of the day on November 20.

5
Purpose

• EXPLORE assesses academic progress, provides an
  early indicator of college readiness, helps
  students understand and begin to explore the wide
  range of career options open to them, and assists
  them in developing a high school coursework plan
  that prepares them to achieve their post-high
  school goals.

6
Purpose

• EXPLORE is the first of three curriculum-based
  testing programs that comprise EPAS (Educational
  Planning and Assessment System).
• EXPLORE (8th grade)
• PLAN (10th grade)
• ACT (11th or 12th grade)
• Each program measures knowledge and skills in the
  same four core content areas English,
  mathematics, reading, and science.

7
Purpose

• Provides baseline academic information for
  students at or near the entry point into high
  school.
• EXPLORE information can be used to help ensure
  that students select high school courses that
  will prepare them for college.

8
Components

• EXPLORE contains four testsEnglish, Mathematics,
  Reading, and Science
• EXPLORE also has a set of noncognitive
  components
• a career interest inventory
• biographical data
• a student needs assessment
• study skills information
• See page 5 of the Administrators Handbook for
  content/skills covered by each subtest.

9
Components

• Total number of EXPLORE test items 128
• Total testing time for four tests 120 minutes

10
Components

• See pages 6-8 of the Administrators Handbook for
  detailed descriptions of each subtest.
• See pages 11-12 for detailed descriptions of the
  noncognitive components of the test.

11
Calculators

• Students are expected to have calculators
  available when taking EXPLORE and are encouraged
  to use the calculator they are most comfortable
  with. Students may use most models of four
  function, scientific, or graphing calculators on
  the Mathematics Test.
• See the top of page 7 for prohibited features.
• Questions on the test may be solved with or
  without a calculator.

12
Calculators

• Students are not permitted to use calculators on
  the Science Test.

13
Calculators

• Schools are encouraged to follow the same
  guidelines for calculator usage as on other
  district assessments.
• In other words, schools should be consistent if
  they choose to allow students to use a calculator.

14
Calculators

• Please follow the guidelines below to ensure
  fair and proper use of calculators
• 1. Schools must ensure that if calculators are
  used that ALL students have access to a
  calculator.
• Do not have a situation where some students in a
  class have access to a calculator and some do
  not.
• Do not have a situation where some classes in a
  school have access to a calculator and some do
  not.
• You may adjust your test schedule for the day to
  compensate for a lack of calculators.
• 2. If students have not been using calculators
  consistently throughout the school year, it is
  not a good idea to use them on the EXPLORE.

15
EXPLORE Results

• See pages 13-23
• Training on score interpretation will be provided
  when results come back.

16
Test AdministrationPage 27
17
Test Administration

• EXPLORE test booklets are reusable and will be
  returned to the Office of Assessment.
• Test materials should be stored in a locked room
  or cabinet and access should be limited to the
  test coordinator or school administrator.
• EXPLORE test books should not be made available
  to students after testing.

18
Test Administration

• Distribute copies of Why Take EXPLORE?pretest
  information for students and parents, as soon as
  possible.

19
Test Administration (Page 28)

• Because of the time required to complete the
  noncognitive portions (i.e., demographics, Plans
  and Background, Needs Assessment, Interest
  Inventory) of EXPLORE, to increase focus, and to
  reduce fatigue, schools are strongly encouraged
  to administer EXPLORE over a two-day period.
• The noncognitive portions of should be
  administered on Day 1
• The academic tests should be administered on Day
  2
• However, care must be taken to ensure that
  students have the correct answer sheet on Day 2.

20
Test Administration (Page 28)

• If the entire EXPLORE program is administered in
  one day, the Student Information and other
  noncognitive components of the test should be
  administered first, followed by the academic
  tests (English, Mathematics, Reading, and
  Science).
• This option is strongly discouraged due to the
  total time required.

21
Test Administration (Page 28)

• In no case should the cognitive portion of
  EXPLORE be administered prior to the noncognitive
  portion.

22
Test Administration (Page 28)

• The student information sections (noncognitive)
  should be administered prior to the tests and
  will take approximately 4050 minutes.
• You may select either of the following options
  for the test administration
• Option 1 Administrator reads all directions
  aloud to the students as they follow along with
  their copies of Instructions for Completing Your
  Answer Sheet. (RECOMMENDED)
• Option 2 Students read the directions themselves
  from their copies of Instructions for Completing
  Your Answer Sheet.

23
Accommodations (Pages 29-30)

• Administration of EXPLORE with special
  accommodations is entirely at the discretion of
  school personnel.
• ACT recommends accommodated administrations of
  EXPLORE only for students with current documented
  disabilities.
• An Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan on
  file at the school within the last three school
  years is generally acceptable evidence.

24
Accommodations (Pages 29-30)

• It is not necessary to have EXPLORE testing
  accommodations approved by ACT.
• Students answer sheets must be marked
  appropriately in the Accommodations section at
  the top of page 2 of the answer document to show
  the primary accommodation given.
• Students receiving extended time, any type of
  assistance from a reader or marker, or testing
  with an audiocassette should be tested in a
  separate room.

25
Test Administration (Page 30)

• ACT recommends that the EXPLORE tests (English,
  Mathematics, Reading, and Science) be
  administered in one session (administration),
  consistent with the administration model used in
  the national norming study.
• Plan for approximately 3 hours total
  administration time.
• See chart at the bottom of the page for test
  times.

26
Test Administration (Page 31)

• Provide each student with two sheets of scratch
  paper for each session.
• Collect the scratch paper at the end of each
  session and destroy used sheets.
• Unused sheets can be redistributed at subsequent
  sessions.

27
Test Administration (Page 31)

• A room supervisor is needed in each testing room
  to read directions and monitor students. If test
  rooms have more than 25 students, additional
  personnel should be assigned to assist the room
  supervisor.
• Before the test day, all testing personnel should
  read all of the instructions very carefully,
  particularly those enclosed in the shaded boxes
  of the Directions for Testing manual.
• You should conduct a training session for all
  testing staff to discuss test security and
  administration procedures.

28
Test Administration (Page 31)

• Select testing rooms that offer adequate writing
  surfaces, uncrowded seating, good lighting,
  comfortable temperatures, a quiet atmosphere, and
  freedom from distraction.
• Students should all face the same direction
  during testing.

29
Test Administration (Page 31)

• A few days prior to the test day, distribute
  copies of Why Take EXPLORE? and instruct students
  to bring the following as you determine
  appropriate
• Student ID number (to be used for positive
• identification of their record)
• Two No. 2 pencils with erasers
• A calculator with the four basic functions
• plus square root function (schools may
• provide calculators for all students)
• A watch to pace themselves (optional)

30
Test Administration (Page 32)

• Test Administrator responsibilities listed on
  page 32.

31
Post-Test Activities for Test Administrator
(Pages 33-34)

• Flip through the answer sheets to make sure that
  each student has marked the correct test form
  code in block J at the bottom of page 1.
• Mark Special Status Codes information in the
  shaded box at the bottom of page 1 of the answer
  sheet after students have finished testing.
• A list of students by homeroom with the
  information on Special Education (SE), Limited
  English Proficient (LEP), and Free or reduced
  lunch (FL) is included in your package of test
  materials.

32
Post-Test Activities for Test Administrator
(Pages 33-34)

• If a student received a special accommodation,
  mark the appropriate circle in the accommodations
  box at the top of page 2 of the answer sheet.
  Refer to page 19 of the Directions for Testing
  for the accommodation codes.

33
Post-Test Activities for Test Administrator
(Pages 33-34)

• Voiding Answer Sheets
• If the room supervisor recommends that some or
  all of the test not be scored, you may void
  individual tests by marking the Scoring Codes
  below the Accommodations Codes at the top of page
  2 of the answer sheet.
• If you have a question about whether to void a
  students test, please contact the Office of
  Assessment at 416-5450.

34
Completing Your School Report Header (Pages 34-35)
Leave Section B blank.
35
Completing Your School Report Header (Pages 34-35)
Mark the following bubbles on the Report Header
for Sections G, H, and I.
36
Completing Your School Report Header (Pages 34-35)
Complete Section J if you want Spanish language
editions of Its Your Future! Indicate the
quantity you will need in Block J.
37
Completing Your School Report Header (Pages 34-35)
Mark 003 for CONTRACT/CYCLE CODE on the
Report Header for Section K.
0
0
3
38
Returning Answer Sheets for Scoring (Page 37)

• Place your School Report Header on top of your
  stack of answer sheets.
• If your Testing Irregularity Reports include any
  defective test materials or challenges of test
  items, include a copy of the report in your first
  envelope of answer sheets.

39
Order of materials for return of answer sheets.
X
X
4
X
X
3
2
1
40
Returning Test Materials

• All used and unused test booklets, unused answer
  sheets, unused copies of Instructions for
  Completing Your Answer Sheet, and Directions for
  Testing should be repacked and sealed in the
  original carton(s).
• These materials will be picked up by Farmville
  Warehouse trucks on November 20. Please make
  sure all materials are kept locked up until
  November 20. Materials should be in the school
  office for pick up on November 20.
• Please call the Office of Assessment immediately
  if your test materials are not picked up by the
  end of the day on November 20.

41
Directions for Testing
42
Schedule of Events

• The EXPLORE test date is November 16. All 8th
  grade students should be tested on that day.
• All used answer sheets, the School Report Header,
  copies of the In-School Distribution forms, and
  copies of any Testing Irregularity Reports should
  be returned to the Office of Assessment on
  November 17 between 800 a.m. and 300 p.m.

43
Schedule of Events

• All used and unused test booklets, unused answer
  sheets, unused copies of Instructions for
  Completing Your Answer Sheet, and Directions for
  Testing should be repacked and sealed in the
  original carton(s), and will be picked up by
  Farmville warehouse trucks on November 20.
• All materials should remained locked up until
  November 20.
• Please make sure materials are placed in the
  school office for pick up.
• Please contact the Office of Assessment at
  416-5450 if your materials are not picked up by
  the end of the day on November 20.

44
Scheduling Test Sessions (Page 2)

• ACT recommends that the EXPLORE tests (English,
  Mathematics, Reading, and Science) be
  administered in one session, consistent with the
  administration model used in the national norming
  study.
• Plan for approximately three hours total
  administration time.
• It is highly recommended that the Student
  Information sections may be completed the day
  prior to the test to shorten the test day
  administration time.

45
Scheduling Test Sessions (Page 2)
46
Preparing Testing Rooms (Page 2)

• Testing rooms should offer adequate writing
  surfaces, uncrowded seating, good lighting,
  comfortable temperatures, a quiet atmosphere, and
  freedom from distraction.
• Writing surfaces should be large enough to
  accommodate the test booklet and answer sheet
  side-by-side. Students should not be distracted
  by inadequate writing surfaces. Lap boards should
  not be used.

47
Preparing Testing Rooms (Page 2)

• All students must face in the same direction.
• There should be at least three feet between each
  student.
• See the sample seating charts on page 3
• Be sure to address the seating needs of
  left-handed students.

48
Test Security

• All staff involved with EXPLORE testing need to
  sign the Memphis City Schools EXPLORE Test
  Security Guidelines.

49
Test Security (Page 4)

• Check your testing room to make sure that maps,
  periodic tables, posters, charts, and bulletin
  board materials related to the subjects of the
  test are removed or covered.

50
Test Administration (Page 4)

• Your school is responsible for providing the
  following for each testing room
• Reliable stopwatch or interval timer
• Wall clock (desirable, but not required)
• Supply of soft-lead (no. 2) pencils with erasers
  for students who do not bring pencils
• Pencil sharpener
• Two sheets of scratch paper for each student
• Supply of calculators for use during the math
  test (students may be asked to provide their own
  calculators)

51
Calculators (Page 4)

• The EXPLORE Mathematics Test was designed to be
  completed with the aid of a calculator and was
  administered with calculators available in the
  national norming study conducted by ACT.
• Each students calculator should have the four
  basic functions (addition, subtraction,
  multiplication, and division), plus a square root
  function.
• See the bottom of page 4 for prohibited types of
  calculators and procedures for modifying certain
  types of calculators to make them acceptable for
  use during testing.

52
Calculators

• Schools are encouraged to follow the same
  guidelines for calculator usage as on other
  district assessments.
• In other words, schools should be consistent if
  they choose to allow students to use a calculator.

53
Calculators

• Please follow the guidelines below to ensure
  fair and proper use of calculators
• 1. Schools must ensure that if calculators are
  used that ALL students have access to a
  calculator.
• Do not have a situation where some students in a
  class have access to a calculator and some do
  not.
• Do not have a situation where some classes in a
  school have access to a calculator and some do
  not.
• You may adjust your test schedule for the day to
  compensate for a lack of calculators.
• 2. If students have not been using calculators
  consistently throughout the school year, it is
  not a good idea to use them on the EXPLORE.

54
Administration Guidelines (Page 5)

• Unauthorized Testing Aids
• Two sheets of scratch paper should be provided to
  each student.
• No notes, highlight pens, foreign language
  dictionary, or other dictionaries may be used.
• Students should be instructed not to make marks
  in the test booklets since the booklets are
  reusable.

55
Administration Guidelines (Page 5)

• Timing
• Use a stopwatch or interval timer to ensure the
  exact time is allowed for each test.
• The Start, Stop, and the five-minutes-remaining
  times should be written in the appropriate place
  in the manual (in pencil) and posted on the
  chalkboard in the testing room. Computations
  should be checked carefully before time is
  called.
• If a mistiming does occur, allow students to make
  up a shortage of time before being dismissed.

56
Administration Guidelines (Page 5)

• Timing
• Report any mistiming that could not be corrected
  on the Testing Irregularity Report (page 21) and
  return the report with your answer documents.
• A verbal announcement of time remaining will be
  read five minutes before the end of each test.
• When the tests are to be administered in a single
  session, allow students a short (35 minutes)
  rest period between Tests 2 and 3.

57
Administration Guidelines (Page 5)

• Leaving the Room
• Only one student may leave the testing room at a
  time.
• Collect the test booklet and answer sheet from
  the student upon leaving, and return them when
  the student returns.
• Students who leave the room during the timed
  portion of the test may not make up lost time.

58
Administration Guidelines (Page 5)

• Leaving the Room
• If a student becomes ill during the test, dismiss
  the student from the test room, collect the
  answer sheet and test booklet, and make note of
  the time remaining on the test when the student
  left.
• You may schedule make-up testing for the student
  allowing the time remaining on the unfinished
  test (if any) and the full 30 minutes for any
  test(s) not attempted.

59
Administration Guidelines (Page 6)

• Questions
• During the testing session, do not answer
  questions regarding individual test items, or
  questions about how to use a calculator.
• Specific instructions about guessing are printed
  on the back cover of the test booklet. If
  students ask you about guessing, refer them to
  these instructions. Do not comment on or add in
  any way to the printed directions.

60
Administration Guidelines (Page 6)

• Questions
• If a student challenges typographical errors or
  ambiguities in particular test items, instruct
  the student to choose an answer on the basis of
  the information available.
• Make an entry on the Testing Irregularity Report
  (page 21), including identification of the test
  form, the test and the item, and an explanation
  of the students question. ACT will respond to
  concerns about individual test items.

61
Administration Guidelines (Page 6)

• Defective Test Booklet or Answer Sheet
• Replace a defective test booklet or answer sheet
  as quickly as possible with another from your
  supply to minimize time lost.
• Describe the nature of the defect on the Testing
  Irregularity Report (page 21) and attach
  defective materials to the report.

62
Administration Guidelines (Page 6)

• Reporting Irregularities in Test Administration
• See page 6 for the circumstances under which a
  Testing Irregularity Report should be completed.
• Keep a copy of all Testing Irregularity Reports
  in your testing files to document any nonstandard
  occurrences that should be considered when
  interpreting individual student scores.

63
Administration Guidelines (Page 6)

• Reporting Irregularities in Test Administration
• Contact the Office of Assessment at 416-5450
  before determining whether any of the
  irregularities warrant voiding rather than
  scoring any tests.

64
Test Administration Procedures (Pages 7-8)

• A few days prior to the test day, distribute
  copies of Why Take EXPLORE? and instruct students
  to bring the following
• Student ID number (to be used for positive
  identification of their record)
• Two no. 2 pencils with erasers
• A calculator with the four basic functions plus
  square root function (schools may provide
  calculators for all students)
• A watch to pace themselves (optional)

65
Test Administration Procedures (Pages 7-8)

• The student information sections should be
  administered prior to the tests, and will take
  approximately 4050 minutes.
• Schools are strongly encouraged to have students
  complete the student information sections on the
  day prior to the academic tests.

66
Test Administration Procedures (Pages 7-8)

• Room supervisors may select either of the
  following options for the administration
• Option 1 Administrator reads all directions
  aloud to the students as they follow along with
  their copies of Instructions for Completing Your
  Answer Sheet (RECOMMENDED).
• Option 2 Students read the directions themselves
  from their copies of Instructions for Completing
  Your Answer Sheet.

67
Test Administration Procedures (Pages 7-8)

• The tests should be administered in the order
  presented in the test booklet (English,
  Mathematics, Reading, and Science), allowing
  exactly 30 minutes for each test.
• ACT recommends that all four tests be
  administered in one session, since this model was
  used in the national EXPLORE norming study.

68
Test Administration Procedures (Pages 7-8)

• Provide each student with two sheets of scratch
  paper for each session. Collect the scratch paper
  at the end of each session and destroy used
  sheets.
• Testing staff should not be reading anything
  other than the Directions for Testing or
  otherwise completing other tasks. Full attention
  should be directed toward the students.

69
Test Administration Procedures (Pages 7-8)

• Verbal Instructions
• All instructions in the shaded boxes should be
  read aloud to students do not depart from this
  text.
• Where a series of dots appear, pause to let
  students follow instructions.
• Text in brackets is information for the test
  supervisor and should not be read aloud.

70
Test Administration Procedures (Pages 7-8)

• Verbal Instructions
• All Test Administrators should be given copies of
  the verbal instructions and should read through
  them prior to the test administration.

71
Test Administration Procedures (Page 10)

• Verbal Instructions

Be careful with block G (Identification Number).
There are 15 spaces for the number, which should
be the students 9 digit ID number (usually the
Social Security Number). Make sure students
begin completing the information in the far-left
box.
72
Test Administration Procedures (Page 11)

• SKIP the section

73
Test Administration Procedures (Page 12)

• NOT recommended

74
Test Administration Procedures (Page 13)

• SKIP the section

75
Test Administration Procedures (Page 13)

• Verbal Instructions for Administration of
  EXPLORE Tests
• Provide two sheets of scratch paper for each
  student.
• If the school is providing calculators for all
  students, check all calculators before the test
  day to be sure they are working properly and have
  the specified functions addition, subtraction,
  multiplication, division, and square root keys.
  Calculators should be distributed to each student
  after Test 1.
• Extra calculators should be available to lend to
  students if any calculators malfunction during
  the test.

76
Test Administration Procedures (Page 14)

• Hand each student a booklet individually do not
  pass them back or across rows.

77
Test Administration Procedures (Page 16)

• Test 2
• Distribute calculators if the school is providing
  them otherwise, instruct students to get their
  calculators out.
• You may allow students a short rest period after
  this test.

78
Test Administration Procedures (Page 17)

• To end the session, collect the answer sheets,
  test booklets, and scratch paper individually.
• Count the test booklets and answer sheets to
  verify that the number of materials distributed
  matches the number collected.

79
Test Administration Procedures (Page 18)

• Follow the steps in the Checking Answer Sheets
  section.

80
Test Administration Procedures (Page 18)

• Special Status Codes
• Mark this information in the shaded box at the
  bottom of page one of the answer sheet after
  students have finished testing.
• A list of students by homeroom with the
  information on Special Education (SE), Limited
  English Proficient (LEP), and Free or reduced
  lunch (FL) is included in your package of test
  materials.

81
Test Administration Procedures (Page 19)

• Accommodations Codes
• Testing accommodations codes should be marked in
  the gray box at the top of the second page of the
  answer sheet for all students receiving a special
  accommodation.
• See page 19 for a list of all accommodations.
• Please note that scores for students using
  extended time will not be included in any
  aggregated data (e.g., School Profile Summary
  Report, District Profile Summary Report, College
  Readiness Standards Services reports).

82
Testing Irregularity Report (Page 21)

• Use this form to document any of the
  irregularities described on page 6. Keep a copy
  of all Testing Irregularity Reports for your
  records.
• Submit a copy of the report with your answer
  sheets to the Office of Assessment only if any of
  the following irregularities are reported
• 1) defective materials
• 2) student challenge of a test item, or
• 3) mistimings that could not be corrected.

83
EXPLORE Procedures Checklist (Last Page)

• Give a copy to each Test Administrator prior to
  the test administration.

84
Questions????
Contact the Office of Assessment at 416-5450.