Prairie State Achievment Exam - Oak Park and River Forest High ...

OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST HIGH SCHOOL201 NORTH SCOVILLE AVENUE OAK PARK, IL 60302-2296March 2012Dear Junior and Parent/Guardian:The Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE), a state-mandated test that measures a student’s progresstoward mastering the Illinois State Learning Standards, will be given on Tuesday, April 24 andWednesday, April 25, 2012. All Illinois public high school students are required to take the PSAE as aprerequisite for graduation. Students must take the PSAE in order to receive a diploma and in orderto be promoted to grade 12 status 1 . There is no fee to take the exam.On April 24, PSAE Day 1, students will take the ACT. On April 25, PSAE Day 2, students will takeWorkKeys math and reading tests produced by ACT and a science test produced by the Illinois StateBoard of Education (ISBE). To receive a PSAE score, a student must complete both days of testing. If ajunior is absent on April 24 and/or April 25, required makeup testing is scheduled for May 8 and/or May9, 2012. Students should bring two No. 2 pencils that are not mechanical pencils and an approvedcalculator 2 to the tests.Important information about this year’s PSAE testing follows:Registration will take place during the school day on Monday, April 9 according to a specialschedule that will be widely published at school the week of April 2. Students who are absent onApril 9 will have a make-up opportunity to complete the registration prior to testing.The April 24 ACT does not include the writing portion. Parents and students are advised that asa result of the state’s decision not to include the ACT Writing test in 2012, the University ofIllinois system will not require applicants to submit a writing score. However, students who needto submit an ACT Writing test score for admission to private or out-of-state colleges/universitiesshould plan to take another ACT on a national administration date. ACT test dates and onlineregistration are available at www.act.org.The April 24 ACT can be used for NCAA Division I and Division II eligibility.Any questions regarding accommodations for students who receive special education services orhave 504 Plans should be directed to Colleen Biggins, Test Accommodations Coordinator, at708.434.3584.ACT will mail ACT scores from the PSAE directly to the homes of juniors 4-6 weeks after theApril test. PSAE scores are usually available in the fall, and OPRFHS will mail them to thestudent’s home address.1 The Illinois State Board of Education amended its rules for the PSAE in January, 2011: “A district shall notpromote a student to grade 12 status until that student has taken either the PSAE or the IAA, as appropriate” (See 23Ill. Adm. Code 1.30).2Calculators are not required to complete the math portions of the tests, but they may be helpful. Basic fourfunction,scientific, and graphing calculators are allowed. TI-89, TI-92 and TI-NSpire CAS calculators areprohibited (TI-NSpire non-CAS is permitted). Certain types of calculators are prohibited: those that have wirelesscommunication capacity, e.g., built into cell phones; those with “qwerty” keyboards; pocket organizers; handheld orlaptop computers; electronic writing pads; or pen-input devices. Other types of calculators are restricted: thosemodels with paper tape that make noise, that can communicate wirelessly with other calculators, or that have apower cord. Students cannot share calculators during the test, and teachers are not required to provide calculators.AREA (708) 383-0700 TTY/TDD (708) 434-3949 http://www.oprfhs.org FAX (708) 434-3928

Parents: Please share this information with your juniorJUNIORS! DO YOUR BEST ON BOTH DAYS of TESTING.DAY 1—the ACT, the test required for application to most colleges. Even without the writing score, astrong composite earned on Day 1 will impress colleges!!DAY 2—WORKKEYS AND SCIENCE—along with Day 1—become your combined PSAE SCOREs.Your PSAE scores, combining Day 1 and Day 2, are REPORTED TO COLLEGES on your officialtranscript. The scores range from 120-200.If you do well, you can earn “PRAIRIE STATE SCHOLAR” status, an honor to list on college/jobapplications.The State of Illinois uses your and your classmates’ PSAE scores to MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESSOF OUR HIGH SCHOOL.OUR SCORES ARE USED by a number of agencies TO RANK US compared to other public Illinois highschools.We want you to DO YOUR BEST BOTH DAYS, and…YOU need to DO YOUR BEST BOTH DAYSfor yourself and your goals!ACT provides free online test preparation which includes practice tests with real ACT testquestions, comprehensive content reviews for each of the ACT’s four required tests, a diagnostic test, anda personalized study path. All interested OPRFHS students can pick up login information and instructionsin Room 372A.If you have any questions regarding the administration of the examinations, please contact me at 434-3373 or administrative assistant Ms. Lisa Evans at 434-3573.Sincerely,Amy V. HillDirector of Assessment & ResearchAVH/laecc:Steven Isoye, SuperintendentPhilip Prale, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and InstructionNathaniel Rouse, PrincipalJeremiah Wiencek, Assistant Principal for Student ServicesTina Halliman, Director of Special EducationColleen Biggins, Test Accommodations CoordinatorKay Foran, Communications/Community RelationsCounselors

What scores do students getfrom the PSAE?Students receive PSAE scores for each of thetested subjects: reading, mathematics,and science. In addition, if they test understandard conditions or with ACT-Approvedaccommodations, they receive the bonus ofACT scores that they can report to colleges oruniversities and WorkKeys scores in readingand mathematics that they can apply to ACT’sNational Career Readiness Certificate. Formore information about this certificate, seewww.act.org/certificate.What is a Prairie StateAchievement Award?A Prairie State Achievement Award isrecognition of excellent performance on thePSAE. A student can earn an award in eachof the subjects that are tested. (There is nocomposite score or overall award for the PSAE.)Students receive a certificate in the fall thatindicates each subject in which they earnedan award.Must PSAE scores appear ontranscripts as part of the studentpermanent record?Yes. Student transcripts must include scores foreach of the PSAE subjects and indicate thesubject(s) in which a student earned a PrairieState Achievement Award. Scores for theindividual tests that constitute the PSAE,including the WorkKeys scores, may beincluded on the student temporary recordbut not the permanent record.Must ACT scores be placed onstudent transcripts?No. Schools should not automatically placeACT scores generated by taking the PSAE ontranscripts. These scores should be includedon transcripts only with a student’s writtenpermission (or a parent’s or guardian’s writtenpermission if the student is younger than18 years old).Do colleges and the Illinois StudentAssistance Commission (ISAC)accept ACT scores from the PSAE?Yes. Colleges and universities throughout theUnited States and ISAC have indicated theirwillingness to use college-reportable ACT scoresfrom state testing.Does the National CollegiateAthletic Association (NCAA) acceptACT scores from the PSAE?In 2006, the National Collegiate AthleticAssociation (NCAA) implemented rules changesthat allow the use of state college-reportableACT scores in determining initial eligibility forparticipation in Division I and Division II sports.These changes were effective January 9, 2006,for Division II and August 1, 2006, for Division I.As a result, students entering college on or afterAugust 1, 2006, can use state college-reportableACT scores for both Division I and Division IIinitial eligibility. Questions may be directed to theNCAA Eligibility Center at 877/262-1492.Where can I find more informationabout the PSAE?Call your local high school for more information,or contact the State Board of Education usingthe information given below. A test-preparationbooklet for students that includes questions andanswers about the PSAE as well as sample testquestions is posted on the PSAE website, notedbelow.Student Assessment DivisionIllinois State Board of Education100 North First Street, E-216Springfield, IL 62777-0001Phone: 217/782-4823 Fax: 217/782-6097E-mail: psae@isbe.netwww.isbe.net/assessment/psae.htmPrinted by the authority of the State of Illinois January 2012 175MPrairie StateAchievement Examination2011–2012Prairie StateAchievement ExaminationQuestions & Answers forParents of Illinois StudentsIllinois State Board of Education17521 01002012Y Rev 1

What is the Prairie StateAchievement Examination, or PSAE?The PSAE is the state achievement test forgrade 11 public high school students. Currentstate legislation requires that students take thePSAE to receive a regular high school diploma,unless they are exempt. Please visit www.isbe.net/assessment/psae.htm for more informationconcerning the PSAE diploma requirement. Inspring 2012, the PSAE will test three academicsubjects: reading, mathematics, and science.What is the purpose of the PSAE?The PSAE assesses the progress of both highschools and individual students in meeting theIllinois Learning Standards.What are the Illinois LearningStandards?The Illinois Learning Standards are descriptions ofthe specific knowledge and skills that studentsshould learn in Illinois public schools.To develop the Illinois Learning Standards,thousands of Illinois citizens—teachers, parents,school administrators, employers, communityleaders, and representatives of higher education—contributed ideas about what students need toknow and be able to do at five benchmark levelsfrom the early elementary years through late highschool.Thus, the Illinois Learning Standards have a realconnection to entry-level jobs and post-high schooleducation.Where can I find more informationabout the Illinois Learning Standards?Contact your local high school or visit your locallibrary to review a copy of the Illinois LearningStandards. Copies of the Illinois LearningStandards are also available for download andprinting at www.isbe.net/ils.When do students take the PSAE?Students take the PSAE on a Tuesday andWednesday in April. The test dates this spring areApril 24–25, 2012. Makeup tests for students whoare not in school on one or both April test datesare two weeks later on May 8–9, 2012.How is the PSAE administered?Students are tested over two days. On Day 1they take the ACT ® , which includes multiplechoiceEnglish, mathematics, reading, andscience tests.On Day 2, they take a science test developed bythe State Board of Education with assistancefrom Illinois educators and two ACT-developedWorkKeys ® tests, Applied Mathematics andReading for Information.Should students with disabilitiestake the PSAE?Students with disabilities must take the PSAEunless they have an Individualized EducationProgram (IEP) that identifies regular state testingas being inappropriate for them, even withaccommodations.Decisions about participation and any need foraccommodations that students with disabilitiesmay have are made on an individual basis byeach student’s IEP team.Testing for students with accommodations mayoccur between April 24 and May 8, 2012, forDay 1, and April 25 and May 9, 2012, for Day 2.Should students with limited Englishproficiency take the PSAE?Students with limited English proficiency musttake the PSAE. As necessary, they may receiveaccommodations during testing to assist them inunderstanding the tests. However, ACT scoresfrom these accommodated administrations cannotbe reported to colleges or universities.Why does the PSAE includedifferent kinds of tests?The State Board of Education wants the PSAE tohave value for individual students, so tests thatwill be useful to them are included.The WorkKeys tests measure skills inmathematics and reading that employersbelieve are critical to job success. The collegereportableACT scores may be used for collegeadmissions.Why include tests that measureworkplace skills on the PSAE?Many employers use WorkKeys test scores todetermine whether an applicant is suited for aparticular job. High school students may usetheir WorkKeys scores to identify the readingand mathematics skills they have and those theyneed to acquire to qualify for different jobs.Why should students who arenot planning to go to college takethe ACT?The Illinois Learning Standards are for allIllinois students, not just those who plan to go tocollege. Taking the ACT, which is aligned withthe Illinois Learning Standards, gives students ameasure of their academic strengths andweaknesses.Furthermore, students who do not want to attendcollege immediately after high school graduationmay decide to go back to school after they haveworked for a time. The need for learning in theworkplace is continuing; most high schoolgraduates will eventually have to continue theireducation to achieve career or life goals.