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contactAct Aspire: General Information & FAQ
What is ACT Aspire?
The ACT is a commonly used college readiness exam. The ACT Aspire test is an elementary-based assessment model that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). At ISP, all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will take online tests in Reading and Math only at this time.
What is it used for?
International School of Portland does not make academic decisions for individual students based on the results of the ACT Aspire. Instead, we use the assessment to compare our results with national averages and consider instructional adjustments on a broad scale. Please remember that standardized assessment provides only one piece of a body of evidence about a student’s academic progress; learning is a dynamic process and students will grow quite a bit over the course of one school year.
How do ISP scores compare Nationally?
Overall, the percentages of ISP students that meet or exceed these standards are significantly higher than the national average.
What is the National Poll (total number) of students that ISP is comparing with?
Reading: Total students tested (representing both public and independent schools)
3rd – 176,128
4th- 173,383
5th- 172,437
Math: Total students tested (representing both public and independent schools)
3rd 176,117
4th- 173,117
5th – 172,635
What were the cumulative test scores for each grade?
MATHEMATICS
READING
Cumulative Raw Scores:
Mathematics:
ISP Grade 5 Average: 424 (88th Percentile for all students)
ISP Grade 4 Average: 419 (79th Percentile for all students)
ISP Grade 3 Average: 416 (76th Percentile for all students)
Reading:
ISP Grade 5 Average: 422 (76th Percentile for all students)
ISP Grade 4 Average: 419 (75th Percentile for all students)
ISP Grade 3 Average: 416 (73th Percentile for all students)
Do students test more than once a year?
ISP has chosen to administer the test three times a year. Students take two interim tests: October and January in order to get familiar with the testing interface and the types of questions. The Summative test happens only once a year and is in the spring.
How are scores reported?
Interim scores will be provided to teachers as an additional data point, it is teachers’ discretion how to use that information.
ACT Aspire Summative test results will be added to the student’s personal file and are mailed to parents within the first month of school. ACT Aspire scores are not reported to the state or any other agency outside of ISP.
My child performed below the standard on one or more of the tests. What should I do?
First of all, don’t worry! International School of Portland does not make academic decisions for individual students based on the results of the ACT Aspire. Moreover, our IB curriculum is structured slightly differently than that of the state, and your child may grasp certain concepts over a different period of time. Language immersion also adds to the complexity of benchmarking student performance using ACT Aspire, a test that is conducted in English. However, if you are concerned about your child’s scores, please contact your child’s teacher, Bodo Heiliger or Ariana Levi to set up an individual meeting.
My child exceeded the standard on one or more of the tests. What should I do?
Scores within the “Meet” or “Exceed” range indicate that your child is academically aligned with the standards. Please note, however, that standardized assessment provides only one piece of a body of evidence about a student’s academic progress; learning is a dynamic process and students will grow quite a bit over the course of one school year. Our IB curriculum is very robust, and your child will continue to be enriched by the inquiry-based curriculum, target language, and cultural offerings provided by his or her grade level. However, if you are concerned about your child’s scores, please contact your child’s teacher, Bodo Heiliger or Ariana Levi to set up an individual meeting.