ACT Updates and Reminders - for Achievement District Test Coordinators with Grade 11/Cohort 2024 Students
November 4, 2022 |
ACT PearsonAccessNext - Opening Monday, November 7, 2022
The ACT PearsonAccessNext (PAN) platform (testadmin.act.org) will go live for the Spring 2023 test administration on Monday, November 7th. District Test Coordinators with students in Grade 11 / Cohort 2024 will receive access to PAN on Monday, November 7 and can begin completing the following tasks. Tutorials for completing these tasks are available on the ACT website, Step 1: Orientation.
Select test dates and shipping dates - Complete by December 9, 2022
- Selection must be made for each school in your district or charter.
- Schools are encouraged to administer the ACT during the first test window and to use the second test window, as needed, to complete any makeup testing.
- Any schools that choose to administer the ACT during only the second test window will not have an additional ACT test window to use for makeup testing.
- Select paper testing in PAN only if paper testing was requested (and approved) for the school in the ADEConnect Testing Mode Selection Application in September-October.
- The materials receipt week selection in PAN is for receiving non-secure ACT materials. Secure materials will arrive the week prior to the test date.
Verify shipping address - Complete by December 9, 2022
Create user accounts for testing staff - Ongoing beginning November 7, 2022
- District Test Coordinators are encouraged to add a School Test Coordinator in PAN for each school site. ACT will send communications to both District Test Coordinators and School Test Coordinators.
- ACT tutorials are available for both selecting testing staff and managing user accounts in PAN.
Note: ADE will upload student data for ACT on January 23, 2023. Districts and schools will verify and update students in PAN after ADE's upload is completed. |
What's New for the ACT - Spring 2023
ACT has provided a What's New resource on their website, detailing changes for the Spring 2023 test administration. Please review this resource as there are several notable changes for this year. A few of the changes are listed below; however, this is not a complete list of the changes taking place. District Test Coordinators should review the complete list of changes and share with other testing staff, as needed.
- All student reporting this year will be in ACT's Online Reporting System at success.act.org. Reports will not be located in PearsonAccessNext. More information will be coming regarding this change.
- Paper versions of training packets will no longer be shipped to schools; however, digital copies of training materials are available on ACT's website. Paper copies of test administration manuals will continue to be included in test materials shipments.
- Scratch paper will no longer be provided in shipments of online test administration materials. ACT recommends using the student authorization ticket as scratch paper, as the tickets are secure materials. Additional blank scratch paper may be provided by schools, if needed.
- Apple iPad devices are allowable for Spring 2023 statewide testing. An iPad device must meet the minimum hardware and software specifications.
- Several supports were changed from "Designated Support" to "Accommodation," which requires ACT authorization. These changes include:
- Answer/custom masking, answer eliminator, and highlighter for paper testing.
- Sign language interpreter for verbal instructions for paper and online testing.
- Testing over multiple days for online testing.
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ACT Webinars
Test Administration #1 Webinar - November 9, 2022
Please register and attend the ACT webinar on November 9th, 9:00-10:00am. ACT test administration topics will be covered, including a live Q&A session with an ACT representative who works closely with Arizona. If you are unable to attend the live event, the recording will be posted on ACT's website following the webinar.
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Accommodations Webinar - Recording Available
The ACT Accommodations webinar was held on November 2, 2022. If you missed this webinar or if you would like to view it again, the recording is now available on the ACT website, under Step 3: Accommodation, under the "Training" heading. |
ACT Accommodations and English Learner Supports
ACT accommodations and English learner requests should be submitted to ACT for review through ACT's Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) system. The deadline for initial requests to be submitted to ACT is January 27, 2023. The deadline to request reconsideration of requests is February 3, 2023, and the deadline to request qualified exceptions to the deadline is March 17, 2023. Please see the ACT website, Step 3: Accommodation for additional information about requesting ACT accommodations and English Learner supports.
ACT has scheduled a series of Accommodations Office Hours sessions to answer questions regarding accommodations and EL supports for statewide testing. For dates, topics, and registration links, please visit the ACT-hosted website. Under "Helpful Links," click on "Office Hours," then click the link next to "Accommodations Office Hours." Scheduled sessions begin November 9, 2022 and run through April 12, 2023. |
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