COMPARING YOUR EPAS SCORES WITH YOUR PROJECTED ACT

Taking EXPLORE® in 8th or 9th grade tells you things you need to know—to plan your high school courses, prepare for the ACT, or choose a career direction.

All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

• The EXPLORE Student Score Report gives

information about your knowledge, skills, interests, and plans. You can use this information as you plan your high school coursework and begin thinking about college and work.

• Your report tells you how you did on the EXPLORE tests and how your scores compare to those of other students in your school.

• It contains information about your educational and career plans, interests, high school coursework plans, and the amount of help you think you need in seven areas.

WHAT YOUR SCORE REPORT TELLS YOUAll information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

Scores are between 1 and 25

Composite Score is the average of English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science

The two scores under English break down how you did in each of the English areas from 1 to 12. (added together they do NOT necessarily equal your English test score.)

WHAT DO MY SCORES MEAN?All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

The percentage of students scoring at or below your score shows you how your scores compare to those of students across the country who took EXPLORE.

The other percents show how you scored relative to other students who took EXPLORE in your school, your school district, and your state.

HOW DO MY SCORES COMPARE?All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

AM I ON TRACK?

Your EXPLORE scores can be used to predict how you are likely to do if you take PLAN as a tenth grader and keep working hard.

The Estimated PLAN Composite Score Range is a prediction about how you are likely to score on PLAN if you take the right courses and work hard in those courses.

These scores are only estimates, not guarantees.

All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

When you took EXPLORE, you were asked about the courses you plan to take in high school. This section of your Score Report compares your plans to our recommendations for "core" college prep courses.

In this example, the student should take at least one more year of math, one more year of social studies, and one more year of science.

YOUR PLANS FOR HIGH SCHOOLCompare Your Courses to “Core” College Prep CoursesAll information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

When you took EXPLORE, you were asked whether or not you needed help in seven different areas.

Areas checked on your report are the areas you said you needed help with.

YOUR PLANS FOR HIGH SCHOOLYour reported needsAll information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

ACT has developed College Readiness Benchmark Scores. If you meet these benchmark scores, you are on your way to having the skills you will need by the time you finish high school to be ready for college-level work.

The checkmarks show whether you scored above, at, or below the benchmark scores.

THINKING ABOUT COLLEGE?All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

When you took EXPLORE, you answered questions about your educational and career plans.

This information can help you learn more about careers, clarify your goals, and begin to plan your future—including your high school courses and, perhaps, a college education.

YOUR FUTUREAll information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

It's not too soon to begin exploring possible careers!Your EXPLORE Score Report helps you start by focusing on a few career areas.

Exploring careers is easier if you have a good map. Visit theWorld-of-Work Map at act.org to begin exploring careers and occupations that might be right for you.

YOUR CAREER POSSIBILITIESAll information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

The back of your Score Report describes the skills and knowledge you already probably have.

You'll also see some ideas for improving even more in the different subject areas. The suggestions are based on your scores and can help you do better.

HOW CAN I IMPROVE?All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

PLAN is the second part of a testing system that starts with EXPLORE and ends with the ACT.

Typically, students take EXPLORE in the 8th or 9th grade, PLAN as 10th graders, and the ACT as juniors or seniors.

All three test you in English, math, reading, and science. However, the material tested in each program gets more difficult.

This is why the top scores are different.

EXPLORE, PLAN, AND THE ACTAll information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

Program Grade LevelCompositeScore Range

EXPLORE 8 and 9 1 to 25

PLAN 10 1 to 32

ACT 11 and 12 1 to 36

All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

Each student will meet individually with his or her counselor to choose classes to be taken next year – this process will begin in late January when English 1 teachers are notified that freshmen should see their counselors during lunch periods

Students who do not show up will receive two more notifications to visit the counseling office; if none of these appointments are kept, counselors will CHOOSE CLASSES ON BEHALF OF THE ABSENT STUDENT

Teachers will be making recommendations electronically for regular/honors level courses as well as electives. Students should speak to their teachers to be recommended for classes in which they are interested

Both student and counselor will sign the course selection sheet, which is a contract that NO CLASSES WILL BE CHANGED next year

Students must take this process seriously and are encouraged to discuss class choices with his or her parents

Please visit the Student Programming Handbook on the Taft website to explore all that our school has to offer.

SCHEDULING YOURSOPHOMORE CLASSES

All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

SUBJECT YEARS REQUIRE

D

COURSES

English 4 English 1, 2, 3, 4

Mathematics 3 Algebra, Geometry, Advanced Algebra 2 with Trigonometry

Science 3 Biology, 2 of the following options: Biology 2, Chemistry, Physics

Social Studies 3 World Studies, US History, 1 SS elective

Foreign Language 2 2 years of the same language: Spanish, French, Polish, Arabic

Physical Education or ROTC

2 4 semesters of PE or ROTC

Fine Arts 2 1 year of music, 1 year of Art

SCHEDULING YOURSOPHOMORE CLASSES

The following chart lists all required graduation courses in Chicago Public Schools:

Your EPAS scorecard will show:

• All scores taken at a CPS school, including your 8th grade scores and those from this fall

Your EPAS scorecard will show:

• College Readiness Benchmark scores for next year’s

PLAN exam

Your EPAS scorecard will show:

• The level of college readiness indicated by the composite score you achieve by your junior or senior year ACT assessment

Your EPAS scorecard will show:

• The range of composite ACT scores typically

required for admission to various colleges and universities.

All information taken from www.act.org/explorestudent

Please refer to the bottom of your EPAS Scorecard to view the college selectivity categoriesHighly selective/most competitive colleges

30-36 ACT; Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Chicago, Northwestern, Berkeley, etc.

Selective/competitive colleges 24-29 ACT; University of Illinois, UIC, Purdue, Loyola, University

of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, University of Southern California, UCLA, etc.

Selective/moderately competitive colleges 18-23 ACT; Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, Eastern Illinois,

Illinois State, Northeastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Elmhurst, Chicago State, etc.

City colleges, 2-year colleges, community colleges ACT 16 or less; City Colleges of Chicago, Oakton, Triton

COLLEGE SELECTIVITY

What activities

will be happening in your classes

to help increase

your college & career readiness

skills?

• January: Quarter 2 High School Interim assessments will determine your strengths and weaknesses in specific skills. This will help your teachers determine what areas to focus on.

• Feb – March: Classes will review the questions from your fall Explore exam and review test strategies specific to each subject area.

• March – April: Quarter 3 High School Interim assessments will check for growth in skill areas and help you prepare for the end of the year EPAS test.

• May: The end-of-year Explore assessment will check whether your college and career readiness skills are on track.

• Jan – June: Teachers will be including EPAS style questions in your unit or chapter exams so that you are better prepared for those type of problems.

For more information, parents should visit www.act.org/path/parent.

www.whatsnextillinois.org is a great tool to explore your interests and skills.

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