Importance of ACT Testing in Huntsville City Schools Class of 2016

1. ACT Test Incentives Huntsville City Schools Class of 2016 April 2015 Assessment Secondary Programs September 23, 2015

2. Why is the ACT Test Important? • The ACT Assessments (ACT Aspire, ACT Plus Writing, ACT Quality Core) allow us to measure college and career readiness from Grade 3 – 12 for our students • Content area benchmark scores on ACT assessments indicate that there is a • 50% likelihood that students will earn a B or higher in their first college course in a content area • 75% likelihood that students will earn college credit in their first college course in a content area • The ACT Test provides students with opportunities for • Advanced coursework • College entry • Scholarships • ACT assessments are highly aligned with Alabama College and Career Readiness Standards and our quarterly benchmark assessments in Math and English Language Arts

3. HCS Grade 11 Students Outperformed Grade 11 Students from Across the State of Alabama on the ACT Test in every Content Area Percent of Students Attaining a Benchmark Score by ACT Content Area Content Area

4. For Cohort 2016, 83% of Students’ ACT Scores Met or Exceeded Their Predicted ACT Score (Based on PLAN Results) Percent of Students Exceeding, Meeting, and Falling Short of Predicted ACT Score High School *predicted score based on score range from PLAN test

5. Students Receive $50 for Every Benchmark Score Attained and $100 for Attaining the Composite Benchmark Score of 22 on the ACT Test; 843 Students in the Class of 2016 (59%) Qualified for an ACT Incentive, Totaling $169,350 Total Incentive Amount Benchmarks

6. ACT Preparation • Preparation included • ACT prep classes were held at each high school • Appleton provided Boot Camps for students prior to the test • Naviance • ACT online prep • Efforts to increase awareness of the ACT Test included • Billboards • Home Mailings • HCS and School Websites • Schoolcastmessages • Incentive Checks will be distributed October 23, 2015

7. HCS Students Took AP Exams in 22 Different Core Content Areas in 2014-15(Number of Students Taking Each Exam Shown Next to Content Area Name) % of Students Passing Exam Content Area

8. Students Receive $100 for Every AP Exam Passed; 691 Students Qualified for an AP Incentive, Totaling $153,300 Total Incentive Amount AP Exams Passed

9. Students Receive $100 for Every IB Exam Passed; 15 out of 20 Students (75% of IB Test-Taking Students) Qualified for an IB Incentive, Totaling $3,700 Total Incentive Amount IB Exams Passed

10. HCS Students Incentive for ACT Plus Writing, AP Exams, and IB ExamsTotal - $242,150 Total Incentive Amount IB Exams Passed