COLLEGE CAREER READINESS ACT STUDENT READINESS INVENTORY GEAR

COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS ACT STUDENT READINESS INVENTORY GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

What is the ACT Student Readiness Inventory? • What does research say are necessary skills/behaviors needed to be college ready? • Is there a way to determine where a student is regarding these research-based college readiness skills? • If so, what intervention, once the level of readiness is determined, can professionals provide to increase chances that the student will stay in school and graduate? GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

What does the ACT Student Readiness Inventory provide? • Individual student data with a general picture of college readiness strengths and weaknesses compared to other college students. • Percentiles based on national norms for ten scales (skills/behaviors) that describe college readiness. • Feedback and recommendations about areas where students may need to improve. GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

What are the ways that the Student Readiness Inventory can be used? q Screening to help students develop a greater awareness of their academic-related strengths and weaknesses; q Diagnostic to help identify areas in which students could benefit from educational intervention; q Prescriptive to help students develop an action plan for remediation and enrichment; q Advising/counseling to help college support professionals in assisting students’ development. GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

What are the defined skills that equate to middle grades student high school/college success? Domain SRI G 6 -9 Scales Definition MOTIVATION Academic Discipline Degree to which a student is hardworking and conscientious as evidenced by the amount of effort invested in completing school work Commitment to School Commitment to stay on high school & obtain a diploma. Optimism Having a hopeful outlook about the future in spite of difficulties & challenges SOCIAL Family Attitude toward ENGAGEMENT Education Positive Family attitude regarding the value of Family Involvement Family involvement in a student’s school life & activities Relationships with School Personnel The extent to which students relate to school personnel as part of their connection to school Safety Climate School qualities related to student’s perception of security as school GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

What are the defined skills that equate to middle grades student high school/college success? Domain SRI G 6 -9 Scales Definition SELFREGULATION Managing Feelings Tendency to manage duration & intensity of negative feelings & to find appropriate ways to express these feelings Orderly Conduct Tendency to behave appropriately in call & avoid disciplinary action Thinking before Acting Tendency to think about the consequences of one’s actions before acting Absenteeism Number of absences, days tardy , & skipped classes back reported by the student over the past month Held Back Having been held back from normal grade progress Homework Time spent on homework on a typical school evening Media Time spent watching TV, playing video games, & browsing the internet (non-school related) on a typical school evening School Mobility Number of times student has changed schools since elementary school BEHAVIORIAL INDICATORS GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

What are the defined skills that equate to high school to college success? SRI G 10 -12 Scales Definition Academic Discipline The amount of effort you put into homework & the degree to which you see yourself as hardworking & conscientious General Determination The extent to which you strive to follow through on commitments & obligations Goal Striving The strength of your efforts to achieve your objectives & end goals Commitment to College Your commitment to staying in college & getting a degree Study Skills The extent to which you believe you can assess an academic problem, organize a solution, & successfully complete academic assignment. Communication Skills How attentive you are to others’ feelings & how flexible you are to resolving conflicts with others Social Connection Your feelings of connection & involvement with the school community/college Social Activity How comfortable you feel meeting & interacting with other people Academic Self-Confidence The extent to which you believe you can perform well in school Steadiness Your responses to strong feelings & how you manage those feelings GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

Sample Interpretation Protocol Is student at risk (i. e. , success index at or below the 25 TH percentile)? If YES, If NO, Examine scales Use scale results to prioritize appropriate interventions 76 -99 Capitalize on Strengths 26 -75 Continue to Develop Skills 1 -25 Construct a Plan for Improvement GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

Sample Intervention for Academic Discipline Definition The amount of effort a student puts into homework & the degree to which a student sees him/herself as hardworking & conscientious. Interpretation. This scale is essential to student success. Students demonstrating high levels of Academic Discipline place value on schoolwork & will make academic tasks, projects, & assignments a high priority. In contrast, low scoring students may avoid schoolwork, cut classes, & view other aspects of their lives as more important than the completion of school -related tasks and assignments. Sample Interventions Goal setting, time management, organization, and prioritization skills, as well as use and mastery of learning strategies. Sample Items • If I don’t feel like going, I skip classes. • People describe me as a hard worked. GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

How can we incorporate these skills into student advising that connect to the SRI results? ü What in the report will focus our work with the students we serve? ü What are some strategies that can be employed to address individual student results? ü What kinds of intervention are appropriate for those students at risk? GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

Sharing across groups – key points GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream

Reflections/Next Steps GEAR UP Alliance 2011 Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the dream