PreACT: Alabama

Activity: Make Staff Arrangements

Resources to complete this activity:

• Arrangements for Staffing (PreACT Administration Manual) 

Activity: Order Test Materials

Resources to complete this activity:

• PreACT Ordering Instructions (pdf)
• PreACT Ordering Instructions (video) 

Tip: Test material orders will be placed through the CCRIS online ordering system. You may access the system using an existing CCRIS account to use other ACT products or create a new account.

Tip: ACT recommends that you order your test materials four weeks before your test date. This will allow two weeks for delivery of your test materials via FedEx Ground (free) shipping and another two weeks for you to prepare your site for testing. NOTE: Expedited shipping is not permissible within the Alabama state testing contract.

Tip: The CCRIS ordering system allows you to attach yourself to multiple organizations. When placing test material orders through CCRIS, be sure you select the appropriate organization (i.e. the ordering school’s district).

Tip: The CCRIS ordering system allows you to order test materials under different contracts, if you are eligible to participate in more than one. Be sure you select the correct contract (program) from the Choose Program dropdown menu. Selecting the incorrect contract will affect your reporting and invoicing for testing.

Tip: The PreACT Test Materials Package includes the test booklets, answer documents, Administration Manuals, and other materials you will need to administer PreACT. Order one PreACT Test Material Package for every student who will be testing, including students who will test with accommodations or English learner supports.

Tip: Order only the number of PreACT Test Material Packages that you will administer. ACT will include an overage in each order. For additional ordering practices, please review the PreACT Ordering Instructions.

Tip: Districts that order test materials on behalf of their schools will receive district reporting. Please make note of the Answer Document Receipt Date provided in the order confirmation webpage and email. Answer documents received after this date may not be included in your district reporting.

Activity: Prepare Your Facility

Resources to complete this activity:

• Preparing Testing Rooms (PreACT Administration Manual)

Activity: Prepare Your Staff

Resources to complete this activity:

• Suggested Training Session Outline (PreACT Administration Manual)
• Procedures Checklist (PreACT Administration Manual)
• Implementation Training for Test Administration (pdf)
• Implementation Training for Test Administration (video)
• PreACT Training - During Testing (video)

Tip: Remember to hold a training session with all testing staff (new and experienced) before test day. This is required and is separate from the briefing session that happens on test day. Suggested topics to cover during the training session are in your administration manual.

Tip: Determine the test administration options your site will use:

• One or two day administration
• Options for completing the examinee Information sections.
• Use of optional sort codes.
• Use of Supplemental local items.

Activity: Prepare Your Examinees

Resources to complete this activity:

• PreACT Letter for Alabama Students (pdf)

Activity: Prepare Your Testing Materials

Resources to complete this activity:

• Check-In and Security of Test Materials (PreACT Administration Manual) 

Tip: Review the Check-In and Security of Test Materials section of the PreACT Administration Manual before receiving your shipment. Have it available to refer to while unpacking your test materials.

Activity: Complete Non-Test Activities

Resources to complete this activity:

• Instructions for Completing Your Answer Folder (pdf)

Tip: When entering name and address on the answer document (blocks B and P-S), be sure examinees:

• Start with the first box and first column in block
• Fill in the appropriate oval for each letter in addition to printing them in the boxes.
• Fill in only one oval per column
   

Tip: Make sure examinees properly enter the form code into the Test Form block on their answer documents. This is essential to the answer documents being scored properly.

Activity: Return Test Materials

Resources to complete this activity:

• Post-Test Activities to Be Completed by the Test Coordinator (PreACT Administration Manual) (pdf)
• Returning Materials to ACT (PreACT Administration Manual) 
• Returning PreACT Materials to ACT (video)

Tip: The instructions for collecting, packing, and returning test materials are linked above.

Tip: Test coordinators should verify completeness and accuracy of materials received from room supervisors before returning answer documents to ACT. Check that all Test Administration Forms are filled out and check that the test form code is properly gridded on each answer document.

Tip: Upon receiving the test materials from the school test coordinator for shipment back to ACT, district test coordinators need to completely fill out the front of the polymailer envelope(s).

Tip: When packing the processing envelopes, about 250 answer documents can fit in each Tyvek scoring envelope. The polymailer envelopes provided this year are smaller and will hold about 300 answer documents.

Tip: Do not return unused answer documents or any PreACT test materials.

Tip: Return the answer documents for all testing (standard, accommodations, or make-up) in the same shipment.

Tip: The polymailer envelopes include prepaid FedEx return shipping labels already affixed. You may leave the packed polymailer envelopes in a secure FedEx pick-up area at your site or FedEx drop-off site. Do not leave your packed polymailer envelopes in an unsupervised pick or drop-off site.