ACT Online Prep-Educator User Guide

ACT

Online

Prep

™

2023–2024

Educator Guide: Using AOP to

Drive the Teaching and Learning

Cycle for Student Success

 
 
 2 
 
©2023 ACT, Inc.  All Rights Reserved. QU20001.CJ13196 
   
 
Overview .................................................................................................................................. 3 
Why Use ACT
®
 Online Prep? .................................................................................................. 3 
Core Features of AOP ............................................................................................................. 3 
Using AOP to Teach Core Content for College and Career Readiness ............... 4 
Models for Using AOP as a Supplemental Curriculum Resource ............................................ 4 
Whole Group ..................................................................................................................................... 4 
Small Group ....................................................................................................................................... 4 
Collaborative Learning ................................................................................................................... 5 
Independent Learning ..................................................................................................................... 5 
Combined Instruction ..................................................................................................................... 5 
Sample Classroom Configurations/Schedules for Using AOP as a 
Supplemental Curriculum Model .................................................................................. 6 
Configurations which can be used in any content classroom .................................................. 6 
Configuration which can be used in core content classrooms ................................................. 7 
Other Tips for Lesson Planning using AOP .................................................................. 7 
Understanding the Data Available—Key Data Reports ............................................ 8 
Test Report .............................................................................................................................. 8 
Sample Test Reports ....................................................................................................................... 8 
Real-Time Student Reports ..................................................................................................... 8 
Sample Real Time Reports ............................................................................................................ 9 
Tips for Using Data to Support Student Learning .................................................... 10 
 
 
   

Overview

This guide is intended to provide ideas for incorporating ACT Online Prep for

students to improve achievement in English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science.

This versatile, supplemental curriculum resource allows for use with whole group,

small group, and independent learning instructional models and supports multi-

tiered systems of support (MTSS) for meeting individual student needs. This guide

includes tips for teaching ACT

Online Prep (AOP) with success (including sample

classroom configurations), and how to use the rich formative data that comes from

student use of the learning tool to develop additional next-step instructional

decisions to promote student success.

Why Use ACT

Online Prep?

For Students:

• The more students who used AOP, the greater their ACT score gains were likely

to be.

• Those who used AOP for less than seven hours saw greater score gains than

students who did not use test preparation.

• Those who used AOP for seven or more hours saw an average gain score over

double that of students who did not use test preparation.

For Teachers:

• Lessons can be integrated into the core curriculum.

• Lessons provide a deep dive into the skills that are aligned to ACT College and

Career Readiness Standards reporting categories, creating efficiencies in lesson

planning.

• Lessons can be used in a variety of blended learning and rotation models.

• Customized learning task assignments provide the instructional content needed

for quality tiered intervention supports.

Core Features of AOP

• Organizes content into 16 Study Plan Steps, composed of lessons and practice

question sets, for each of the subject areas. Based on composite score range

and time available, students are guided to do a quick review, or a more in-depth

study, of the tasks associated with the step.

• Provides content designed to support reinforcement and practice in the core

content needed for college and career readiness in English, Reading, Science,

and Mathematics as measured by the ACT.

• Helps students to become more familiar with the format of the ACT test.

• Includes two, full-length ACT® Practice Exams that provide students with a

predicted ACT score range as well as four short subject tests for each core

content (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science). Students and teachers

can gauge students’ progress in meeting achievement outcomes.

• Includes prompts for writing essays that are AI scored to allow for quick feedback

on writing skill achievement.

• Includes over 2,400 practice questions, flashcards, and a game center for a

variety of ways to engage student learners.

• Includes an optional Online Discussion Forum so students can connect with

other users in the system to ask questions and engage around the content.

• Allows for anywhere, anytime access via the internet on any device and with

smart phones on the ACT Online Prep Mobile App.

Using AOP to Teach Core Content for

College and Career Readiness

Models for Using AOP as a Supplemental

Curriculum Resource

Whole Group

For modeling of skills and knowledge: teacher-facilitated instruction where students

experience the same learning with the same pacing.

• Project a lesson and guide students through the activities. Consider using a

read-aloud, think-aloud method, where you read aloud the content and speak

aloud what you might think or do if you were completing this lesson

independently. By demonstrating clearly how to process lessons, you can

strengthen students’ understanding of how to best use the lessons provided

when students are working independently.

• Project a lesson and guide students through the lesson activities, adding in

opportunities for students to share aloud strategies they would use to address

the lesson if working independently. Provide feedback to guide students in

effective strategies for working through these lessons independently.

• Project a sample practice problem that requires use of the concepts under study

in your core curriculum. Model how to solve the problem, focusing on core

knowledge and skills needed to address the problem. Follow up by having

students work in small groups or independently as you serve as guide-on-the-

side to support student acquisition of the targeted knowledge and skills.

• Project a sample practice problem that requires use of the concepts under study

in your core curriculum. Give each student time to work on the problem; have

students share their solutions and reasoning for the strategies and approaches

used to solve the problem. Shape student understanding of which strategies and

solutions are viable, and which are not, focusing on helping students address

misconceptions and misunderstandings.

Small Group

For tiered intervention and extension supports.

Station Rotation: You work with students in small group to provide tiered supports;

students with you can work on meaningful instruction using AOP either in pairs,

collaborative groups, or individually.

• AOP is engaging and allows groups of students to learn important concepts and

skills when not working with you directly as an instructor.

• You can use the same resources and techniques described for whole group

instruction, but with a smaller, homogenously grouped set of students (grouping

based on student needs), so you can provide more intensive and/or targeted

feedback to individual students.

• You can use the materials from AOP to set up learning centers around the room.

One group can work together or independently with flashcards, one group can

play reinforcement games either together or independently, one group can work

on a collaborative learning problem, while still another group can work on a

lesson with you or complete “catch up” work. This structure allows for all students

to be actively learning, opportunities for you as an instructor to successfully

support individual needs, and it breaks up the monotony of day-to-day whole

group instruction.

Collaborative Learning

For students to work together to search for understanding, meaning, or solutions or to

create an artifact or other demonstration of their learning.

• Consider providing each group with the same problem to solve, and then have

the students present their strategies for solution and the solutions to the others in

the class. This activity works well as a think-pair-share (begin by having students

work on the problem independently, then to pair with a partner, and then have

two pairs share ideas/solutions). You serve as a guide-on-the-side to support

individual students or groups who need scaffolded inputs to successfully work

through the problem. Be sure to summarize the key learning points for all

students to ensure they leave the lesson with clarity on the knowledge and skills

linked to the learning objective(s). This activity works well with heterogenous as

well as homogeneous groups.

• Determine student strengths and needs using the data from AOP. Place

students in groups with others who have similar needs. Have students work

collaboratively to solve one or more problems linked to content where the

students need more practice to address these needs. You serve as a guide-on-

the-side to support individual students, or groups of students, who need

scaffolded inputs to successfully work through the problem. By providing each

group with different problems, you can differentiate learning based on student

needs

Independent Learning

For independent learning and reinforcement, practice of core knowledge and skills.

• Workshop Model: Each student works independently on AOP lessons and

practice activities. As an instructor, you conference (workshop) with individual

students to provide intensive, targeted feedback to support increased student

achievement on knowledge and skills of focus.

• Goal Setting Model: Each student independently set goals and creates a plan to

achieve them. This helps students to instill a growth mindset in the classroom:

when students believe they can achieve a goal through persistence and hard

work, they learn to be resilient; overcoming small failures can lead to larger

successes.

• Individual Computer-Time Model: Each student works independently on AOP

lessons and practice activities. Even without direct instruction, students benefit

from time spent working through the AOP lessons and practice activities.

Combined Instruction

Putting it all together.

• Create a lesson over one or more periods that provides whole group, small

group, and independent learning to teach a targeted skill or strategy.

o Set a learning objective and have students set goals linked to this learning

objective.

o Provide a brief mini lesson to the whole group where you model a skill or

strategy linked to your academic standards.

o Break into small groups of students (using one of the small group options)

and have them practice the modeled skill or strategy.

o Provide time for students to practice the skill or strategy independently.

o Bring the group together to de-brief: share successes in meeting goals

set, reinforce lessons learned, and clarify any remaining misconceptions

or misunderstandings linked to the targeted skill or strategy.

Sample Classroom

Configurations/Schedules for Using AOP

as a Supplemental Curriculum Model

Configurations which can be used in any content

classroom

All Teachers

Daily

Weekly

Biweekly

Monthly

Bellringers:

Exercises that

should only take 5

minutes

One day a week for

approximately 20

minutes

Two times a

month each 20-30

minutes

One time a

month, take a full

class period

All classroom teachers can provide ACT support using the ACT Online Prep program

• Bellringers can be 2-3 problems daily.

• Practice can be one day a week using a set number of questions or a set time

frame.

• Establish study plans for each student based on the time available for student

learning. Have students use these plans and work with them to monitor and

adjust the study plans as needed.

• Model test-taking strategies and problem-solving for core content using AOP

problems, alongside core curriculum content whenever possible, so students

learn to apply their knowledge and skills to ACT-like problems.

NOTE: While all classroom teachers can support student success in learning, the core

content measured on the ACT (English, Mathematics, Science, and Reading), it is best

practice for school-based teams to determine which teachers will work on which

content, so students receive ample instruction and practice in all content areas. Schools

may also use school-based data to determine school-based targeted instructional focal

points (e.g. if 95% of the students demonstrate high need in mathematics, the school

might choose to have most students doing additional mathematics work, with the 5% of

students not needing mathematics supports being provided other available enrichment

options).

Configuration which can be used in core content

classrooms

Sample Instructional Plan: Embedding AOP into core English Instruction

(approximately 20 minutes per period)

Description

Week 1

This week is designed to establish student routines and familiarity to the core

curriculum

Introduce: Welcome to ACT Online Prep

• Watch the video (can be used in blended learning)

• Conduct question and answer session

Week 2

Short ACT English Test. The teacher has the option to test all students at

once, stagger student testing, or assign as part of a blended learning model.

NOTE: students require approximately 60 minutes of testing.

Week 3

Review overall class results with students and model setting classroom goals

Understanding Your Score and Goal Setting

• Learn about SMART Goals

• Set personal goals

Week 4

ACT Basics and General Strategies to learn about navigation supports

Your Personalized Study Plan

Introduction to the ACT English Test

Week 5

Subject/Verb Agreement

• Work through Example Questions (can use this as part of a station

rotation)

• Watch the video (can be used in blended learning)

Week 6

Subject/Verb Agreement Practice Questions where students discuss results

(teacher can do small groups based on results)

Mini-lesson station rotations for remediation/extension

Week 7

Elements of Strong Writing

• Work through Example Questions (can use this as part of a station

rotation)

• Watch the video (can be used in blended learning)

Week 8

Answer as You Read to combine this lesson with current classroom core

curriculum for additional practice

Week 9

End of Quarter (option to combine completed AOP practice with core

curriculum end of quarter summative assessments)

Note: This configuration can be used for Math, Science, or Reading. Tasks/activities are

optional and times approximate. Teachers can and should arrange topics to match with

their core curriculum and use results of practice tests to determine where students may

need additional support.

Other Tips for Lesson Planning using AOP

1. Use student data or school-wide aggregate data to drill down to specific areas of

strength and need to support instructional decisions on flexible grouping

structures, specific differentiated lessons needed, etc. Combine the data insights

derived from the practice tests and/or short tests in AOP with other data such as

results from ACT

, PreACT

, WorkKeys

, Mosaic by ACT

interim assessments

and/or classroom tests, quizzes, and projects to inform instructional decisions.

2. Provide time for students to set/review goals; AOP allows students to gauge their

own progress and can motivate them to achieve new successes.

3. Use the Assignments feature to align assignments in AOP with core curriculum

content as it is introduced in your course syllabus.

4. Design AOP lessons based on what is currently in the syllabus OR choose to

spiral topics after reviewing or teaching them.

Understanding the Data Available—Key

Data Reports

Test Report

• Data Details Shared in this Report:

o Score data for each short topic test, full-length practice exam, or quiz

o Grow over time if taking short topic tests at the beginning and at the end

o View scores for all attempts if the student has reset a test

• Ideas for Using This Data Instructionally:

o Use to group students by need for small group instruction

o Measure growth to determine if instructional strategies are successful

Sample Test Reports

Real-Time Student Reports

• Data Details Shared in these Reports:

o View real-time data on student performance on practice questions, short

topic tests, full length practice exams, quizzes, and assignments.

o View progress toward teacher created assignment completion

o Drill down to performance data on practice questions, tests, exams, and

quizzes

o Review time spent per question to determine level of effort

• Ideas for Using This Data Instructionally:

o Group students by topics needing growth and or enrichment for small group

instruction

o Use program as a blended learning to support classroom instruction based

on individual student need

o Measure growth to determine if instructional strategies are successful

Sample Real Time Reports

Tips for Using Data to Support Student

Learning

You can most effectively use the data from AOP to support student learning by applying

the following tips.

1. Track students’ progress using the online dashboards. The dashboards

provided give key information to you as an instructor. The information available

on the dashboards include:

o Student Overall Session Summary displays:

▪ Last Active: The most recent date the student was active in the

course

▪ Total Time Spent: The amount of time the student has spent

logged in

▪ Avg. Progress: The percentage of total progress through ACT

Online Prep material

▪ Avg. Practice%: The percentage of practice questions answered

correctly

▪ Avg. Test%: The percentage of ACT Practice Exam questions

answered correctly

▪ Avg. Session Time: The average time a student spends in the

program each time they log in

o Courses Breakdown Summary displays:

▪ Last Active: The most recent date the student was active in the

course

▪ Student Status: The student’s percentile ranking among all ACT

Online Prep users

▪ Progress: The percentage of total progress through ACT Online

Prep material

▪ Avg. Practice%: The percentage of practice questions answered

correctly

▪ Avg: Test%: The percentage of ACT Practice Exam questions

answered correctly

2. Optionally, you can also run Session Detail reports which provide time on task

data and can be filtered by date range.

3. Consider taking anecdotal notes on what you discover as you

analyze the data and look for patterns or trends in the data. Some

common patterns or trends and relevant next steps may include:

Pattern or Trends

Next Steps

Strengths for specific content for

individual students

Provide enrichment opportunities

during instructional periods

focused on that content

Opportunities for improvement for

specific content for individual

students

Assign lessons and practice

aligned to student needs

Strengths or opportunities for

improvement for specific content

for a small group of students

Plan tiered interventions or

extensions (using one of the small

group instruction models)

Strengths for specific content for

all but a handful of students

Consider means to extend or

compact learning tied to that

content

Opportunities for improvement for

specific content for all but a

handful of students

Build opportunities to revisit core

content in whole group instruction

with differentiated extension

activities for the handful of

students who do not require

additional time on task for this

specific content

Review the curriculum to

determine if the curriculum needs

strengthening in this specific

content for future instruction with

other groups of students

4. Use the data from AOP, including students’ predicted ACT scores,

alongside classroom data and other available data to determine the

degree to which students have met the ACT College and Career

Ready Standards. Consider additional options for tiered intervention or

extensions to ensure all students will be ready for college and careers

upon graduation from high school.

5. Schedule opportunities for students to complete a full-length ACT Practice

Exam with Scoring under actual testing conditions in AOP. While the best

preparation for the ACT is quality instruction, such as core instruction with AOP,

since most people perform best in familiar contexts, giving students an

opportunity to experience the testing context can support increased

achievement on the actual ACT.

6. Make sure students select a test day so they have a target goal; the Study

Plan will help guide how much they need to complete to remain on track.

Most of us achieve better when we have clear goals and a realistic plan to

achieve those goals. When students know their test day and have a study plan

tied to that goal, this can motivate and help them experience greater success

when they take the ACT.

To access additional information about AOP administration and

reporting, visit the AOP Training Toolkit.