ACT Aspire
January 2015
ACT Aspire
ACT Aspire - Reading
Each ACT Aspire™ Reading assessment contains several passages, including literary
narratives (prose fiction, memoirs, personal essays) and informational texts (social
science, natural science). Within and across grade levels, the passages span a range of
complexity levels in order to provide students, teachers, and parents with information
about how well students understand texts of increasing difficulty. Students answer a
series of selected response, technology-enhanced, and constructed-response questions
that assess their abilities to recognize meaning in, reason logically about, and make
connections between and among texts. ACT Aspire Reading questions operate at various
depth-of-knowledge (DOK) levels, or cognitive complexities, and reflect a range of
difficulty appropriate for the grade level. All levels of ACT Aspire Reading assessments
include constructed-response tasks that measure the higher-order cognitive processes
necessary for reading and understanding increasingly complex texts. Constructedresponse tasks are scored according to rubrics that allow students to receive varying
amounts of credit for responses that are correct or partially correct, enabling
differentiation between multiple skill levels.
Reading continued
The types of constructed-response tasks in ACT Aspire Reading assessments include
the following examples:
• Formulate a conclusion by making connections within a passage, and provide support
using specific details from the text.
• Formulate a conclusion by making connections between a pair of passages, and
provide support using specific details from both texts.
• Identify cause-and-effect relationships within a passage, and provide support using
specific details from the text.
• Identify similarities and differences between the key ideas of paired passages, and
provide support using specific details from both texts.
ACT Aspire – Reading Test (p. 37 Grade 4)
Constructed Response Rubric and Example p. 45-47
ACT Aspire - English
Introduction
ACT Aspire™ English tests assess students’ developed ability to revise and
edit texts. A typical English test contains several stimuli, or texts, and a series
of selected-response and technology-enhanced questions. Texts used in the
assessments represent various content areas (including English language arts,
the humanities, and the social and natural sciences),and, considered
collectively, reflect a range of text complexity levels from simple to complex,
as appropriate for students’ age and educational attainment. The questions fall
under the following reporting categories.
English Categories
Conventions of Standard English
The questions in this category require students to apply an understanding of
the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics to revise
and edit text.
Punctuation Conventions
These questions require students to edit text to conform to standard English
punctuation.
Usage Conventions
These questions require students to edit text to conform to standard English
usage.
Sentence Structure and Formation
These questions test understanding of relationships between and among
clauses, placement of modifiers, and shifts in construction.
English Categories
continued
Production of Writing
The questions in this category require students to apply an understanding of the rhetorical purpose
and the focus of a piece of writing to develop a topic effectively; to use various strategies to achieve
logical organization, topical unity, and general cohesion; and to employ knowledge of language to
ensure that writing is precise, concise, and stylistically consistent.
Topic Development
These questions require students to demonstrate an understanding of and control over the rhetorical
aspects of texts by identifying the purpose of parts of texts, determining whether a text has met its
intended goal, and evaluating the relevance of material in terms of a text’s focus.
Organization, Unity, and Cohesion
These questions require students to use various strategies to ensure that text is logically organized,
flows smoothly, and has an effective introduction and conclusion.
Knowledge of Language
These questions require students to demonstrate effective language use through ensuring precision
and concision in word choice, maintaining consistency in style and tone, and using references.
ACT Aspire – English Test (p. 20 Grade 4)
ACT Aspire - Writing
Writing Framework
The ACT Aspire™ writing assessments consist of 30-minute summative writing
tasks for grades 3 through 8 and early high school. They ask students at each
grade level to respond in essay form to a single writing stimulus. The
assessments are designed to provide a strong indication of whether students
have the writing skills they will need to succeed as they begin work at their next
grade level. Student responses are evaluated according to analytic rubrics
that assess the generation, development, organization, and communication of
ideas in standard written English.
3 Modes of writing
The Reflective Narrative mode appears at grades 3 and 6. The assessments at
grades 4,7, and early high school are in the Analytical Expository mode. The
grade 5 and grade 8 assessments are in the Persuasive/Argumentative mode.
The ACT Aspire assessments are designed to give students at every grade
level an opportunity to display the higher-order thinking skills needed for
meaningful reflection, analytical explanation, and persuasive argument. The
means for evaluating students’ abilities to display these skills are built into
the ACT Aspire rubrics.
ACT Aspire – Writing Test
Handouts of rubrics/competency model
ACT Writing Competencies Model
Mode
Analytical Expository
Analysis
• Comprehend a subject/
situation
– Recognize complexity
– Multiple perspectives
– Implications and complicating factors
– Underlying assumptions, ideas, or values
• Provide an explanation
– Articulate insight/depth of understanding
Competency
Generate ideas
Persuasive/Argumentative
Judgment
• Evaluate an issue
– Recognize complexity
– Multiple perspectives
– Implications and complicating factors
– Counterarguments
• Take a position
– Present a thesis
Develop Ideas
Develop a Position
• Support thesis using persuasive
– Evidence
– facts, experience, authority
– Reasoning/logic
– Appeals to emotion/feeling
• Move between general statements and specific reasons, examples and details
Support an Explanation
• Identify and explain elements essential for understanding
• Identify and explore relevant underlying assumptions, ideas, or values
• Arrive at insight/deeper understanding through well‐reasoned discussion
Give an Account
• Describe event, experience, or situation
– Identify and convey elements essential for understanding
– Select and convey relevant supporting details
• Identify and convey connected abstract ideas
• Arrive at insight/deeper understanding through thoughtful consideration
Sustain ideas
Focus
• Maintain focus on
– Elements of issue relevant to thesis
– Persuasive purpose and context
Focus
• Maintain focus on
– Elements of subject/
situation essential to understanding and analysis
– Expository purpose and context
Focus
• Maintain focus on
– Relevant event, experience, or situation
– Abstract ideas relevant to reflection
– Narrative purpose and context
Organize ideas
Organization
• Group ideas logically
• Sequence ideas in progression
• Use transitions to clarify relationships among ideas
• Provide an effective introduction and conclusion
Organization
• Group ideas logically
• Sequence ideas in progression
• Use transitions to clarify relationships among ideas
• Provide an effective introduction and conclusion
Organization
• Group ideas logically
• Sequence narrative elements effectively
• Use transitions to clarify relationships among ideas and narrative elements
• Provide an effective introduction and conclusion
Communicate Ideas
Language use
• Use a variety of sentence structures
• Employ conventions of standard written English
• Use varied and precise vocabulary
• Use appropriate voice and tone
Language use
Use a variety of sentence structures
• Employ conventions of standard written English
• Use varied and precise vocabulary
• Use appropriate voice and tone
Reflective Narrative
Narration and Reflection
• Select a relevant event, experience, or situation to recount
– Recognize complexity
– Situated perspectives
– Implications and complicating factors
– Multiple meanings
• Reflect on the meaning/
significance
Language Use
Use narrative techniques
• Employ conventions of standard written English
• Use descriptive vocabulary
• Use appropriate voice and tone
Rubric – Grade 3
Rubric for Grade 3 Reflective Narrative W riting
Reflective Narrative
Development
Score: 5
Responses at this
score point
demonstrate
capable skill in
writing a
reflectiv e
narrativ e.
Response engages with task
Presents a capable reflective narrative
Conv ey s the importance of the ev ent
Thoughtful reflection on the event and
meaning of the experience
Purposeful movement between specific and
generalized ideas
Ideas strongly dev eloped
Well thought explanation of action, sensory
details and/or character
Ex perience and meaning supported with
detailed description/ex planation
Details enhance the story and help explain
the importance of the event
Planned, well thought organizational
structure
Logical progression in narrative
Transitions clearly bring together all the
elements of the narrative
Organization
Successfully and clearly explain meaning
Word choice is precise
Sentence structures are clear and varied
Voice and tone are represented and
maintained in entire narrativ e
Any errors in grammar, usage and
mechanics do NOT impede understanding
Language Use
Score: 4
Responses at this
score point
demonstrate
adequate skill in
writing a
reflectiv e
narrativ e.
Response shows clear understanding of
task
Presents an adequate reflectiv e narrativ e
Demonstrates the importance of the ev ent
Some reflection on the event and meaning
of the experience
Connections between specific and
generalized ideas are mostly clear
Ideas developed using sensory details
and/or character
Ex perience and meaning mostly supported
with description/ex planation
Details may enhance the story and help
ex plain the importance of the ev ent
Exhibits structure with logic
Transitions help bring together all the
elements of the narrative
Clearly explains meaning
Word choice is sometimes precise
Sentence structures are occasionally varied
and usually clear
Voice and tone are represented in
narrativ e but not consistently maintained
While errors in grammar, usage and
mechanics are present they rarely impede
understanding
Score: 3
Responses at this
score point
demonstrate
some dev eloping
skill in writing a
reflectiv e
narrativ e
Response has limited understanding of task
Presents a reflectiv e narrativ e somewhat on
grade lev el
Some reflection on the event and meaning
of the experience-but is limited
Connections between specific and
generalized ideas are somewhat connected
Narrative somewhat dev eloped
Some ex planation using action, sensory
details and/or character
Ex perience and meaning somewhat
supported with description/explanation
Some structure present but simplistic or
digress at times
Transitions sometimes explain connections
between all the elements of the narrativ e
Score: 2
Responses at this
score point
demonstrate
weak or
inconsistent skill
in writing a
reflectiv e
narrativ e.
Response shows some basic
understanding of task
Weak or inconsistent skill in reflecting
Reflection on the ev ent and meaning of the
ex perience is unclear or incomplete or may
be irrelev ant
Connections between specific and
generalized ideas are weak and
inconsistent
Dev elopment is weak-reported rather than
described
Reflection on ex perience is weak
Description is weak, inconsistent or not
clearly relevant
Organization is below grade lev el
Logic is unclear
Transitions misleading or poorly formed
Some ability to share meaning
Word choice is general and at times
imprecise
Sentence structures show little variety and
inconsistently clear
Voice and tone are present but are
inconsistently maintained
Distracting errors in grammar, usage and
mechanics are present they sometimes
impede understanding
Weak ability to express meaning
Word choice is below grade level and
vague
Sentence structures are often unclear
Voice and tone not used correctly
Distracting errors in grammar, usage and
mechanics are present and they impede
understanding
Score: 1
Responses at this
score point
demonstrate little
or no skill in
writing a
reflectiv e
narrativ e.
Little to no understanding of task
No narrative
Lacks reflection of meaning connected to
ex perience
Little to no development
No action, sensory detail or character
Little to no reflection
No ev idence of organization
Transitions may be present but fail to relate
elements
Score: 0
Unscorable
The response is blank, voided, off-topic, illegible, or not written in English.
Little to no ability to ex press meaning
Word choice is imprecise-ideas difficult to
understand
Sentence structures are mostly unclear
Voice and tone not used correctly
Errors in grammar, usage and mechanics
are consistently and significantly present
and impede understanding
Rubric – Grade 4
Analysis
Development
Organization
Language Use
Score: 5
Responses at this
score
pointdemonstrate
capable skill in
writing an analy tical
essay
Response engages with task
Thoughtful analy sis
Addresses implications and
complications
Purposeful mov ement between specific
details and generalized ideas
Ideas well explained
Well thought out supporting reasons
and detailed ex amples
Claims and supports are integrated
Purposeful organizational strategy
Logical sequence helps the
writer’s analy sis be effectiv e
Transitions between and within
paragraphs consistently ex plain
relationships among ideas
Successfully and clearly ex plains the meaning
Word choice is usually precise
Sentence structures are clear and often v aried
Voice and tone are appropriate for analy tical purpose and
maintained in entire response
Errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may be
present, they do NOT impede understanding
Score: 4
Responses at this
score point
demonstate
adequate skill in
writing an analy tical
essay
Response shows clear understanding
of task
Presents an analy sis
Recognizes implications and
complications
Clear mov ement between specific
details and generalized ideas
Ideas ex plained
Supporting reasons and detailed
ex amples
Clear but simple organizational
structure
Ideas logically grouped
Transitions between and within
paragraphs show relationships
among ideas
Clearly ex plains the meaning
Word choice is sometimes precise
Sentence structures are usually clear and occasionally
v aried
Voice and tone are appropriate for analy tical purpose but
inconsistently maintained
Errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may be
present, they rarely impede understanding
Score 3:
Responses at this
score point
demonstrate skill in
writing and essay .
Response shows basic understanding
of task
Analy sis ov er simplified or imprecise
Implications and complications are
somewhat clear and relev ant
Specific details and generalized ideas
are somewhat connected
Limited ex planation of ideas
Some supporting reasons and
detailed ex amples
Ev idence of some organizational
structure
Some ideas logically grouped
Transitions between and within
paragraphs sometimes show
relationships among ideas
Some ability to ex plain the meaning
Word choice is general and occasionally imprecise
Sentence structures show little v ariety and sometimes
unclear
Voice and tone are somewhat appropriate for analy tical
purpose but inconsistently maintained
Distracting errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may
be present, they sometimes impede understanding
Score 2
Responses at this
score point
demonstrate weak
or inconsistent skill in
writing an analy tical
essay .
Response shows below grade lev el
understanding of task
Analy sis weak or inconsistent
Implications and complications are not
clear and relev ant
Specific details and generalized ideas
are unclear and incomplete
Unclear ex planation of ideas
Little use of supporting reasons and
ex amples
Little ev idence of organizational
structure
Logical grouping of ideas is
inconsistent and unclear
Transitions between and within
paragraphs missing, misleading or
poorly formatted
Weak ability to ex plain the meaning
Word choice is basic and frequently imprecise
Sentence structures are often unclear
Voice and tone are not grade lev el for analy tical purpose
Distracting errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may
be present, impede understanding
Score 1
Responses at this
score
pointdemonstrate
little or no skill in
writing an analy tical
essay .
Response shows little to no
understanding of task
Lacks connection between specific
details and generalized ideas
Lacks ex planation
No use of supporting reasons or
relev ant ex amples
Little to no ability to ex plain the meaning
No ev idence of organizational
Word choice imprecise and difficult to understand
structure
Sentence structures are mostly unclear
Ideas not logically grouped
Transitions may be present but do Voice and tone are not grade lev el for analy tical purpose
Errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may be
not relate ideas
present, significantly impede understanding
Score 0
Unscoreable
The response is blank, v oided, off-topic, or not in English.
ACT Aspire Resources
ACTAspire
ACT practice test
District Five Webpage
-Departments
-Assessment and Accountability
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