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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Counselors and
OK EPAS Contact Persons,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Spring is here
and with it comes planning for the fall semester. You will soon be
receiving your notice from ACT, Inc. to confirm your information and order for
fall 2006. As you do your planning, there are some things to remember as
you consider your EXPLORE and PLAN testing dates.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>When your
district decided to participate the Oklahoma State Regents EPAS project, an
“authorized official” agreed to the following:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
color=olive face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;
color:olive'>Ø<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></font><font
size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Administer both EXPLORE to 8<sup>th</sup>
graders and PLAN to 10<sup>th</sup> graders</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
color=olive face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;
color:olive'>Ø<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></font><u><font
size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Administer both assessments to <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>all</span></b> students</span></font></u><font size=2
color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:
"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> (optional only for those who are developmentally
or physically disadvantaged)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
color=olive face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;
color:olive'>Ø<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></font><font
size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Test within the window designated by
OSRHE (State Regents)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
color=olive face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;
color:olive'>Ø<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></font><font
size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Return completed answer sheets to
arrive in Iowa City by the required date</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
color=olive face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;
color:olive'>Ø<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></font><font
size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Practice fiscal efficiency in the
ordering and caretaking of materials</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
color=olive face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;
color:olive'>Ø<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></font><font
size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Pay shipping fees if express shipping
is required as a result of late ordering</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
color=olive face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;
color:olive'>Ø<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></font><font
size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Pay shipping fees for materials
returned to ACT if the district withdraws before testing</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Most of you
are complying with this agreement. Something that concerns me, however,
is that some high schools are scheduling PLAN on the same day as PSAT and
encouraging some students to take PSAT and not the PLAN. I also have
heard that some schools give students the choice of taking EXPLORE and
PLAN. Not only does this violate your agreement but it leaves a huge gap
in your data which virtually invalidates the data for evaluating and planning
curriculum and instruction. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>We seem to
have failed to clearly communicate with some folks about the many valuable ways
of utilizing the EXPLORE, PLAN and ACT data in reviewing curriculum and
instruction as well as students’ readiness for college and the
workplace. One parent expressed concern that her daughter was encouraged
to take PSAT and had missed out on the wonderful career guidance information
provided by the PLAN.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>The testing
window for this fall is August 14 through October 18. As you plan for the
2006-2007 school year, please remember that your district has agreed to
“administer both assessments to <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>all</span></b>
students”.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>The Student
Preparation staff is available to provide professional development for
educators at your site, meet with a group of administrators, a team of
teachers, or other groups to meet your individual school needs. If we can
be of assistance to you, you are welcome to contact Cari Lousch (north of
I-40), <a href="mailto:clousch@osrhe.edu">clousch@osrhe.edu</a>; Matt Higdon
(south of I-40), <a href="mailto:mhigdon@osrhe.edu">mhigdon@osrhe.edu</a> or me,
<a href="mailto:cbrown@osrhe.edu">cbrown@osrhe.edu</a>. Our staff
assistant is Risa Johnson, <a href="mailto:rjohnson@osrhe.edu">rjohnson@osrhe.edu</a>,
can help you with many questions as well.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Cindy</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Cynthia Brown,
Ed.D.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Director of
Student Preparation</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=olive face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:olive'>Oklahoma State
Regents for Higher Education</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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