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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">OK Educators & Friends,</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:6.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="color:#1F497D">Hope you are having a good summer. It was good to see some of you at the Vision 2020 conference last week.
</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="color:#1F497D">The Student Preparation Team needs to clarify some information given at the conference regarding the future of the ACT</span><span style="color:#282828">®</span><span style="color:#1F497D">,
ACT Explore</span><span style="color:#282828">®</span><span style="color:#1F497D"> and ACT Plan</span><span style="color:#282828">®</span><span style="color:#1F497D">.</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:115%">
<span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#1F497D">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">The ACT will continue to be the primary college admissions assessment for Oklahoma for the foreseeable future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:115%">
<span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#1F497D">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">There will be NO changes to the ACT Explore and ACT Plan assessments for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years.</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:115%">
<span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#1F497D">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">Beginning with the 2015-16 academic year ACT Aspire™ will replace ACT Explore and ACT Plan.</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#1F497D">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">ACT Aspire will follow the original philosophy of ACT Explore and ACT Plan fostered in Oklahoma 20 years ago and will be based on the same College Readiness Standards and anchored to the ACT which will still be the primary
college admissions/placement assessment for Oklahoma higher education.</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt"><span style="color:#1F497D">So the bottom line is: there is NOTHING to be concerned about at this time. The Oklahoma State Regents are committed to following through on our social justice commitment established
25 years ago. </span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt"><span style="color:#1F497D">As we move forward, the State Regents Student Preparation Team will continue to serve you through paying for the ACT Explore for 8<sup>th</sup> graders and the ACT Plan for 10<sup>th</sup>
graders, free onsite professional development, consultations, etc. </span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt"><span style="color:#1F497D">As ACT Explore and ACT Plan are replaced by ACT Aspire, we will evaluate its appropriateness for our mission.
</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt"><span style="color:#1F497D">For additional information on the transition to ACT Aspire:
</span><u><span style="color:blue"><a href="http://www.discoveractaspire.org/pages/home">http://www.discoveractaspire.org/pages/home</a></span></u><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#282828">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">and</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="http://www.act.org/announce/improvements/index.html">http://www.act.org/announce/improvements/index.html</a></span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D"> </span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D">Thanks for allowing us to serve Oklahoma students,</span><span style="color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="line-height:150%;color:#1F497D">Cindy</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1F497D">Cynthia Brown, Ed.D.</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1F497D">Director, Student Preparation</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1F497D">Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="color:#282828"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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