Orange County Public Schools

The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject-area tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. The ACT includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately three hours and 30 minutes to complete. All four-year colleges and universities in the United States accept the results.

www.actstudent.org.

Advanced Placement exams are designed to measure how well a student has mastery in nearly 40 courses that are instructed at most colleges and universities. A successful score could earn students credit and advanced placement in college, allowing them to save money or pursue more directed studies during their time in school.

www.apcentral.collegeboard.com/home

The Florida Standards Alternate Assessment is designed for students whose participation in general statewide assessment is not appropriate even with accommodations. The FSAA measures proficiency on Access Points. Access Points are academic expectations written specifically for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

www.fldoe.org/asp/altassessment.asp

ACCESS for ELLs measures the acquisition of the English language by our students for whom English is a second language. Kindergarten-12th grade ELL students take this assessment once per year. This assessment uses three tiers to maximize the accuracy and validity of the results. Alternate ACCESS for ELLs also is given once per year to first-12th-grade ELL students who have significant cognitive disabilities that prevent their meaningful participation in the ACCESS for ELLs assessment.

http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/fl-alternate-assessment.stml

Florida’s EOC assessments are computer-based criterion-referenced assessments that measure either the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards or the Florida Standards for specific courses as outlined in their course descriptions. Florida EOC assessments are currently offered in Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, U.S. History and Civics.

http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/end-of-course-eoc-assessments/

The FLKRS assessment gathers information about a child’s overall development and addresses each student’s readiness for kindergarten based on the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for 4 year-olds. This assessment also is used to calculate the VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate, which measures how well a VPK provider prepares 4 year-olds to be ready for kindergarten based on the standards.

http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/flkrs/

The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test is Florida’s customized common placement test. The purpose of the PERT is to determine accurate course placement based on the student’s skills and abilities for participation in dual enrollment programs. The PERT is aligned with the Postsecondary Readiness Competencies identified by Florida faculty as necessary for success in entry-level college credit coursework. The PERT assessment system includes placement and diagnostic tests in mathematics, reading and writing. This assessment also is used as a comparative score in Algebra I for students who have not met the Algebra I EOC graduation requirement when entering ninth grade on or before August 2018.

www.fldoe.org/fcs/pert.asp

The Preliminary SAT is a standardized assessment that provides practice for the SAT. It can determine students’ eligibility for National Merit Scholarship programs and gain them access to college- and career-planning tools. The PSAT measures critical reading skills, mathematics, problem-solving skills and writing skills. These results can be linked to the Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org/sat), which provides customized online tutorials to increase student performance on the SAT.

www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html

The SAT is designed to assess academic readiness for college. It assesses reading, writing and mathematics, and results are accepted by all colleges and universities in the United States. The assessment consists of 10 sections that take a total of three hours and 45 minutes to complete.

www.sat.collegeboard.org/home

Orange Technical College is home to the only official GED® testing sites in Orange County. We take pride in helping individuals reach their goals through successful completion of their GED®.

Effective January 1, 2014 the pencil-and-paper version of the GED® test was replaced with a computer-based test and scores for partially completed GED® tests were discarded. Those who took, but did not pass all five parts of the previous version, had until the end of 2013 to pass or take the new 2014 GED® test in order to receive their high-school credential. Individuals who successfully complete the GED® test will be awarded a State of Florida High School Diploma.

Underage students (ages 16-17) must speak with their high-school guidance counselor before withdrawing from school to attempt the GED® course of study. Prospective underage testers must have exhausted all alternative means of getting back on track and have an extraordinary circumstance that would prevent them from continuing their regular high-school studies. Underage testing is conducted in accordance with Orange County School Board policy and the Department of Education. In the state of Florida, GED® candidates must be at least 18 years of age or older unless they have been granted a GED® underage waiver. Underage waivers are obtained during the registration process at www.ged.com.

GED® Preparation courses are also offered through Orange Technical College and include instruction and coursework in the four tested content areas: reasoning through language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. These full-time or part time classes are available during the day or evening at sites throughout Orange County.