Beth in Central TX Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I decided to ask about the EXPLORE results through the Duke TIP inquiry webpage. Here is the response I received: "No one has received scores yet because of a delay, they are going out this week from ACT." Jusy FYI: DS #1 took the test on January 26th; we just went past the 7 week mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 And not to put too fine a point on it... whether they've fixed the problem yet or if I'm going to be waiting till May! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom23reds Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 What's interesting is that I've been told TWICE that the forms were mailed the week before...from two different locations. The first time I was told they were mailed in early March (March 3rd or 4th) from Iowa. The next time I was told they were mailed from Duke around March 10th or 11th. I still haven't received anything and my son took the test on January 26th also. I think I'll call them again today and see what's up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 What's interesting is that I've been told TWICE that the forms were mailed the week before...from two different locations. The first time I was told they were mailed in early March (March 3rd or 4th) from Iowa. The next time I was told they were mailed from Duke around March 10th or 11th. I still haven't received anything and my son took the test on January 26th also. I think I'll call them again today and see what's up. Let me know what they say -- I'm insanely curious to know what the deal is, but I can't exactly call and say "Mine aren't extra early! What's up??" LOL As of this weekend though we're "in range" for reports to arrive... I mean provided the February ones aren't delayed too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom23reds Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 I just talked with them and the reports were mailed out, "Monday and Tuesday, March 17th and 18th." So we should see results soon. I'm hoping that my mailbox has results in it today when I get home from work. Then I can see if they'll be helpful in arguing my case that he needs to be in Algebra I next year in 6th grade. I don't homeschool simply because I'm the primary breadwinner and DH isn't one to put into action a learning plan with the kids. The boys are at Harmony Science Academy, but #1 son will not be returning next year. He's in 5th grade (11 years old) but is in 6th grade Math right now. He's making a 99 average without breaking a sweat. I'm hoping he'll be able to pass the Credit By Exam for the 7th grade Math and will do well on released TAKS versions of 7th & 8th grade Math so that they'll then assess him with the Algebra readiness test (whatever that is). I'll let you know when I get my results. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexiR Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 I'm just crashing the party here to share that our long awaited Explore results arrived just today (Jan date via C-MITES). They were allegedly shipped out Friday, but actually postmarked Monday. Hope everyone waiting has the end of that agony in their mailbox as well! (Hi Erica!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 I'm just crashing the party here to share that our long awaited Explore results arrived just today (Jan date via C-MITES). They were allegedly shipped out Friday, but actually postmarked Monday. Hope everyone waiting has the end of that agony in their mailbox as well! (Hi Erica!!!) Yay!! And just two more days before I can start wondering why mine haven't come yet! LOL ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 Well, I was hoping to get my son's results by today, but I didn't. Maybe tomorrow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted March 22, 2008 Author Share Posted March 22, 2008 We received my son's results today; it took exactly 8 weeks from the date he took the test. I think he did well, but his math score was lower than expected. He's doing pre-algebra this year, but after talking to him, it appears the test had more Algebra questions which we didn't anticipate. When my next son takes the EXPLORE, I think I will have him do some Algebra prep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 We received my son's results today; it took exactly 8 weeks from the date he took the test. I think he did well, but his math score was lower than expected. He's doing pre-algebra this year, but after talking to him, it appears the test had more Algebra questions which we didn't anticipate. When my next son takes the EXPLORE, I think I will have him do some Algebra prep. I figured I wouldn't even get my hopes up that DS's report was on its way until all the January ones had arrived ;) If you want a rundown of what is on the test at various levels, there's a nice summary at http://www.act.org/standard/index.html -- it gives you a really good idea how the scores line up with particular skills, and which particular skills are tested. Last year DS had such an issue with the time limit that I'm not sure if we got a really valid picture of his skills, but this year I think he sped up quite a bit... so we'll see! Glad your wait is over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 Thank you so much for the link! Sometimes I feel so sorry for my oldest son because he truly is the guinea pig of our school. I usually find things out too late to help him, but at least it does benefit his brothers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Thank you so much for the link! Sometimes I feel so sorry for my oldest son because he truly is the guinea pig of our school. I usually find things out too late to help him, but at least it does benefit his brothers. Unfortunately I have only the one, so I need to be on top of things! ;) Yay for the internet (and for friends with older kids who can light the way!!) Anyway, glad I could pass it along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexiR Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Beth, My son's math score was lower than I expected as well, which surprised me because that has always been his peak strength. This year it was right on par with most of the other subjects. I think he made careless mistakes and had "ceiling" issues, despite only hitting an 18. He also took the SAT shortly thereafter, and topped your average high school senior, which should correspond to higher than an 18. Also, what I see daily indicates a very good mastery of 8th grade material. I guess my point is to not get too hung up by any one number that doesn't seem inline with where you think it should be. There are many reasons why a score can be an underestimate! Congrats on doing well overall...hope it was worth the wait (like we had a choice!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 Hi LexiR, Thank you for the encouragement. Overall, I really am pleased with my son's scores. Like your son, my oldest is very strong in math which is why I was so surprised; his math score was also an 18. He did extremely well in English though by scoring a 23, so this added to the surprise of the lower than expected math score. I'm very impressed with the personalized score report we recevied. As I was looking through it, most of his noted areas of improvement for math had to do with the more advanced concepts of Algebra and Geometry that he hasn't covered yet, such as adding and subtracting algebraic expressions and solving 2-step equations. As I talked to him about the test, we concluded that his lack of algebra exposure limited his math score, but it's nice to see it supported by the score report recommendations for skill improvement. My son will take the SAT next fall through the Duke TIP program. I'll follow the recommendations to improve his math skills from this test, and we'll see if that helps. Unfortunately, my son also makes careless math mistakes, especially during a testing environment where he feels rushed to get done. It's been a struggle for me as I try to encourage him to move at a speed to get the test done, but not too fast so that he doesn't make careless mistakes. I think this balance will just take time and testing experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexiR Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I've never really looked at that back side before...I wonder if it's based on raw score, or actual test question response. Maybe your kid got all the hard ones right, and missed the easy ones, kwim? But I know have 4 reports (two kids, two years) with hopefully at least some common ground between them. There is a finesse involved with taking these tests, and I'm sure my own son is a bit immature to really have that down as well. I can't wait to get the SAT detailed report, to see if he answered every question or not. My older daughter took the SAT earlier, and her verbal score was merely "okay". After getting the report, I was shocked to see she'd attempted every single question! She's not that "out there" in verbal areas, and should have taken a pass on the more obviously harder questions. My son is really cocky too. He won't use a calculator or even paper if he feels he can do the problem in his head. He rushes and makes mistakes sometimes just for "thinking too fast". Anyway, best wishes with your three boys! I don't even homeschool, but got slurped in for the chance to vent Explore Wait Frustration! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom23reds Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 We just received my son's scores today (8 weeks 2 days after taking the test). He too had a low score in Math (16) but did extremely well in all other areas. That is unusual considering he's easily handling 7th grade Math I'm throwing at him and moving through 8th grade Math now also. His composite was 94%, Math 64%, Science 99%, Reading 88%, English 96%, Usage 93%, and Rhetorical 100%. Now to go home and read over all the information -- this is what hubby reported via phone. I know that Ro had problems with the calculator. He's not allowed to use calculators at school so he was trying to use the calculator when he'd have been better off just using scratch paper and working the problems on paper as he is accustomed to. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexiR Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Wow, he did great Susan, math aside! I'm starting to get suspicious of the math scoring though....LOL! Only half kidding there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom23reds Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 What is interesting is until I got home and saw that he scored better than 64% of 8th grade students, I was feeling kind of bummed about his scores. Now I feel pretty darned good that as a 11 year old he scored so well. He turned 11 just days before the test on January 21st. This gives me some strong ammunition to use on the school district to advance him next year in most areas. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexiR Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Oh yeah, the math is great too! I didn't mean to suggest otherwise Susan. It just seemed like we were both expecting more in that area. The scores as they stand are quite good!!! Best wishes with your advocacy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom23reds Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I love the lines on page 2 of the Brochure under "Keeping Things in Perspective": However, 4th/5th Grade Talent Search students should not expect to score as high as eighth graders. Remember, the EXPLORE test was meant to be challenging to you. Considering he did as well as he did, I'd say that the ceiling may not have been high enough! I agree that the Math score is still pretty good -- even if it was his lowest score. I know that some things I need to work with him on include order of operations, calculator use skills, and scientific notation. Those are the eighth grade level skills (according to Texas) that he is having some problems with right now. I just wish he'd apply himself a bit more in classes, though I know exactly where he's coming from. As my Mom says, "He's your payback because he's exactly like you were and now you're experiencing what I did with you." If it doesn't interest me or I can't see an immediate application for it, I don't bother. Which meant that most of the time I was barely scraping by in History and English. I loved computer science, physics, chemistry, and math so I excelled in those classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 My dd got her results today, and I understand how to interpret them-- but I don't really know what to make of them. Do you know of any kind of trajectory? Like if a 5th grader scores at the 80th percentile, how would they likely score in 8th grade? Someone said "High test scores could open up opportunities for more testing though." What is a high score? TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Never mind, this answers my question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Never mind, this answers my question. From what I've seen (there and elsewhere) it looks like the expected "gain" is about 2 points per year in each subtest. For a "how high is high" on the upper ends of the spectrum, you can also look at the Davidson Young Scholars program -- the Explore qualifies for part of the application. DS hasn't gotten his report yet and I'm crawling out of my skin!!! LOL You're the second Feb. testing I've heard to arrive this week, so it must be close! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 My dd got her results today, and I understand how to interpret them-- but I don't really know what to make of them. I don't know which search you went thourgh, but with MATS, we received interpretation information a few weeks after we received our scores last year, IIRC. They gave different categories, based on the scores in each subject, so that you could better plan your dc's academic career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Our scores are here. We also had lower math scores than expected. They usually score pretty evenly in math/science and English/reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Our scores are here. We also had lower math scores than expected. They usually score pretty evenly in math/science and English/reading. Yay! I got mine today too! I don't know that I could say his math was "low" (although I think it could have been higher...) Math and Science and Reading were all fine with Math highest, and English was a little low, but that sounds about right for him. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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