《增强型ACT链接研究报告》

Test Structure and Changes - The enhanced ACT test will be introduced in April 2025, with a full rollout expected by spring 2026[1] - Key changes include a reduction in total test length and time, with the science section becoming optional and the composite score now based on English, Math, and Reading only[1][9] - The number of items in the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections has decreased by 35 (47%), 19 (32%), 13 (33%), and 6 (15%) respectively, resulting in a total of 108 items for the composite score[11][14] Study Design and Findings - A linking study conducted in June 2024 involved 6,882 students, comparing two enhanced forms and one traditional form[2][22] - Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the fit indices and factor loadings for the enhanced forms were similar to the traditional form, indicating structural equivalence[3][25] - Reliability for the EMRS composite score was 0.96 and for the EMR composite score was 0.94, slightly lower than the traditional form due to reduced test length[5][37] Performance Impact - Evidence suggests minor positive impacts on completion rates and students' perceptions of having enough time to complete the test[2][6] - The completion rate for the enhanced forms showed slight increases in some sections, with a 1-3% increase in completion rates for Reading and Science, while English and Math saw slight decreases[78][82] - The omission rates for the enhanced forms were lower in Science and Reading compared to the traditional form, indicating better engagement[88][94] Measurement Consistency - The enhanced ACT maintains the same scoring scale of 1-36 as the traditional ACT, ensuring score interchangeability[6][9] - The standard error of measurement (SEM) for the enhanced forms is similar to the traditional forms, with SEMs around 1 for composite scores and around 2 for section scores[5][37] - Classification consistency for college readiness benchmarks was estimated between 0.83 and 0.89 for enhanced forms, slightly lower than the traditional forms which ranged from 0.87 to 0.92[48][51]