The Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) measures student achievement relative to the Illinois Learning Standards. It recognizes the excellent achievement of individual students whose scores qualify them for honors, and it measures the progress that schools have made in helping their students meet the Illinois Learning Standards. The PSAE comprises the ACT Assessment, Work Keys tests in reading and mathematics, and tests in writing, science, and social science developed by Illinois teachers and curriculum experts working in cooperation with the Illinois State Board of Education and its test development contractor. Grade 11 students took the PSAE in April/May 2004. Schools receive a summary report and school roster, individual reports for each student, and a student data file on disk or CD. Districts receive a summary report and copies of school summary reports. District superintendents also receive a District Summary, which is a roster of the results of all schools in the district for each of 21 comparison groups. In each subject, PSAE scores can range from 120 to 200. This document examines the meaning of the scores given on the PSAE.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provides this booklet to help in preparing for the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE). Part I of this booklet is an overview that answers some basic questions about the PSAE: What is it? What will it cover? When will it be given? Part II is a preparation guide for the five tests that are taken on Day 2 of the PSAE. This document contains sample questions for each subject of the test.

This handbook contains information for high school educators--teachers, curriculum coordinators, counselors, and principals--as they prepare students to take the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE). The first section explains the purpose of the PSAE, gives timelines and test-day schedules, and shows how the PSAE is constructed. The rest of the handbook provides an overview of each subject test (including keys that give answers to each item and identify the Illinois Learning Standard(s) that the item covers) and five appendices that contain the text of the Illinois law that mandates the PSAE, performance-level definitions for each PSAE subject, a report on the process that was used to set standards for the PSAE following its first administration, and the Day 1 and Day 2 student test-preparation booklets (Preparing for the ACT Assessment and the Overview and Preparation Guide for PSAE Day 2). As in previous years, the Day 2 booklet for grade 11 students contains sample test questions, answer keys, a writing prompt, and scored and annotated writing responses from a previous PSAE administration. The PSAE writing test section of this handbook contains additional prompts and one annotated sample response. Appended are: (1) 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64 State goals and assessment; (2) Performance-Level Definitions; (3) Setting Standards on the Prairie State Achievement Examination; (4) Preparing for the ACT Assessment, 2003-2004; and (5) Overview and Preparation Guide for PSAE Day 2.

PSAE Secrets helps you ace the Prairie State Achievement Exam, without weeks and months of endless studying. Our comprehensive PSAE Secrets study guide is written by our exam experts, who painstakingly researched every topic and concept that you need to know to ace your test. Our original research reveals specific weaknesses that you can exploit to increase your exam score more than you've ever imagined. PSAE Secrets includes: The 4 Secret Keys to PSAE Success: Guessing is Not Guesswork, Practice Smarter, Not Harder, Prepare, Don't Procrastinate, Test Yourself; A comprehensive Mathematics review including: The Easiest Math Review You'll Ever Read, Solving for Variables, Breezing Through Word Problems, Keeping Probability Simple, Using the Right Formulas, Graphing for Success, Racing Through Ratios, Understanding Line Plotting, Mastering Difficult Problems; A comprehensive Reading review including: Determining the Relationships, Making Strategic Eliminations, Recognizing Switchback Words, Understanding Word Types, Finding the Right Opportunities, When Truth Doesn't Equal Correctness, Avoiding the Trap of Familiarity, Making Logic Work for You, Skimming Techniques to Save Time; A comprehensive Writing-English review including: Simplicity is Bliss, Recognizing Parallelism, Understanding Grammar Type, Keys to Using Punctuation, Beware of Added Phrases, Clearing Up Word Confusion, Comparative Methods, Nonessential Sections, Maintaining the Flow, Serial Mistakes; A comprehensive Writing-Essay review including: Approaching a Topic, Brainstorming for Success, Picking a Main Idea, Starting Your Engines, Strength Through Diversity, Weeding Your Garden, Creating a Logical Flow, Avoiding the Panic, Checking Your Work; A comprehensive Social Science & Science review including: Strategic Choice Elimination, Using Similarities for Success, Experimental Explanations, How to Avoid Technicalities, Maintaining the Pace, Understanding the Flaws, and much more...

An introductory handbook for teachers that discusses first-timeadministration of the PSAE, including how the test is constructed and contains information about test-preparation materials, timelines, test-day schedules, and upcoming informational workshops.