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Utah Aspire Plus retires English subtest; reading scores remain and will be issued quickly
Summary
Assessment staff said at a recorded webinar that the Utah Aspire Plus English subtest has been retired due to revised standards and the shift of language standards into writing; reading scores will still be reported and should be available within 24 hours of testing.
Utah State Board of Education assessment staff announced that the Utah Aspire Plus English subtest for grades 9–10 has been retired and will not be administered this year, reducing overall testing time by roughly 45 minutes.
Megan Lopez, secondary English language arts assessment specialist, said the retirement stems from the 2023 ELA standards revision, which moved many language standards into writing. Because the board’s rule limits summative writing to grades 5 and 8, staff said they cannot administer a test that would require student‑produced writing in grades 9–10 and therefore removed the English subtest.
Despite the removal, staff said reading will continue to be assessed on Utah Aspire Plus. The reading subtest remains a timed, fixed‑form test with 35 operational items and 10 field‑test items and a 75‑minute time limit; staff said reading proficiency and a predicted ACT reading score will still be reported, and an overall ACT composite predicted score will continue to be provided. The presenters said the Utah Aspire Plus reading scores are not delayed and should be available within 24 hours of test completion.
Staff noted minor blueprint changes—slightly more emphasis on informational passages by percentage—but said the reading test platform, time allowance and item counts remain largely unchanged. Performance level descriptors for Aspire Plus reading have been updated and are available on the RISE portal; presenters encouraged teachers to use the practice tests and PLDs to help students develop time‑management skills for the timed subtest.
Presenters again pointed attendees to posted resources and the webinar recording and said staff will respond to follow‑up questions by email if districts or teachers contact them.
