ISSUE : Preparing for the ACT

By Christina Cooke, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.

Jan. 3–Eighth-grader Brittany Munro soon will have an idea how she will score on the ACT college entrance exam she will take as a high school junior. Like all eighth-graderseighth – eighth- graders in Hamilton County, the Ooltewah Middle School student took an ACT pretest offered systemwide in November for the first time since 2000. When she receives the results this month, she’ll learn her projected ACT score and more about her academic strengths and weaknesses.

“I thought I did pretty good,” Brittany said, “But there were a few things I was worried about, like whether I understood the questions or did some stuff right.”

Hamilton County Schools administered the Explore test to all eighth-graders and the Plan test to all 10th-graders10th – graders th-graders this school year with the help of $50,000 from the Lyndhurst Foundation. Jack Murrah, Lyndhurst president, said the foundation paid for the tests, both created by the ACT, to help ensure Hamilton County students leave high school prepared to do college work.

“Everybody is trying to get more attuned to aligning K-12 with college so there’s not this big jump between 12th grade and freshman year in terms of what students are expected to know and how well they’re expected to perform,” Mr. Murrah said.

Students’ performance on the ACT is a pretty good indication of how they will perform in their first college courses, he said.

The school system previously funded the Plan and Explore exams systemwide but stopped in 2000 when funding grew short, said Dr. Kirk Kelly, director of accountability and testing. The schools will consider paying for the exams next year if Gov. Phil Bredesen does not decide to offer them statewide, Dr. Kelly said.

The results of the two-hour exams in English, reading, math and science let students know what skills they need to improve and what courses they need to take to be ready for college, educators said. They said the exam results also help teachers design their instruction and parents know how to support their children from home.

Principal Pam Dantzler said the Explore exam was a challenge for many students at Ooltewah Middle because the questions were a lot longer than those they see on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program standardized test each year. “Any time kids take something that is so different from what they’re used to, it’s just like starting over with test-taking strategies and time management,” she said. “I think (the results) will serve as a wake-up call not only to students, but to the teachers. I’m sure as an administrator I will be getting a wake-up call, too.”

Ms. Dantzler said the school will hold sessions this month to teach parents how to interpret the results.

Debbie Gass, who teaches algebra at the school, said her students realize the importance of preparing well for the ACT.

“They know that doing well is very important in terms of HOPE scholarship money,” she said. “We reinforce that over and over again.”

Soddy-Daisy High Principal Robert Smith said the test has proven invaluable for his students. Soddy-Daisy parents have paid for their students to take the Plan exam each year since the district cut its funding.

“That whole package, the Explore, Plan and ACT, all needs to be done,” Mr. Smith said. “Otherwise, kids are just on their own, taking a stab in the dark and not knowing what their strengths and weaknesses are. It’s long overdue that we get back to testing all kids on a district initiative.”

E-mail Christina Cooke at ccooke@timesfreepress.com FAST FACTS The Plan exam is two hours long and asks 50 questions in English, 40 in math, 25 in reading and 30 in science.

The Explore exam also is two hours long and asks 40 questions in English, 30 in math, 30 in reading and 28 in science.

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Copyright (c) 2007, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.

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