Sunday, September 23, 2012

ACT TESTING






The ACT® test—for 11th- and 12th-grade students

The ACT is America's most widely accepted college entrance exam. It assesses high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.
  • The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
  • The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skills in planning and writing a short essay.


Visit The Official Website to register Today!!!




It's Time to Begin Planning Courses for Next Year

A New Year, a New Start

It's the season to make a fresh start, whether you're resolving to eat better, to save money or to learn a new skill. It's also the time for students to begin planning courses for next year. Whether your student is in middle school or almost in college, it's time to check progress and think about the future.

A high school diploma doesn't necessarily mean students are ready for college courses or job training.

College courses and job training are more difficult than most students realize.
  • Help your student understand how learning opens up options for the future.
  • Analyze grades and test scores to see what needs work.
  • Talk with teachers to find out how to build on academic strengths, especially those areas that are important to career interests.

Talk with your student about careers and college.

  • Paint a picture of what's ahead so he or she knows why hard work now is important.
  • Guide your student to make decisions based on interests and not on the opinions of others.
It's never too early to plan for the future, and missteps can always be corrected with redirection and hard work. For more help on college planning, visit ACT's college planning checklist.


ACT Advancing Lives

In this issue



US Students Aren’t Ready for College and CareerSuccess in college and career is at risk for a large percentage of likely college-bound 2012 US high school graduates. Each year ACT releases The Condition of College & Career Readiness report, which provides information about how graduating seniors performed on the ACT test. More than 1.66 million 2012 graduates—52 percent of the entire US graduating class—took the exam. For the class of 2012, ACT research showed that:

Just 25 percent of 2012 ACT-tested high school graduates met or surpassed all four of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. These benchmarks are minimum scores needed on an ACT subject-area test (English, Mathematics, Science, or Reading) to indicate a 50 percent chance of earning a B or higher or a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in a typical first-year college course in that subject area.

A total of 60 percent of ACT-tested 2012 graduates met no more than two of the four College Readiness Benchmarks.

More than a fourth (28 percent) did not meet any of ACT’s four College Readiness Benchmarks.

The national average composite score this year was 21.1.

The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest possible score.

The percent of graduates ready to succeed in college coursework remains the highest in English (67 percent).
That percentage is followed by reading (52 percent), mathematics (46 percent), and science (31 percent). State-level initiatives related to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) might have helped improve students’ readiness in math and science slightly.

A record number of test takers took the ACT.
A record 52 percent of the entire US graduating class took the ACT, including virtually all students in nine states. This represents a record level of participation for the eighth consecutive year.

The majority of graduates seek to attain at least a two-year post secondary degree.
About 87 percent of all 2012 ACT-tested high school graduates aspired to attain at least a two-year post secondary degree, regardless of race/ethnicity.

For more information, please read the national report or your state report.


New ACT Test Registration ProceduresStarting this school year, students who want to take the ACT test will be required to upload a recognizable photo of themselves to complete the registration process. The photo will be printed on the student’s ACT ticket, which is required for admission on test day, and on the roster that testing staff use to check students in. This change is being made to increase test security measures and ensure a level and fair playing field for all students who take the ACT.

Photos can be submitted with a computer or a mobile device, such as a smart phone or tablet. Students who aren’t able to submit a photo electronically can send in a hard copy paper photo through the mail.

ACT—like the vast majority of students—understands the importance of honest test scores. We also know the importance of ensuring that students maintain access to the educational opportunities that the ACT test provides. Our enhanced procedures will help us continue to achieve both objectives.

Complete details about the photo upload process, including frequently asked questions, are available on the ACT Student website.


Preparing Students for College and Twenty-First Century CareersYou may have recently read or heard about ACT’s next generation assessment system in the news, including Forbes Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Fox Business.

This first-of-a-kind digital assessment system:
  • Connects student performance from early elementary grades to high school.
  • Measures students’ achievement and behaviors relative to goals.
  • Helps students, parents, and teachers know whether students are on track for becoming college and career ready.
  • Provides insights on how to build on students’ strengths and address weaknesses, both in and out of the classroom.
  • Links to ACT’s College Readiness Standards and Benchmarks.
  • Offers an integrated, multidimensional approach to college and career readiness.
Anchored by the ACT test, the system will address the gap between the skills students are learning in school and the skills they will need to succeed in college and careers in the increasingly competitive global economy. ACT research indicates that assessment and intervention provided earlier in students’ academic careers improves their chances of succeeding in school and reaching their college and career goals.

More information about our next generation assessment system—including its official name—will be forthcoming. ACT Parent will keep you up to date. In the meantime, check out our website for more details.


Helping Juniors Plan AheadIf you’re a parent of a high school junior, you may be wondering what you can do to help prepare your student for life after high school. Here are a few tips:

Talk and listen. You have an influence on your student’s decision-making process more than you realize. Keep the lines of communication open and find out your student’s interests, goals, and aspirations.

Explore. The junior year is the perfect time to investigate colleges and careers. Encourage your teen to attend college fairs, visit college campuses, and gain work experience through volunteer activities or jobs.

Focus. Juniors have time to gain ground if they’ve been slacking or to take more challenging courses to better meet college or workplace training requirements. Encourage your student to maintain good grades, as colleges will be paying close attention to the junior and senior years.

Connect. A strong relationship with a school counselor can keep your student on track for college and career readiness. Persuade your teen to discuss career and educational plans with a school counselor.

Learn. Attending financial and scholarship presentations while your student is a junior will help you to be more prepared and have fewer surprises than if you wait until your student is a senior. Take advantage of these presentations when they are offered at your student’s high school.

Grow. Colleges and employers seek people who are well rounded. Help your teen gain knowledge and experience though college prep courses, extracurricular activities, community service opportunities, job shadows, or work training programs.

Prepare. High school students should register to take the ACT test sometime around the spring of their junior year. Test dates and registration deadlines are listed at the end of this newsletter. Taking rigorous high school courses is the best preparation, but your student may also benefit from free and low-cost prep tools.


2012-2013 ACT Test Date Schedule

Test DateRegistration Deadline(Late Fee Required)
October 27, 2012September 21, 2012September 22-October 5, 2012
December 8, 2012November 2, 2012November 3-16, 2012
February 9, 2013*January 11, 2013January 12-18, 2013
April 13, 2013March 8, 2013March 9-22, 2013
June 8, 2013May 3, 2013May 4-17, 2013

*No test centers are scheduled in New York for the February test date.

Thanks for reading. Please encourage others to subscribe to ACT Parent!

As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have questions or suggestions about future topics, please contact us at actparent@act.org.

Copyright © 2012 ACT, Inc., All rights reserved.


Frequently Asked Questions about the ACT® Test

Check out our student site, actstudent.org
Does your student need to send ACT scores?
View the tutorial (Opens new window.)

Using EXPLORE, PLAN and ACT test scores
The ACT test is a college entrance exam covering English, reading, math, and science. It measures what students have learned in high school, so taking the right courses is important. The minimum recommended high school courses are:
  • four years of English
  • three years each of mathematics (algebra and higher), natural sciences, and social sciences

Visit this link for Information on the ACT Test
http://www.act.org/path/parent/tests/aap.html

http://www.actstudent.org/

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