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College Admissions. Mission Statement. "To ensure that all students graduate with the skills necessary to attend a college, university, technical college, or training program — and succeed.". Minnesota State Mandated Testing. Minnesota Legislation
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Mission Statement "To ensure that all students graduate with the skills necessary to attend a college, university, technical college, or training program — and succeed."
Minnesota State Mandated Testing • Minnesota Legislation The state legislature has adopted the Common Core State Standards and established a new state testing program beginning with the 2014-15 school year • ACT Explore Grade 8 • Tests given November 3 - 21 • ACT PLAN Grade 10 • Tests given November 3 – 21
Mandated Testing Continued • ACT • Minnesota now requires all 11th graders to take the ACT to graduate • Intended to measure a student’s college and career readiness • You do not have to pay for this administration • The state ACT testing date is Tuesday, April 28, 2015
ACT Test Dates National Test Dates in Black • October 25, 2014 • December 13, 2014 • February 7, 2015 • April 18, 2015 • April 28, 2015 – All 11th grade students in Minnesota take ACT • June 13, 2015 Forest Lake is a testing center for all dates.
ACT Test Registration • www.actstudent.org • Register at least 6 weeks in advance of the test date • Plan at least an hour to sign up -Interest survey -Upload photo -Select testing center • Note: You only have to register and pay for any national testing your child wishes to take
What’s the Big Deal? The ACT is not just an achievement test. It is a competition for scholarship dollars and college admissions. • College selection: Check with admissions offices for the average score needed for entrance. • Scholarships: A score of 28 is a huge benchmark for significant scholarship money for many universities. For some private schools, a 30–31 is the benchmark.
High School Prepatory Courses • College Prep Composition • Literature course • Math through Pre-Calculus, including Trig • Science courses (need to be able to analyze charts, tables, & other data)
How to prepare for the ACT • Community Education Sponsored Test Prep http://www.forestlake.k12.mn.us/community_education/programs/ (651) 982-8110 or (651) 982-8120 • Doorway to College ZAPPING the ACT $89 (9am–3pm one day) October 4th or March 28th (Saturdays) • PrepStar Premium June 8-11th $329 (four 6.5 hour sessions) • PrepStarBlast Jan 20, April 1st (No School Mondays) $89 (one 6.5 hour session) • ACT website practice exams • Naviance Method Test Prep • Take rigor in class choices
PrepStar PrepStar Premium ($329) offers:2 Point Guarantee • 24 hours of classroom prep • Extensive content review (each subject area) • Effective testing strategies • Ti84 calculator programs (students ADORE these!) • Math & science specialists • PrepStar Blast ($89) offers: • 6 hours of prep • Overview of ACT test format and testing strategies • Take home ACT test with online scoring • PrepStarPlus ($139)offers: • One on One tutoring for three hours • For students that have already participated in a PrepStar course and want to work on specific areas
Zapping the ACT TheZAPPING the ACT programoffers: • Focused – a focus on test-taking strategies • Effective – score increases from 2 – 4 points • Engaging – kids are actively involved and taught by experienced presenters that make this class fun. • Time sensitive – only five hours, one Saturday; your child is busy! • Materials – a backpack-friendly student workbook and four subject-area Workout booklets with 24 shortened practice tests • Affordable – only $89.99 including materials
Method Test Prep • Offered through student’s Naviance Account • Provides practice exams, sample questions, weekly skill development activities, and explains certain concepts. • Free
Method Test Prep • Student should access the high school website and click on the Naviance tab on the homepage • Naviance login for students is the same as what student use to login on school computers • Once in Naviance, students should be on the “Family Connections” home page. Click on the link “Method Test Prep” on the left side of the screen • Students should “Signup” for Method Test Prep by creating a user name and password. Students will then be able to access a variety of ACT/SAT test prep as well as various activities for skill development • After an account is made and student is logged into Method Test Prep, students can click on the “ACT” tab and see a variety of activities including weekly activities, evaluation tests, lessons and quizzes on content, practice questions, and practice exams
Is retaking the ACT worth it? Students who take the exam a 2nd time • 57% of students increase their composite score • Typical increase was 1–2 points • 21% had no change • 22% decreased Students who take the exam a 3rd time • Only 10% improve their score! • Things to consider: College entrance requirements, scholarships