Marietta High School students Seth McMillin, Tripp Presley, and Javi’on McCarroll, members of the district’s new ACT Prep class work to improve their test-taking skills.
The ACT is a standardized, strictly-timed college admissions test designed to assess readiness for college-level course work. The test is broken down into four multiple-choice sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, with an optional Writing test available. Students are scored from one to 36 in each of the sections and then given a composite score from one to 36.
The ACT is used by universities for admission, course placement, and scholarships, but it is also used – with the writing test included – by the State of Oklahoma as a standardized assessment to measure the performance of public school districts. Last year, Oklahoma students scored an average composite of 17.6, almost two points lower than the national average of 19.4. It is noteworthy, however, that all students take the ACT during their junior year of high school in Oklahoma, one of only nine U.S. states to test 100 percent of their students. It is also generally acknowledged that states with a lower percentage of students testing have higher scores, likely because those states test only college-bound students.
Regardless of that fact, because of the high stakes of the ACT test to Oklahoma public schools, the state average isn’t a lofty enough goal at Marietta High School. To that end, this year students are being offered an ACT Prep class in hopes of raising scores for the district. The course is an elective, offered two periods daily, and is taught by senior English teacher Danielle Neble. Students in the classes are primarily sophomore and junior students who are focused on preparing for the test. Studies show that students who familiarize themselves with test formats, learn to manage their time, use diagnostic testing to identify areas of strength and weakness so they can focus on weak areas, and practice regularly can see significant improvement in their ACT composite score. Many students in ACT prep classes raise their composite score by four or more points, which is a significant gain when it comes to the ACT.
Additionally, regular practice helps to reduce test anxiety. “The more test-taking strategies we can teach, and the more familiarity we can build, the better chance we give our students to succeed, hopefully raising those composite scores,” said Neble.
The ACT is administered periodically throughout the year at various locations, and all of Oklahoma’s juniors will take it at their respective high schools in April.