"ACT" their age: test prep

Many of you remember it like it was yesterday.  It was an early Saturday morning and there were several students hanging out around the testing site that you were not familiar with.  You were stressed because you didn’t know what you had gotten yourself into, and all you remember your parents saying before you left the house, was not to waste their money on a bad performance.  You checked your wallet multiple times for your ID as well as your ticket for entry while you hoped that the two pencils that you brought with you would make it through the test.  As you entered the testing room, all you could think about was finishing with a respectable outcome. Yes, we all remember how the ACT made us feel on test day.  Instruction and guidance was limited.  Sadly, the only advice I received from my teachers was to dull the lead of my two number two pencils down so that I could fill the answer bubbles in more efficiently (It’s True!).  Decades have passed and the ACT is still the most recognized assessment that colleges observe to gauge collegiate readiness out of high school.  While anxiety can still find its way into the minds of students on test day, when it comes to preparing for the ACT in the Rankin County School District, our students are quite fortunate. Today, students are far more equipped regarding preparation for the assessment.  Most of our juniors are scheduled into an ACT Prep class that rotates throughout the year to focus on the four key areas of the test (English, Mathematics, Reading, & Science).  Our students receive a Boot Camp that is led by Mr. Montgomery Hinton, who is a wonderful resource for all of our students.  These very students also benefit from a free ACT, paid for by the Rankin County School District.  Furthermore, students who show the most growth within the calendar year while taking the ACT are eligible for monetary rewards provided by the district through its sponsors. In many ways, the ACT has grown in importance as more and more students graduate from high school and seek a collegiate education.  As you well know, a good performance on the test can lead to scholarships for colleges of all levels.  Our students understand this and have prepared appropriately. On October 6, our juniors, along with many seniors, will take the ACT at Pelahatchie High School.  Again, they are quite fortunate to have the many different resources that the Rankin County School District makes available to them.  However, support from school is not enough.  If you have a family member that is taking the ACT, provide some positive words of encouragement; it will go a long way in boosting their morale towards the task at hand.  Also, make sure they get a good night’s rest as well as a nice breakfast so that they are energized for the day’s work. To close, best of luck to those that are taking the ACT this upcoming week.  Thank you as well for providing the extra support at home to move our students in the appropriate direction.  Go Chiefs!