ACT required for all juniors

As many students enter their junior years of high school, changes are underway with the college entrance exam system. Until now, students could choose to take the ACT by providing the necessary financing and visiting a designated testing center.

Beginning in the spring, all juniors in Missouri will be required to take the ACT, with funding provided by the state and the location provided by the school.

“It’s a neat opportunity,” said Maryville High School Principal Thom Alvarez. “It allows an opportunity for students to take the test without having to worry about the cost. Now, the state will be paying for it.”

According to a report by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this will save Missouri parents approximately $4 million.

Additionally, approximately 70 percent of Maryville students took the ACT in 2013. The state average was 74 percent.

Alvarez said some students are hesitant to take the ACT because they are afraid to fail.

“I think some kids don’t look at college because they don’t realize they can do it,” he said. “Hopefully this will spur some interest in kids who don’t think they could go to college.”

The average ACT score for Maryville students is 22.2 compared to the state average of 21.8.

“With this new requirement, it presents a new challenge,” Alvarez said. “We already were above state average, but we don’t know what testing everyone will do in terms of making that score go up. Even though we don’t know if our average score will change, our expectation isn’t going to change.”

However, the school will face additional challenges with requiring every student to take the test.

“We are required to give it to every student regardless of their ability level and skills,” said high school counselor Becky Houtchens, “but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. We’re viewing it as a great opportunity for our students. They can take the test free of charge and give an opportunity to those who might not have considered taking the test. It might end up opening doors for them. We’re excited about the opportunity.”

This requirement was made partially due to the need for a universal high school testing method, Alvarez said.

“The state has been trying to find a comprehensive high school evaluation test,” he said. “Everyone has been offering suggestion when there was already a good barometer out there. All colleges are already recognizing the ACT. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, (the officials) said ‘this is already a test, let’s use that.’ If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. We have a good test, so let’s provide it to all the kids and give everyone an equal opportunity to take the test.”

Since the ACT is a universal readiness indicator recognized by all colleges, students are more likely to care about the test, said high school counselor Ashlee James.

“The ACT is already valid, reliable, researched and widely known,” she said. “It’s an official score used by colleges. Sometimes we struggle with other end of high school tests having no benefit or consequences to the students. The ACT means something to them. They have a vested interest in it.”

In order to assist teachers with ensuring successful scores, the high school is dedication its faculty professional development days to ACT preparation.

“We are focusing on what we can do in all subject areas,” Alvarez said. “We’re working on reading skills and vocabulary skills to help kids be more prepared to take the test. It’s not just a junior-level focus, it’s a whole-school focus to help make kids better test takers. Those skills will help with all facets of life.”

Alvarez hopes this requirement will have a positive affect on the school as a whole.

“Hopefully it will help our teachers focus on what is more important when it comes to educating,” he said.

Although teachers will be focusing on teaching ACT test-taking skills, Alvarez said this would not lead to teaching to the test, failing to include more diverse coursework.

“That was one of the drawbacks to other standardized tests, where it’s very specific,” Alvarez said. “The ACT is so broad that it’s very hard to teach to the test. It’s more about teaching the foundations of good education to all the kids and making sure their reading, writing and math skills are all strong. If they are, they’ll do well on the exam.”

According to the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, a student who receives a certain score is 50 percent more likely of obtaining a B or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing first-year college course.

“The ACT is a valid predictor of a student’s success in college,” James said. “The purpose of a high school is to prepare students for that next level. Having every student take the test is definitely good.”

The Missouri statewide test day is scheduled for April 28.