Starting next fall, IHS freshmen will be required to take a pre-ACT test as soon as they start the school year, USD 257 school board members decided Monday night.
The test is a good predictor of how a student will score on the actual ACT test, typically taken during a student?s junior or senior year as part of a college preparation assessment. Some colleges and universities require a minimum score for admittance.
By taking the preliminary test, students will have a better idea where they need to focus skills, Iola High School principal Scott Crenshaw told the board.
Crenshaw said a student who scores poorly on the pre-ACT is likely to score poorly on the ACT and may be better suited going to a community college or a trade school rather than a four-year college or university.
Knowing that information, along with other assessment tools that match a student?s interest with possible careers, can better prepare for future goals, Crenshaw said.
School staff can meet with a student and parent during the fall of their freshman year to discuss the score and the student?s interests, and map out a plan for the next four years. Students can set out on a path with classes likely to lead to learning a trade or attend a technical college, or they can take a path aimed at attending a community college or four-year school after graduation.
A poor score need not quash a student?s desire to attend college. Rather, armed with that knowledge, it can act as a guide to remedial courses to better prepare them for college.
The new plan also would be flexible enough for students to switch their paths, such as a student who intends to go to a trade school but decides instead to go to college.
?In theory, we can have all four years mapped out for this student. If they say this isn?t what I want, then we can move on from there,? Crenshaw said.
USD 257 is modeling its new plan after a similar one at Columbus.
The cost of requiring all freshmen to take the pre-ACT test is minimal, Crenshaw said. Each test costs $14 to score, with between 80 to 90 total freshmen each year for a cost of less than $1,300 each year.
The board unanimously approved the change.
USD 257 Board of Education member Jennifer Taylor talks about a program to address the problem of vaping in schools, during a recap of a state school board convention. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS
