Teaching for Success on the ACT

Teaching for Success on the ACT

CCS's and the ACT - What's a School to Do?

Goals: To familiarize classroom teachers (English, social studies, math, science, and special education) with ACT College Readiness Standards and show their relationship to CCSs and the ACT and its earlier versions (EXPLORE, PLAN). Teachers will learn classroom strategies that they can incorporate into their daily lesson plans. The focus of this seminar is on classroom practices and not on preparing teachers to become

Teachers will learn

* To identify overlapping CCS and ACT College Readiness Standards
* General principles for teaching English, reading, math, and science for success
* Strategies for improving reading comprehension and developing vocabulary * Strategies for retaining mathematical concepts longer.
* How to build bridges connections between what students know and test demands
* Six research principles for teaching the science test Six research principles that are the primary focus of the science test

The ACT has awarded its Red Quill Award for exemplary use of ACT resources to two schools that have used the FOL program: Seckmann (2010) and Brentwood (2011).

Facilitators: Dr. Ene-Kaja Chippendale and Dr. Gary Moss have over twenty years of experience working with both students and teachers to raise ACT scores. Drs. Moss and Chippendale have presented workshops across the state. The have authored ACT workbooks that include content review and practices exercises and that are updated annually to reflect subtle changes in the ACT test. Their materials are widely used in Missouri.

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EOC's, the ACT and now CCSS?

By now, most school districts know the new standards are coming. They don't know what the new standards are, they don't know when the new tests are coming, but the new "Common Core State Standards", adopted by Missouri in June of 2010, are on their way. Who's involved? According to ACT, the Common Core States Standards Initiative "is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)" (National Core Common Standards-An Update, 2011).

The good news is that the new standards, at least the ones that have been written (some, including the science standards won't be ready until at least 2013) are not substantially different than the ACT Readiness Standards. ACT helped develop the new standards. Consequently, schools that teach for success with the ACT will continue to improve on the current EOC exams and be well positioned when the new CCSS and the assessment to accompany then arrive.

Evaluations from past participants:

I wasn't expecting the in-depth breakdown of the ACT. I appreciated a more thorough understanding of the test. I feel better prepared to help my students.

This workshop was more than what I expected! I truly appreciate the CD with sample problems and the handout with the color-coded objectives will be invaluable!

This is the best PDC I have been to in years! Thank you!

We actually were taught and then we did something-we applied.

I hate PDSs, but this was excellent.

This workshop presented a variety of reading strategies that are useful daily and in testing situations.

I was looking for ways to improve teaching the methods of the ACT and that's what I got!

The workshop offers real answers to real problems.