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
SAFETY and security issues were among the big topics covered at a recent Kansas Association of School Boards convention. Board members who attended talked about what they learned.
Representatives from the Lawrence school district talked about simple exercises to build relationships with students and make sure they have adults they can talk to about difficult issues, board member Doug Dunlap reported. They also talked about programs to encourage firearm safety and a website where students can report bullying and threats.
A separate session from the Lawrence district covered digital inequality, estimating 15% to 25% of students who receive free or reduced-price lunches do not have access to Wi-Fi internet service at home. The district now allows students to check out a device that will allow them to connect to internet service via a cellular phone tower.
