Administration Offers Free ACT Prep Course

The administration designed a free ACT prep course in an effort to get more students to take the ACT and increase students’ confidence going into the exam, according to an email sent out by Principal John McKinney to students Tuesday.

The email announced the course’s launch and provided more information about the new prep course.

To access the class, students will enroll on Google Classroom with the password sent in the email. The course offers a range of options depending on how far along the student is in the preparation process.

Students wanting to learn more about the ACT can access general information on the classroom’s first post. Those who are planning on taking the ACT can complete an intensive 7-week program. The course will be offered for every ACT test date this upcoming school year.

Instructional coach Kristoffer Barikmo designed the course by compiling pre-existing material. He decided to use Google Classroom because most students already have accounts and are familiar with the website.

“You don’t know what [resources] are good and what is not,” Barikmo said. “So our hope was [to] isolate those pieces that are good, and that we have vetted. We use [material] that is already existing from ACT or other free test prep that we have access to, and we put it in one place.”

Although there was a prep class offered at East, McKinney felt that the program could be stronger. He recognizes that performance on the ACT can determine what schools you can get into, but also can provide money.

“We’re taking it really seriously,” McKinney said. “We’re trying to figure out a way for students to learn more about the ACT — whether they’re just starting to get into it a little bit, like my kid, or trying [to get from] a 32 to a 34.”

The administration has been in contact with Get Smarter Prep, who plans to provide free services to benefit the community. Details on their role in the test prep courses are TBD.

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