This year, for the first time in Wisconsin, all high school juniors were required to take the ACT and the ACT WorkKeys tests. This is new to the Wisconsin SAS, which stands for the Wisconsin Student Assessment System. The Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE test), for example, is from the Wisconsin SAS. Wisconsin finally jumped on the wagon with other states that have been requiring their students to take these tests for years already.
Presently in Wisconsin, students in high school take tests to prepare for the ACT before being in junior year such as the Explore, Plan, and Aspire tests.
All Wisconsin’s juniors took the two tests on March 3rd and 4th, respectively, with the exception of those who made up the tests on March 17th and 18th. Some of the preparations for the PHS juniors leading up to the testing days took place in class. With English, Reading, and an essay to write on the ACT, Mrs. Kies stepped up to the plate and did daily preparation with her English classes well before the tests. Math classes also had specific preparation with Mr. Sponsler in Algebra II. Mrs. Finnigan even made an appearance in the classrooms as she taught juniors how to prepare academically and mentally to “attack” the tests. The ACT College and Careers Standards, which double as the standards for Wisconsin education, are what guide teachers’ curriculum up to the test. You are tested on everything you have learned from kindergarten to junior year. Unlike most tests, you are penalized for missing questions, so it’s to your advantage to get an answer down - and yes, you may guess - for all the questions.
“The ACT,” explains Mrs. Finnigan, “is more of an academic assessment, whereas the ACT WorkKeys is for career and workplace.” You can obtain a National Career Certification with WorkKeys; students going to college, whether it be a four-year or two-year, can use their ACT score in their portfolio now because of another new aspect: all Wisconsin technical schools accept the ACT.
While the juniors slaved over papers to study and prepare, the PHS staff made sure everyone was in the system so they could be tested, guaranteed that all students were registered, filled out paperwork, and more! They also reserved Ullsvik Hall for juniors to test in. Testing for the ACT is taken extremely seriously; Cuba City had a delay on the statewide testing day, and weren’t able to complete any testing at all due to the setback.
“The students were phenomenal; I was so proud to look out into the sea of students and notice that every person in the room was taking the test intensely seriously,” Mrs. Finnigan expresses. “This is a high stress, high stakes test and the environment was perfect. It allowed people to have room, while the acoustics are perfect for absorbing sound. I could see a student tapping his foot, but you couldn’t hear it. The students could focus on testing rather than distracting noises.”
“My brain wasn’t just fried after testing, it was deep fried.” Student Ivan Acierno (‘16) joked about the ACT. Of all the juniors who took the test, only seven were required to come in over spring break to make up the test. Mrs. Finnigan commented on how none of the students batted an eye at sacrificing their break to take the tests. A plus is that spectacular turnout on test day will get PHS a good grade on our district report card.
Results should be in towards the end of April, five to eight weeks after the make-ups are taken. The results will be mailed to each students’ respective homes to see even before the district sees them.
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