Sept. 1, 2010
For immediate release
ACT assessments of college and career readiness to be made available to Kansas junior high, high school students
State to fund access to assessments for post-secondary planning
TOPEKA – Helping secondary students plan for post-secondary opportunities is the goal of a recently-approved state initiative to make ACT Explore and ACT Plan assessments available to all Kansas 8th and 10th graders. The State Board of Education recently approved the purchase of 60,000 exams.
“Improving student access to these types of assessments is one way we can help ensure students are planning appropriately for post-secondary opportunities and that they leave high school prepared to pursue those opportunities successfully,” said Interim Education Commissioner Dr. Diane M. DeBacker.
The ACT Explore exam is available for 8th grade students and the ACT Plan is available for 10th grade students. There are approximately 30,000 students in each grade level in Kansas, so the purchased exams should allow all interested students to participate.
The ACT Explore identifies student strengths and weaknesses so focus can occur in areas where students need additional help prior to graduation. The ACT Plan is a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school as well as post-graduation years. The ACT Plan exam typically has a cost of about $10 per student and the ACT Explore is slightly less. With the purchase of the exams by the State Department of Education, districts will be able to offer them to their students at no cost.
Information on how schools can order the exams for their students will be available later this month. All exams must be ordered by the end of 2010.
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