At the core of any successful initiative lies a deep understanding of where you currently stand and where you need to go. For schools focusing on the ACT and SAT, this means delving into the data with a keen eye and an open mind that’s aspiring for growth no matter what you find in the numbers. It’s imperative that you face the reality of where your students stand with courage and optimism. No matter how well students are currently performing, there is always room to improve and no matter how low scores appear, there are always bright spots. This is the moment to take a deep breath and make a plan on how to respond to the data. 

Take Stock of the Situation

Start by assessing your students’ performance against both national benchmarks and your school’s historical data. This foundational step illuminates areas of strength and pinpoints areas that demand improvement. This doesn’t necessarily need to be spreadsheets and quantitative data. Classroom observations are incredibly informative as you can gather data about the instructional practices and school climate that will influence how you go about driving change. Additionally, engaging with stakeholders about the data will provide insights into how others view the data and demonstrate an openness to future collaborations. Finally, invest time in learning more about the interventions being implemented to meet the diverse needs of learners.

Embrace Mastery Learning

Mastery learning is an educational approach where students learn at their own pace. The aim is for each student to master a concept before moving on to the next. It involves clear learning objectives, self-paced learning, frequent assessments, personalized feedback and remediation, and demonstration of mastery before progressing. This method aims to ensure that all students achieve a deep understanding of the material, reducing learning gaps and improving overall learning outcomes. This approach might be established within your campus or it might be novel. This is an instructional mindset that will take time to cultivate, coach, and sustain but once teachers are invested in ensuring each student master’s every standard, the foundation for growth and achievement is laid. 

Growth mindset is intertwined with mastery learning as educators must coach and emphasize for students that mastery is achievable through effort and persistence. Not every lesson plan or strategy will work for all learners so mastery learning will require teachers to provide differentiated instruction to address varying learning needs, offering enrichment opportunities for advanced students and targeted support for those requiring additional assistance. This will require specific training and instructional coaching to build school-wide capacity. In the end, mastery learning gives students, teachers, and leaders fantastic opportunities to celebrate success with each topic mastered and milestones reached.

Administer and Analyze Practice Exams

Regular practice exams, aligned with the format, content, and difficulty level of the actual ACT and SAT tests, serve as essential checkpoints for gauging progress. Analyze test results at both the individual and group levels to identify patterns and trends to then guide instructional planning and intervention strategies. Offer personalized feedback to students, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

Implement Standards-Based Instruction

Align curriculum, instruction, and assessment with the specific content and skills outlined in the ACT and SAT standards. Use formative assessments to monitor student progress towards mastery of the standards, adjusting instruction as needed to address areas of weakness. As a school leader, it’s imperative to immerse yourself in the intricacies of these standards and empower your educators to do the same. Provide professional development opportunities for teachers to deepen their understanding of the standards and develop effective instructional strategies.

Too often, the same standards are taught and re-taught to cohorts of students year after year. One approach is to identify a narrow set of standards to teach, assess, and respond to data for each grade-level. This could look like having 10 math standards that are focused on intensely in 9th grade and a different set in 10th grade and yet another set in 11th grade with spiraled review along the way. This ensures broader coverage of standards for students while also offering moments for them to receive remedial instruction as needed. 

By becoming data-driven and focusing on mastery learning, schools can significantly enhance their students’ performance on the ACT and SAT. Regular practice exams and standards-based instruction ensure that students are well-prepared and confident. This holistic approach boosts academic outcomes and nurtures a supportive learning environment where every student has the opportunity to succeed. Embrace these strategies to transform your school into a center of academic excellence and resilience, preparing students not just for exams, but for lifelong success.

Reflection Questions for School Leaders: 

• Does your campus have a system for giving feedback and coaching to teachers about their data driven instructional practices?
• Do you have systems to reliably assess student learning?
• How frequently are we administering practice exams, and how are we using the results to guide instruction?
• Do teachers know the performance level of their students?
• Are our teachers equipped to implement mastery learning in their classrooms?
• Are students practicing with materials that align to the rigor and content of the exam?
• How well are our curriculum and assessments aligned with ACT and SAT standards?
• What adjustments can we make to better support teachers in delivering standards-based instruction?
• Does your campus have a system for giving feedback and coaching to teachers about their data driven instructional practices?

Building a positive school-wide culture around ACT and SAT assessments is challenging and essential. This blog is part of a series, “10 Strategies for Building a Culture of ACT and SAT Success,” where we’ve outlined strategies to help school leaders. If you have questions or need support as you build a school-wide culture, please reach out to Thomas O’Brien at thomas@winwardacademy.com.

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About Winward Academy – Winward Academy is one of the world’s leading innovators in the online education space, providing web-based academic support that enhances students’ knowledge, confidence, and competitiveness in middle and high school academics and in college applications. We help thousands of students every year by providing personalized, comprehensive ACT and SAT test preparation and extensive math curriculum support. The Winward Academy learning platform honors over 40 years of education and cognitive psychology research, incorporating proven techniques that promote effective learning.

Winward Academy’s unmatched reputation is wholly attributable to our students’ exceptional success and to the trust earned among students, parents, and schools around the world.