The best preparation for the ACT or SAT is high quality and rigorous instruction from content experts. That’s at the core of ensuring students earn scores that open the door to a future of possibility and opportunity. However, not all teachers are equal and sadly not all students have access to the best instruction. There are a few areas that leaders can focus on with their teacher to ensure they are constantly improving and becoming the best versions of themselves for their students. On one hand, teachers need to teach content effectively. On the other hand, they need to coach on strategies that students can utilize on test day and every day into the future.
Prioritize Standards
Focus on the standards and incorporate content taught at the level students will see on the exam. If teachers use materials that are too easy or not included on the exam, students likely won’t improve their chances on the exam. On the other side, if teachers only use the hardest of materials to teach students and it takes too much time for students to grasp the material then they will only be exposed to a portion of the material on the exam. This also hinders potential.
Foster a Culture of Reading
Encourage students to read for class and for pleasure and you’ll help them develop an important skill for the exam. The more students read in their everyday lives, the faster they’ll be able to read and comprehend a text on exam day and in life. And the more efficient their reading and comprehension is, the more time they’ll have to work on the questions, thereby increasing their chances to score well on the SAT. In short, students who read slowly and inefficiently are at a huge disadvantage on standardized exams.
Schools who foster strong cultures of reading often have a leg up in preparing students for these rigorous exams. Reading ability impacts performance on every aspect of the testing experience. Schools can do reading challenges during breaks or celebrate pages read as a form of friendly competition or they can form book clubs to help students see themselves as lifelong readers.
Coach on Strategy
There are beneficial test day strategies that students should be aware of, if not explicitly coached on via practice exams. First, is the importance of building stamina to stick with it. Many students could score a top notch score on the ACT or SAT if it were not timed. Maintaining focus for the entire exam while working efficiently is a strategy that takes practice. Learning to efficiently identify types of problems and annotate sufficiently to get the answer but not waste time are two strategies worth knowing. Similarly, students need to know what to do when time is running out. They need a strategy that does not leave blank questions – and points – on the table.
Finally, teachers can coach students on building mental toughness. Staying optimistic in a long exam, using positive self-talk, and bouncing back from a challenging question or section are all important. Many teachers encourage these mindsets in their classrooms. Including this as preparation for the ACT or SAT can have an added bonus.
Recommended Actions:
- Evaluate the alignment of the school’s curriculum with ACT/SAT standards.
- Are there opportunities to revise curriculum materials to better prepare students for the exam without sacrificing academic rigor?
- Can you form a committee of instructional staff to audit the curriculum used on campus and make recommendations?
- Consider initiatives to promote reading culture within the school community. How can the school encourage students to engage in reading activities that enhance their readiness for standardized tests?
- How can the school support teachers in incorporating more explicit strategy instruction into their classrooms?
- Survey your teachers on this topic.
- Reflect on how effectively you balance teaching content with coaching test-taking strategies in your classroom. How do you integrate both aspects into your instruction to maximize student success on the ACT/SAT?
- Are they aligned with the level of rigor and standards students will encounter on the exam?
- How can you adjust your teaching materials to better prepare students for the exam?
- How do you foster a culture of reading among your students, both academically and for pleasure? What additional initiatives could be implemented to enhance students’ reading skills?
- Reflect on the methods you use to coach students on managing time, building stamina, and maintaining mental toughness during the exam. What adjustments can you make to better prepare students in these areas?
Reflection Questions for School Leaders:
- How do you foster a culture of reading among your students, both academically and for pleasure, and what additional initiatives could be implemented to enhance students’ reading skills?
- Reflect on the support and resources provided to teachers for integrating both content instruction and test-taking strategy coaching into their curriculum. How can the school better facilitate professional development aligned to these two priorities?
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.
Do you like what you’ve read? Please click the links to share with friends or colleagues who would also benefit from an overview of current K-12 education.
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.
