All teachers must play a part in building ACT and SAT culture. Core instructors around the tests are the driving force but every staff member must be invested in improving student outcomes. There are three key ways school leaders can proactively build capacity within their faculty – simulate the exam for them, ensure alignment of materials and instructional practices, and consistently lead from the front on all things related to ACT/SAT exams.
Simulate the Test Experience for Teachers
Teachers should be familiar with the exams, the structure, and the content covered. The best way to achieve this is to have teachers experience the modern tests rather than rely on their own personal experience from years ago. For example, teachers might have taken their SAT when missed questions were penalized. This is no longer the case and a key strategy is for students to answer all questions, even if they need to guess. A teacher who offers outdated advice, even well intentioned, could do more harm than good. In response to this, it’s essential to create time and space for staff to learn and align the school’s vision on how to approach the exam.
Leader Action Steps:
- Schedule dedicated time for teachers to experience the ACT/SAT themselves.
- Encourage them to attempt practice problems, using updated strategies aligned with current exam formats.
- Facilitate collaborative discussions for teachers to compare their approaches and codify best practices.
Align Instruction with Assessments
Carve out time for teachers to spend time with the exam taking some practice problems using the strategies they’d want to see their students demonstrate. Have them compare their work with each other and codify best practice and strategies they can use within their department and across all classes. These are the strategies that teachers can coach their students on. Ask teachers to work within their departments to determine which standards and strategies observed on the exam align to their instruction.
Create a bank of ACT and SAT aligned questions for each department to incorporate into their instruction. These might be questions to use at the beginning of a particular lesson or they might be ones that the teacher mixes into their lessons. Either way, the more opportunities that teachers have to expose students to rigorous content that aligns to the exam, the better.
Leader Action Steps:
- Task teachers with identifying ACT/SAT standards and strategies that align with their department’s curriculum.
- Encourage departments to integrate ACT/SAT-aligned questions into lesson plans, ensuring exposure to rigorous content.
- Create a platform for teachers to share successful ACT/SAT coaching strategies and instructional resources.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement by highlighting effective approaches and addressing areas for growth.
Lead From the Front
Lead from the front by asking teachers to share what’s working and what isn’t with respect to ACT & SAT culture on campus. This can happen in quarterly surveys, informal check-ins and formal walkthroughs. What leaders focus on and prioritize trickles down throughout the school and sets the tone of what matters. If you, the leader, fixate on academic culture then others will, too. It may take some time but gradually — and then all at once — you’ll see staff carrying the academic culture necessary to inspire and coach students effectively.
Leader Action Steps:
- Establish regular feedback mechanisms like quarterly surveys and informal check-ins for teachers to share insights on ACT/SAT culture.
- Conduct formal walkthroughs focused on observing ACT/SAT integration and providing constructive feedback.
By implementing these action steps, schools can cultivate a culture where all teachers are empowered to support students in mastering the ACT/SAT, ultimately driving improved academic outcomes.
Recommended Actions:
- Write out what it means at your campus for all teachers to see themselves as ACT/SAT teachers. Be concrete and specific about what you want your teachers to say and do in order to meet this vision.
- Plan for push-back. Script out what you will say if a teacher says they are not “teaching to the test.” A few common examples of talking points to reference are below (click to expand).
Relevance of Exam Content
“Consider how the material covered in the ACT/SAT exams directly impacts our students’ preparedness for college and their future careers. It’s crucial that we equip them with this foundational knowledge.”
Transferable Skills
“The skills required for success on these exams—critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication—are skills our students will use throughout their lives. By helping them excel on these tests, we’re setting them up for success beyond high school.”
Integration into Instruction
“Let’s brainstorm ways to seamlessly integrate ACT/SAT-aligned content and strategies into our daily lessons. This ensures that students are not only prepared for the exams but also receiving a well-rounded education.”
School-wide Commitment
“Every teacher plays a crucial role in our students’ ACT/SAT preparation. It’s vital that we all align with our school’s vision for student success and recognize the importance of this collective effort.”
Ongoing Assessment and Reflection
“I’ll provide structured opportunities for us to assess our alignment with the mindset that ‘all teachers are ACT/SAT teachers’ and reflect on ways we can continually improve our approach.”
Reflection Questions for School Leaders:
Assess how well your teachers embody the “all teachers are ACT/SAT teachers” mindset.
- Does your campus provide structured time for teachers to take and reflect on the exam?
- Does your campus facilitate teacher discussions of exam strategy?
- What academic habits would you like your teachers to emphasize with students to improve exam performance?
- How familiar are your teachers with the standards on the exam?
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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