PreACT Assessment

On November 19th, the PreACT assessment will be administered to all Lincoln Public Schools 10th graders.  Students will test at their home school. Additionally, students currently enrolled in the Arts/Science and TCA focus programs will need to test at Southwest. Please note that school will NOT be in session for any Freshmen, Juniors, or Seniors that day.

The PreACT will give students an opportunity to take a practice version of the ACT that all Juniors will take in April of their 11th grade year. (For more information on the ACT please see the ACT page.) The PreACT is identical to the ACT in terms of both overall format, types of items and the 1-36 score range.  Research from ACT indicates that when students take the ACT assessment more than once, 57 percent achieve a higher composite score.  Since the PreACT is identical to the ACT, taking the PreACT could potentially lead to better scores for students on the ACT. As per the PreACT site: “PreACT simulates the ACT testing experience within a shorter test window on all four ACT test subjects: English, math, reading and science. Results predict future success on the ACT test, and provide both current achievement and projected future ACT test scores on the familiar 1-36 ACT score scale…”

The results of the PreACT offer several benefits to our students, including:

• Early practice for the ACT test
• PreACT score and predicted ACT score ranges align to the ACT 1–36 scale
• Students may opt to share their information with colleges and scholarship agencies
• ACT Interest Inventory results provide students with a personalized view of interests with college and career alignment
• Valuable results provide actionable insights to help educators, parents and students make important decisions for the future
• Rapid reporting turnaround within 5-10 days of receipt of answer documents allows for early and effective planning to ensure students can attain the future and career success they envision

For your planning purposes, breakfast will be served the morning of testing from 7:15-7:45 am, and lunch will be provided after the test. Students will be released from the commons to report to their testing room at 7:55 am. With the large number of testers please have your student arrive in time to report to their testing room when the academic wing doors open. Testing rooms will begin promptly at 8:00am.

Students will only need to bring 4 items with them the morning of the test:

• Printed (and completed) Non-Test Information Worksheet (sent to their LPS email)
• A Photo ID (their school ID will suffice)
• Some #2 Pencils
• An approved calculator if they have one

Please take some time to review the testing prohibited behaviors, and approved calculators list found in, Instructions for Completing Your Answer Folder: PreACT, and ACT-calculator-policy. As the PreACT mirrors the ACT, the policies and procedures of the ACT will apply to this test as well. Please review these with your student, particularly the rule prohibiting electronic devices- except allowed calculators.  Although all prohibited behaviors will result in the voiding of test scores for your student, the most common source of voiding test scores is a result of cell phones and electronic device usage.

Students will not be allowed to access their lockers that morning- they will report directly from the check in table in the commons to their testing room. Please help us be proactive and avoid any test prohibited behaviors by having students leave their phone and belongings at home or in their locked car. If a staff member sees a cell phone or anything electronic (whether in use or not) during testing or a break, that student will be dismissed from testing, their test will be voided, and an administrator will contact the parent of the student for removal. LSW administrators will be posted at the main entrance as students enter that morning to remind them as they enter.

There are several things parents can do to positively contribute to their child’s success.

• Encourage your child to put forth their best effort with positive statements, expressing confidence in their abilities and efforts.

• Make sure they get a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast.

• Attendance during testing is very important.

Please reschedule any appointments that may take your child out of school on the testing dates. Your partnership is valuable in this effort, and we appreciate your support.  Please watch for additional information regarding the PreACT and ACT, and if you have questions, please feel free to contact your student’s counselor or Mrs. Hahn in the main office.