ACT Parent Night Keeps Parents in the Know

ACT Parent Night Keeps Parents in the Know

Written by Alice Knotts

Monday, 07 February 2011

One week before WAHI students received the results from their first ever pre-ACT test undertaking, WA-HI GEAR UP and the WA-HI administration created an opportunity to involve parents in their child’s college preparation journey through a pre-ACT informational night designed to give parents an instructional and strategic look into interpreting their student’s pre-ACT test scores. “Self-determination, intellectual curiosity, punctuality and presence, communication skills, and dedication—these are the characteristics of achievers,” said the evening’s primary speaker WA-HI associate principal, Mira Gobel. She went on to explain to parents that the purpose of the two pre-ACT tests (the EXPLORE test and PLAN test) is to open doors for conversations about their student’s educational and career goals, and is only one component among many that may serve as an indicator of their child’s potential for success. She advised parents to focus on their child’s strengths, to approach lower scoring areas as a way to set educational goals, and not to let less-than-perfect results discourage their student in any way. Gobel then led parents through a detailed tour of the EXPLORE and PLAN score reports explaining the significance and usefulness of each section. She also told parents the many reasons why GEAR UP and WA-HI are one hundred percent dedicated to seeing the pre-ACT test become the long term standard for WA-HI students. All colleges look at some kind of standardized college entrance exam. It only makes sense that the students who have had the opportunity to become familiar with the ACT testing style would score higher on their exams than students who have not had such an opportunity. Additionally, in contrast to state standardized tests which provide only minimal student performance data, the pre-ACT is data rich with useful information that school administrators and teachers may use to improve their understanding of their students’ needs. They may then use this insight to adjust teaching strategies to maximize academic rigor and completeness in each student’s high school education. The ACT testing company even goes as far as to return score reports to each student with an annotated copy of the questions they encountered on the exam, a duplicate of the student’s written answers, and suggested measures they may take to improve their academic performance. Following Gobel’s presentation, parents were encouraged to ask questions or express any concerns they had regarding WA-HI’s choice to initiate pre-ACT testing. Several questions were asked, but overall, parent reaction was clear; all were very pleased with the information they had received.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 February 2011 )

EXPLORE and PLAN Pilot Year Lifts Off at WA-HI

EXPLORE and PLAN Pilot Year Lifts Off at WA-HI

Written by Alice Knotts

Monday, 20 December 2010

The hard work of Walla Walla High School’s assessment team, administrators, and teachers backed by financial support from GEAR UP made it possible to pilot two new, “pre-ACT,” academic assessment tests at WA-HI this year. These tests, known as the EXPLORE and PLAN tests, are innovative, early high school, data tracking and evaluating examinations offered by the ACT testing services. Kicking off the start of what is planned to be a five-year project, early this November fourteen hundred ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders successfully completed WA-HI’s inaugural administration of the tests. Teachers and administrators alike are highly optimistic the tests will improve educator awareness of WA-HI’s students’ needs. Part of the enthusiasm over the implementation of the EXPLORE and PLAN tests stems from the tests’ all-inclusive approach to evaluating students’ aptitudes, interests, and readiness for their college and career goals. The EXPLORE test is geared toward 8th and 9th graders, and will be taken by every WA-HI student in the fall of their freshman year. Taking the EXPLORE exam gives freshmen insight into how to best choose their high school courses. It also prepares them for college entrance, shows them what they need to do to succeed in taking standardized tests such as the ACT, and helps them begin exploring career paths that align with their skills and interests. Similar to the EXPLORE test, but designed to test the academic proficiency of sophomore students, the PLAN test consists of four academic achievement sections in which students are tested in English, math, reading and science. It also involves other key components such as a needs assessment section in which students gage their personal need for academic help, and a high school course and grade information section in which students list their current completed courses, those being taken at the time of the exam, and courses they are planning to take. The PLAN test helps sophomores further explore career options. Benchmark grade evaluations included in the testing services tell students how they compare to other students around the nation who have gone ahead of them into their fields of interest. The test even provides students with relevant college and scholarship information. The EXPLORE and PLAN tests are part of Walla Walla High School’s five-year plan to increase academic rigor and create a college going culture on campus. The tests give educators an effective way to document the academic growth and college/career readiness of each student as he or she progresses through high school.  Thus these tests will play a significant role in promoting Walla Walla GEAR UP’s mission to prepare each WA-HI student for their best possible postsecondary educational experience and life-fulfilling career.

Last Updated ( Monday, 20 December 2010 )

The Latest and Greatest: Educational Podcasting at Pioneer

The Latest and Greatest: Educational Podcasting at Pioneer

Written by Alice Knotts

Thursday, 20 January 2011

GEAR UP students are working together to pioneer the development of podcasting in education. Last spring GEAR UP sent Chris Plucker, one of Pioneer Middle School’s most dynamic and tech savvy teachers, to attend a daylong seminar on podcasting sponsored by TechReach in partnership with WSU GEAR UP. Podcasting in Mr. Plucker’s classroom has made it possible for GEAR UP students to gain firsthand experience in using up-and-coming classroom technology, and has given them the opportunity to learn to work in collaboration on time intensive, scholastic media projects. This fall marked the beginning of Mr. Plucker’s first full semester using podcasting. He began the year by challenging his students to work together to create original podcasts. All of the reports had to be written, performed, and edited by his students. Mr. Plucker’s classroom has now moved on to a new approach to podcasting in which his students have chosen clips from animated movies to reenact using their own voices to perform as the characters. Students work together in small groups, each student voicing a different character. After completing the recording of their scene, the small groups divide into sub-groups. Each subgroup must then complete a section of the podcast by editing and producing their own audio version of that scene. Some of the movie scripts the students have chosen to use in their podcasts are The Incredibles, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Finding Nemo. “All in all, the podcasts have been a hit with the kids,” said Mr. Plucker in an interview earlier this week. “I’m glad GEAR UP has given me the chance to introduce my students to such cutting edge classroom technology.” Here is a link to one of Mr. Plucker's class podcasts. The podcast is a small group class-report on the sport of baseball. It was written and edited by the students voicing the report information.

Last Updated ( Friday, 21 January 2011 )