Hazelwood School District Offers New ACT Course

high school juniors and seniors are taking advantage a new craze, and no it has nothing to do with music or fashion, but education.

It's an opportunity to spend a semester preparing for the ACT college entrance exam in a classroom setting with guidance from English and math teachers. At most schools in the district, there's a wait list of students wanting to get in on the action.

"I was nervous because I heard there was a long list of people trying to get in and I didn't think I would get accepted into the course in time," said , who attends . "I'm a junior and I want to start taking the ACT by the end of the year."

The ACT Prep is a new course offered at each high school in the district. Approximately 200 students at each school, including Hazelwood West, are enrolled. The class focuses on content and test-taking strategies in English, math, reading and science.

Students will work through exercises, take practice ACT tests, set goals for scores and complete a research project. The class counts as a .5 elective credit, and for students like Breanna, who said it's well-worth the wait.

"Thank God I got in," she said. "I just feel more confident about taking the test now because I have instructors showing me the ins-and-outs, so I'll know what I'm doing."

Focus on Learning created the curriculum for the course, as well as the teacher training.

“The ACT Prep course is more in-depth and extensive,” said Cathy French, an HSD math learning facilitator in a statement. “Our teachers heard about the curriculum at a conference and brought the information back to the district."

“Data shows the program is successful in other school districts.”

JoAnne DuMont, an HSD communication arts learning facilitator, said that during the first week of class students took an actual ACT test released for practice.

The ACT Prep course requires a research project. Students will research colleges of interest, to include admission requirements, ACT scores, scholarships associated with ACT scores and GPAs, as well as summarizing strategies learned from the class.

DuMont explained that the district’s expectation for the course is “to raise ACT scores and increase the number of students who take the exam.”

Teachers will encourage students to take the ACT after completing the course, but students can take the test whenever they choose, according to the statement. There are six national test dates scheduled from September through June.

HSD will also continue to offer ACT workshops and on to help students prepare for the exam. The six-hour workshops include content review, which focuses on math, science and English, and test-taking strategies.

Students must sign up for the sessions in their school guidance office. There is a $10 fee for content review, which includes workbooks for English and math.