School District U-46 will pay for high school juniors to take the ACT test in the fall in an effort to familiarize students with the exam, meet dual-credit application requirements and potentially boost scores.
The standardized tests will cost $121,862 according to a proposal endorsed Monday by the U-46 school board and to be formally approved June 16.
“This is a new initiative to stay in alignment with the Illinois State Assessment for 11th-graders,” said U-46 Assessment Director Matthew Raimondi, who spoke about the plan prior to the meeting.
The state requires all 11th-grade students and any untested 12th-grade students take the ACT with Writing exam as part of the spring state assessment in order to graduate. That test features a 40-minute written essay session, according to the ACT website.
“For many years previously, the SAT was part of the graduation requirement in Illinois,” Raimondi said. “Now, by offering the ACT to juniors in the fall, it provides students the opportunity to get familiar with the format before the mandatory ACT in the spring.”
The district had considered offering the PreACT to juniors in the fall but opted against it because Elgin Community College and other community colleges do not accept its scores for admitting qualifying dual-credit students, he said. PreACT scores also aren’t considered for scholarship opportunities, such as those offered by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.
“The actual ACT does count for dual credit, directly aligns to the state test, is college reportable and allows for students to submit a ‘Super Score,’” Raimondi said.
A Super Score lets students to submit their highest score from each test subject from different test dates when applying to college, he said.
According to a memo provided as part of the Monday meeting agenda, “a student who performs best in English and reading in the fall and in math and science in the spring may submit an ACT superscore combining their top section scores for college admissions.”
After taking the ACT test in the fall, based on their performance, students will have access to targeted activities to build their subject skills in preparation for taking the mandatory ACT in the spring, the memorandum said.
“We are excited to offer this new opportunity for our students and help them prepare for the spring test,” Raimondi said prior to the meeting.
The district has been providing the PSAT, which aligns with the state test, and offers dual-credit opportunities, both of which can lead to scholarship opportunities through the National Merit program, he said.
“We are planning to continue to offer the PSAT to 10th-graders and 11th-graders in the fall,” Raimondi said.
With the state and the federal government requiring high school students to take so many tests, Superintendent Suzanne Johnson said staff would provide school board members with a calendar of when during the 2025-26 school year U-46 will be offering the various assessments.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
