Request for ACT Prep Class

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

RANDOLPH, Utah.  January 21, 2015. Principal Rick Larsen requested that the Rich School Board consider making an ACT Prep Class a requirement for all sophomore students.  He said he would need an answer in a month or two, but felt this would be a good thing to assist students in preparing to take the ACT exam that is required of all juniors.  It would also help prepare them for all of the other types and kinds of tests that are required to take.  

Making this class a requirement will limit the registration choices of the sophomores.  Currently this class is an elective and is offered during two trimesters.  Making it a requirement would allow the school to offer it all three trimesters thus making it a bit easier for the sophomores to fit it into their schedules.  It would still allow students to take the Bridgerland classes and shouldn’t affect that program very much.

Currently, the ACT exam is required by most colleges and universities for admissions and also is used to determine who can get scholarships.  Most students who score above 28 on this exam can get admissions to most any school they desire to attend and can get scholarships as well.  There is an understanding of the meaning of the scores students obtain with the ACT because it has been around so long.  SAGE scores don’t have the public understanding and are not used by colleges and/or universities.

Currently teachers are attempting to prepare students for the ACT as well as the SAGE exams—two very different exams.  There is no correlation between the two.

The proposed ACT class will use a Princeton Review Manual online called Snoops.  Study skills will be emphasized.  The class is currently needed and necessary.  There will be a slight impact on Bridgerland.  Larson said, “we certainly don’t want to loose that program.”  This class will take the place of one of the Business Tech classes.  Hopefully, adding this class will prepare students to be both career and college ready.

Larsen encouraged the Board to consider this class and decide what will be best for the school.  Schedules for next year are usually set up in the spring.  A decision will need to be made by then.