2. Junior & Senior Homeroom Announcements ACT Testing is tomorrow. This is a real ACT test. It benefits you to do your best. Try and get some sleep tonight and eat a protein rich breakfast. I will collect your cell phone tomorrow before you enter the room, and you will get it back at the completion of testing after materials have been returned. No food or drinks are allowed in the testing room. If you have a watch that beeps, it must be silenced before testing or do not wear it. You will line up outside the classroom in alphabetical order. I will collect your phone, check your ID, and assign you a seat. You will drop off your belongings at the front of the room. You will not have access to them until testing is over. You will have a 15 minute break after the second test. You will not be allowed to get anything from your bags or purses. Please plan accordingly for any personal needs you might have. Snacks or water for the break may not be in your school bag or purse.

3. ? In Louisiana, and many other states, the ACT is administered every Spring to Juniors and Seniors in high school on a regular school day. This administration is free of charge to the student. Results are reported the same as when the test is administered nationally on Saturdays. You should always make a serious effort on the test to get best score possible. The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement test designed to measure general education development of high school students in the country. So, it makes sense that your score may improve as you learn move, taking more advanced classes. Seniors may also wish to register for the April 9 th test, waivers are available in curriculum – the registration deadline is March 4, 2016. For graduating seniors the deadline for earning a score to qualify for TOPS OR TOPS Tech is the April Test.

4. TOPS Deadlines For graduating seniors the deadline for taking the ACT/SAT is the April Test. – You must achieve a qualifying score on or before the ACT national test date in April in the academic year you graduate from high school. – If you have not previously achieved a qualifying score, you may qualify after the ACT national test date in April in the academic year you graduate from high school, but prior to July 1, by using May and/or June test scores, including scores from a special ACT or SAT, – but your period of eligibility for the award will be reduced by one semester or two quarters. – You can only qualify for a higher award using a score achieved after the national ACT test date in April and before July 1 if you have not qualified for any TOPS award or have qualified for the TOPS Tech Award.

5. The test can also be a path to money for college tuition. TOPS: 3 levels Opportunity – 2.5 GPA, 19 core units from HS, and a 20 on ACT. Performance – 3.0 GPA, 19 core units from HS, and a 23 on ACT. Honors – 3.0 GPA, 19 core units from HS, and a 27 on ACT. Benefits of this level of TOPS Tuition Only Paid in full Tuition paid in full + $400 for other college expenses Tuition paid in full + $800 for other college expenses

6. You may earn TOPS Tech Award Are you considering A 2 year program or a technical school?

7. What are the minimum requirements for Freshmen to enter college?

8. Many scholarships and grants have ACT score requirements. Check out the link to scholarships on the school’s web page. http://ehret.jpschools.org/academ ics/guidance/scholarships/ http://ehret.jpschools.org/academ ics/guidance/scholarships/

10. THINGS TO REMEMBER ALL TEST HAVE EASY, CHALLENGING OR TIME CONSUMING QUESTIONS ANSWERING ½ CORRECTLY WILL GIVE YOU A PRETTY GOOD SCORE DON’T LEAVE ANY BLANK ANSWERS

11. Strategies for all tests Know the directions for each test - Don’t waste time reading directions. Work without looking up until 5 minute warning. Don’t get stuck All questions count the same, Easy first, harder ones if you have time Move on if taking more too much time to figure out Write in the book Circle answers “?” Question mark hard questions “?” Go back to hard questions with time Mark answer sheet at 5 minutes, Mark every question Remember: answer all questions. You are not penalized for incorrect answers. You only receive points for correct answers. Guessing is better than leaving a question unanswered. Don’t forget about Process of Elimination (if you know an answer is incorrect, you can eliminate that one and choose from the others). Choose a column to fill in for guessing, when 5minutes is called.

13. Prohibited Behavior at the Test Center Filling in or altering responses on a test section on your answer sheet or continuing to complete the essay after time has been called on that test section. This means that you cannot make any changes to a test section outside of the designated time for that section, even to fix a stray mark or accidental keystroke. Looking back at a test section on which time has already been called. Looking ahead in the test booklet. Looking at another person's test booklet or answer document. Giving or receiving assistance by any means. Discussing or sharing of test content, test form identification numbers, or answers during test administration, during breaks, or after the test is prohibited.

14. Good Luck We all hope that you will do well!

15. Plan your time English – 75 questions – 45 minutes Math – 60 questions – 60 minutes – BREAK (15 min) Reading – 40 questions – 35 minutes Science – 40 questions – 40 minutes

16. Suggestions to improve time on English Stay focused, keep your head down and don’t look up – until the 5 minute warning. Because of the way the test is numbered, you could SKIM a “chunk” or paragraph, then answer those 1-4 questions and move on. Easy questions first, if a question is taking too much time – move on…. Match questions to number in passage [1] or underlined area. Keep it simple, precise (example) Read one line above, one line below to consider context. Questions about author’s purpose and reordering sentences are usually last.

17. Strategies for the Math Test Stay focused, – keep your head down and don’t look up – until the 5 minute warning. Work faster in the beginning Questions generally go from easier to harder, but there are easy questions at the end. Plug in the answer Answers are given from lowest to highest, so start with the middle answer, “C” or “H”. If its too great, move to the lower answers, If too small move up, reducing the number of answers to try. Easy questions first, if a question is taking too much time – move on…. Don’t leave any answer blank.

18. Suggestions for the Reading Test 1.Stay focused, keep your head down and don’t look up – until the 5 minute warning. 2.Read the passage, 3.Answer questions you can without looking back. 4.Answer those that refer to a line (25% of questions are item specific). 5.Terms in italics – find meaning, context clues, definitions in lines. ALL 6.Read ALL the answer choices, eliminating the incorrect answers 7.Keep it simple. 8.Easy questions first, if a question is taking too much time – move on….

19. Answers for Science are found in the Graphs, the tables, keys and paragraph. Only - Skim information provided - don’t spend much time to read… Get to the questions! – 1 Read first sentence in each paragraph, circle/underline values/numbers. – 2. Study graph labels (Y-X) and Key. – 3. Read question -> refer to data -> read all answers and choose best answer.

20. Good Luck We all hope that you will do well!