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Math Department helps students 'Get Their ACT Together'
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 The Math Department is taking a new approach to help students prepare for the ACT. On Monday, November 29, every math class in the building attended a seminar-like lesson in the auditorium instead of their regular math class. During the "Get Your ACT Together" session, teachers emphasized the importance of the ACT in terms of helping students earn scholarships and be admitted into their choice colleges. Students also were assigned 10 math problems, five of which were common among the group and five of which were specific to their class.
Jori Bowen, Math Department chair, said the math teachers jumped on board quickly to organize the program after it was proposed by teacher Brian Phelan. The set-up is valuable, Bowen said, because it provides students with a basic foundation about the ACT and it is a nice break from the traditional math class routine. Students also obtained their EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT scores for review.
"The math ACT is doable," she said. "You just have to be exposed to it and to know what you're getting into."
The department is planning two additional sessions before students take the ACT in April — part of the Prairie State Achievement Exam that holds Illinois schools accountable for making adequate yearly progress. Bowen said the department probably will make some adjustments for the next two rounds, such as organizing break-out sessions to address specific students' needs rather than meeting as one large group.
LCHS is taking other measures to better prepare students for the ACT. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are welcome to utilize the free ACT Online Prep service. Login information was emailed to students this week. Administrators have also created a mentor program, in which juniors on the bubble of meeting or exceeding state standards based on their PLAN scores are paired with a teacher mentor, whom they can ask questions and receive encouragement from as they prepare for the exam. |
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