Third-year students talk ACT prep sessions

There's been quite a bit of buzz about the recently started ACT prep classes from both students and teachers here at Airport High School. Third year students have been given mostly good feedback about the sessions and are taking them with high hopes of getting prepared to take the ACT test.

These ACT prep sessions not only affect third year students. They affect the whole school, on Tuesdays and Thursday, with a modified schedule. While juniors are in their prep sessions, the rest of the school is in first block where they remain until 9:15 when the prep sessions are over, and then the schedule remains on a normal delayed start schedule.

There's been a lot of people talking about the ACT prep session, and mostly there were good things to be said. Students are saying that the sessions are really helpful for them and eases some of the stress they have about the ACT and to, at the very least, familiarize students with the test content prior to their actual taking of the test.

Kahn AcademySpark NotesMs. Willis, English teacher currently teaching an SAT/ACT prep class, was asked her advice on how third year students can better prepare themselves outside as well as inside of school. “Attend the sessions and ask questions,” she stated, “[and] make sure you know what the test entails. Look at targeted skills and identify the ones you do not know and ask for help.” For outside of school, she suggested that students should get their own ACT prep book and sign up for websites that would be helpful. Such websites include , and Varsity Tutors.,

When students at Airport were asked their views on their preparation for standardized testing, they did feel that Airport offers enough resources to help third year students prepare for the ACT.

However, not everyone agrees with this. One anonymous source, a third year student taking the ACT prep classes, said that Airport needed more resources while another third year student said that Airport gives enough resources and that she feels the classes are helping. “I feel that the classes are helpful...they prepare you to take the ACT test,” she said.

If you have ever wondered where the ACT came from, according to one person’s blog on PrepScholar.com, in 1959 Everett Franklin Lindquist developed the ACT as a competitor for the SAT test, which was the main test for the prior twenty years. The first ACT test was given to 75,460 students. There were four original sections (English, Math, Social Studies and Natural Sciences) and each section was given forty five minutes. Back then, like today, the scores ranged from 0 to 36.

The ACT test will happen at Airport at the end of February, and it will be free here at school.

To check national test administration dates go to http://ahs.lex2.org/home/actassessment.

To take a practice test go to https://www.prepfactory.com/.

One more word of encouragement from Ms.Willis to all third year students, “If you go into the test already defeated, you won’t win. Believe that you can and you may surprise yourself.”