Post by WeNeed3 on Sept 25, 2009 9:46:34 GMT -5
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Recently we announced that District 204 is partnering with ACT to be the first in the nation to assess our
students from sixth through eleventh grade and align our curriculum with ACT. Currently, our students
take the Explore test in eighth grade, the PLAN test in tenth grade and the ACT in eleventh grade.
Through our partnership we will also now test students in sixth, seventh and ninth grades. In the near
future, we also will judge our curriculum through common course assessments aligned to the ACT and
their college readiness standards.
Based on the information gathered, we hope to better prepare our students for the ACT, but more
importantly, for the upcoming national standards. ACT is committed to this partnership as we build on
knowledge about high performing districts and students.
On October 14, our high school ninth and tenth grade students will be taking the PLAN, and between
October 19 and 30, our sixth, seventh and eighth grade students will take the Explore as a part of our
partnership with ACT. The eighth grade Explore is a good predictor of success on the tenth grade PLAN
which in turn has strong predictability of how a student might score on the junior ACT. Because testing
at sixth and seventh grade is a new program, we do not yet have scores to compare to your child’s scores;
therefore, we will not release the scores to parents as we do the scores for eight through eleventh grade
students.
On October 14, an early dismissal day on our School Calendar, our high school students will begin their
testing day at 7:45 a.m. and be dismissed from school at 10:45. Middle school students will be in
attendance from 8:20 a.m. to 11:20 p.m., and elementary students from 9:15 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Please
note that the he early dismissal times for high school and middle school are twenty (20) minutes later
from previously published times for early dismissal days. The elementary release time has not changed.
I look forward to sharing more information with you about our work with ACT and about our efforts to
improve the achievement of all students.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Birkett, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Indian Prairie School District #204
Recently we announced that District 204 is partnering with ACT to be the first in the nation to assess our
students from sixth through eleventh grade and align our curriculum with ACT. Currently, our students
take the Explore test in eighth grade, the PLAN test in tenth grade and the ACT in eleventh grade.
Through our partnership we will also now test students in sixth, seventh and ninth grades. In the near
future, we also will judge our curriculum through common course assessments aligned to the ACT and
their college readiness standards.
Based on the information gathered, we hope to better prepare our students for the ACT, but more
importantly, for the upcoming national standards. ACT is committed to this partnership as we build on
knowledge about high performing districts and students.
On October 14, our high school ninth and tenth grade students will be taking the PLAN, and between
October 19 and 30, our sixth, seventh and eighth grade students will take the Explore as a part of our
partnership with ACT. The eighth grade Explore is a good predictor of success on the tenth grade PLAN
which in turn has strong predictability of how a student might score on the junior ACT. Because testing
at sixth and seventh grade is a new program, we do not yet have scores to compare to your child’s scores;
therefore, we will not release the scores to parents as we do the scores for eight through eleventh grade
students.
On October 14, an early dismissal day on our School Calendar, our high school students will begin their
testing day at 7:45 a.m. and be dismissed from school at 10:45. Middle school students will be in
attendance from 8:20 a.m. to 11:20 p.m., and elementary students from 9:15 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Please
note that the he early dismissal times for high school and middle school are twenty (20) minutes later
from previously published times for early dismissal days. The elementary release time has not changed.
I look forward to sharing more information with you about our work with ACT and about our efforts to
improve the achievement of all students.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Birkett, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Indian Prairie School District #204