SNOHOMISH — It is the test less taken, at least in Washington state anyway.
Last year, 39,967 high school students took the SAT college admissions exam in this state compared to 16,352 who completed the ACT.
In the Snohomish School District, the ACT — short for American College Testing exam — is about to become a whole lot more prominent.
The district hopes to make the ACT exam available for free to all of its high school juniors this spring. It would be voluntary. Students also can take the SAT — short for Scholastic Aptitude Test — on their own.
The Snohomish School Board is scheduled to consider the proposal for ACT exams at its 6 p.m. Dec. 7 meeting.
New district Superintendent Kent Kultgen comes from Montana, where the ACT was a prevalent exam.
He believes the exam results could be valuable for students and their families as well as the school district. He has spent time with students, parents and staff making the case for offering the test.
For students and parents, the results can open up choices that can be made after high school. Colleges often start contacting students directly after the exams, which open up scholarship opportunities. The results also provide information to students on their strengths and weaknesses, which can help them prepare for the SAT or other exams.
In the Snohomish School District, more than 70 percent of graduates go to a two-year or four-year college or enter an apprenticeship program, according to 2014 statistics. Kultgen believes even more could pursue that route if they take the first step of taking of a college admissions exam.
For the school district, the results can inform decisions on curriculum, graduation requirements and how to invest money to aid instruction, Kultgen said. It is about finding ways to support students and teachers, he said.
“It’s a relevant test,” Kultgen said. “That’s what I like about it.”
The exam assesses English, math, reading, science and writing. It takes 3 hours and 50 minutes and would be given during a school day.
Twenty states across the nation give the exam to all of their juniors free of charge. Nearly 2 million students from the Class of 2015 nationwide took the test. That’s roughly 59 percent of all high school graduates.
In the Snohomish district, 949 students from Glacier Peak, Snohomish and AIM high schools will be offered the chance to take the exam, which costs $58.50 per student.
The district has earmarked $50,000 for the exams.
Snohomish isn’t the only district to pay for college admissions exams for any junior who wants to take it.
On March 1, Everett Public Schools will offer, at no cost, the SAT to all juniors.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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