State Assessment Testing Switches to ACT for Juniors
State Assessment Testing Switches to ACT for Juniors
Starting this spring, high school juniors attending public schools in South Dakota will now take the ACT instead of Smater Balanced Assessments as their required state assessment testing.
“For juniors, the State of South Dakota used what was called Smarter Balance assessments to determine students growth,” Dan Snaza, Milbank High School principal, explained. “It was switched this year to the ACT since it measures student growth, but can also be used nationwide in comparison to other states. In addition, colleges use the ACT for admissions and scholarships.”
The switch to using the ACT exam for state assessment testing serves two functions simultaneously as it meets federal accountability requirements while also providing students with college admissions test scores. The change eliminates the need for students to take both the state test and one utilized for college entrance, course placement, and scholarships, reducing testing time for students and helping teachers focus on preparing students for a single test.
Public school district in South Dakota will administer the ACT exams (English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing) to all juniors during the school day, and the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) will cover the cost of the exams administered through the schools during the state-assigned administration window. Subsequent or additional attempts to take the ACT will require students to pay out of pocket.
South Dakota students can prepare for the ACT through Methodize, a prep program available at no cost to all South Dakota students in grades 9-12. The DOE provides the service, which can be accessed through SDMyLife.
