ACT Testing for Middle School??

[ceecee]

What's with the push to have your child take the ACT test in 7th and 8th grade? I can't see why they need it at this age, DD's school is really pushing for some of the kids to take it and I can't see an advantage to testing 5 years before college.

 

[Bastiansmom]

The more she takes it, the more "comfortable" it will become. You never know, she may get a perfect score and not have to worry about it again!
Also, you have the option of purchasing a copy of your test and your answers to help you study. I took it 5 times throughout high school. When my score went down a point.. I stopped!

 

[Kae]

The more she takes it, the more "comfortable" it will become. You never know, she may get a perfect score and not have to worry about it again!
Also, you have the option of purchasing a copy of your test and your answers to help you study. I took it 5 times throughout high school. When my score went down a point.. I stopped!

Yup. My DS has been taking the Excite test since 4 grade.

Kae

 

[semo233]

Here's the only thing I would be concerned with: If it isn't a practice test, when you request your score be sent to a college, they get ALL results from each ACT test taken. If a college gets more than 3 or maybe even 4 results, it's a red flag.
Are they using these maybe to apply to private or magnet high schools? I would pose your question(s) to your child's counselor. Perhaps there is a reason, but as a counselor myself, I can't think of one. We don't normally use ACT's in the NorthEast, only the SAT's.

 

[2luvmickey]

Our school system uses the middle school ACT/SAT scores as advanced placement for English and Math courses.

My DS 18 took the ACT three times, pretty consistent scores, but he did mention the math (weakest subject) was harder on the test in June. Actually his first test had the highest composite score of all three. We should have stopped at that!

Does your child want to take the test? If they are up for it, I'd say give it a try!

In high school, taking a prep course usually helps them become comfortable with the test.

 

[punkin]

Here's the only thing I would be concerned with: If it isn't a practice test, when you request your score be sent to a college, they get ALL results from each ACT test taken. If a college gets more than 3 or maybe even 4 results, it's a red flag.

This is not accurate.

 

[ceecee]

Here's the only thing I would be concerned with: If it isn't a practice test, when you request your score be sent to a college, they get ALL results from each ACT test taken. If a college gets more than 3 or maybe even 4 results, it's a red flag.
Are they using these maybe to apply to private or magnet high schools? I would pose your question(s) to your child's counselor. Perhaps there is a reason, but as a counselor myself, I can't think of one. We don't normally use ACT's in the NorthEast, only the SAT's.

It's not to get into a private school, she will be going into public HS. I took the SAT when going to college, but really don't know the difference. I guess I need to call and check. They send home papers according to how well they do on another test they took at school. The school has had an Excellence with distintion award for the last 5 years and I really am starting to think they just want the kids to learn to "test well".

 

[Colleen27]

It is a qualifier for advanced academic opportunities through some colleges, so they might be pushing it for students they think might benefit from participation. I took it in 7th grade through Northwestern's talent search program and qualified for some summer enrichment programs and such because of my scores. It sounded like a neat program, but I wasn't willing to make the trade-offs to attend (it was pretty pricey and smack in the middle of summer swim season) so all I know is what was in the invitation/syllabus. I believe now they have some online opportunities as well, which I would have been all over if they'd been offered when I was that age!

 

[tommya60]

The middle school scores are not sent to colleges. This is common practice for GATE or TAG students, the scores are used for placement in programs from a variety of places, some of the programs are during the summer as mentioned earlier, some are during the school year....

 

[hippiemama76]

I took it in middle school to qualify for the TIP program through Duke University - http://www.tip.duke.edu/index.html

 

[Purseval]

The more she takes it, the more "comfortable" it will become. You never know, she may get a perfect score and not have to worry about it again!
Also, you have the option of purchasing a copy of your test and your answers to help you study. I took it 5 times throughout high school. When my score went down a point.. I stopped!

Why? Your score can never go down for reporting purposes, only up. That's one of the advantages of taking it multiple times.

 

[Jitzy]

I took it in middle school to qualify for the TIP program through Duke University - http://www.tip.duke.edu/index.html

Ditto! For my son at least! It was worth it to have him see the test.

 

[semo233]

This is not accurate.

I am a guidance counselor. Unless there is a different test for middle school (I am only familiar with the ones high schoolers take), THIS IS ACCURATE. Check with your counselor. This is true for the SAT's also.
Check the website:

http://www.actstudent.org/scores/send/index.html

Requests are processed AFTER your tests have been scored and all scores for your test option—ACT (No Writing) or ACT Plus Writing—are ready.

note the word "all"

 

[Green Tea]

I was not involved with ACT, but mine took SAT's in middle school for the Johns Hopkins program. The test scores from middle school absolutely were NOT on the score reports from when the test was taken prior to 9th grade.

 

[semo233]

Please let me also add, that perhaps tests taken before 9th grade are not reported. You should check with the test company to be sure.
I can only tell you what happens when they get to high school, and at that point, ALL scores are reported. Colleges usually take the highest score of each section, but it does draw attention and a raised eyebrow when there are lots of test scores (more than 3 or 4)

 

[stitchfamily]

My daughter took the ACT in 7th grade and made one of the highest scores in the entire (6-12th grade) school district I think it was a 34. This helped her tremendously... She was given advanced acceptance to our local University (she will graduate HS next year and already has 12 college credit hours BUDGET NOTE! they were FREE CLASSES that equal a semester’s worth work)

DRAW BACK... she was going to a poorly scoring middle school at the time, we were trying to get a waver to go to a school outside our district and we were DENIED because the school NEEDED her scores for THIER report card.... But we made it though... Thank Goodness the high school we are districted for is one on the best in this area!

 

[Green Tea]

Please let me also add, that perhaps tests taken before 9th grade are not reported. You should check with the test company to be sure.
I can only tell you what happens when they get to high school, and at that point, ALL scores are reported. Colleges usually take the highest score of each section, but it does draw attention and a raised eyebrow when there are lots of test scores (more than 3 or 4)

The College Board allows a student to select which colleges receive which score, by particular test or by testing date. They administer the SAT only, so I am not sure about the ACT and its reporting rules.

http://sat.collegeboard.com/register/sat-score-choice

But to the OP, if it is middle school SATs the scores are used differently from the times it taken in high school. They do not appear in the mix at all come junior year.

 

[tommya60]

I can assure you that all tests taken prior to 9th grade are not reported. Those taken after 9th grade are reported. DD has participated in several opportunities due to these tests, we didn't have her study or prep at all. At the testing center (the local high school), the middle schoolers were in a separate room from the high school students, the whole thing was very low key. Really, not a bad thing--a non reported chance to be familar with a high stakes test.

 

[tommya60]

Sorry, another point, only because the college application process can be very confusing....not all schools support the SAT Score Choice option, some require that all test scores be reported. They do use the highest scores, but parents should be aware that this can happen. The prior to 9th grade scores are not reported in this instance (honestly, I think I was told they don't even keep them), but the college can require every test score to be reported.

 

[Green Tea]

I agree with a PP that a lot of testing dates isn't necessarily a great first impression, if all scores are being sent. If they are close it doesn't look so strange, but one set that blows all the other dates out of the water would look suspicious or like an inaccurate representation of the actual applicant.

My oldest took them once in high school and left well enough alone. The college board provided statistics on how likely the student was to score higher or lower on another test date. They were good; it wasn't worth it to him to take a chance on having a second set that was lower (this was prior to the emergence of Score choice)