Students must choose when to take the ACT for the first time and if and when to retest. States and districts that administer the ACT test to all students must also choose when to administer the test. A key consideration in making these decisions is the impact on scores. Because the ACT is a curriculum-based test of academic achievement, students…

After years of preparation and anticipation, many students arrive at college without any real knowledge of the ins and outs of college life. They've been focused on finding the right school and have been carefully guided through the nuances of the admissions process, but too often they have little knowledge about how college will be different from…

Describes the method used by Gateway Community College (Arizona) to teach study skills within the context of content area courses. Staff from the Learning Assistance Center present techniques for study-reading, memorizing, vocabulary development, time management, and test taking. (DMM)

This guidebook attempts to move theory into application by sharing ways that teachers fuse the teaching of learning processes with the teaching of course content. Chapters focus on: (1) motivating students to learn; (2) concentration and learning to focus; (3) time management; (4) remembering; (5) technical vocabulary; (6) streamlining study; (7)…

A description is presented of an improvement program that focused upon a small, flexible, open primary school. The school had been targeted for improvement because of rather low test scores. Improvement efforts focused on findings from four basic strands of school research: (1) structured learning environment; (2) academic feedback; (3) high…

This document describes how an adult basic education (ABE) program in Pennsylvania conducted a study skills training course to teach 54 parents how to help their school-age children with their homework. Parents also participated in informal follow-up throughout the school year. Evaluation of the program showed that it was successful both from the…

A turnaround school in Mission, Texas proves poverty and underachievement are not synonymous. The 1998 passing rate on state assessments was 90.7 percent, compared to 41.2 percent in 1993. Factors include committed faculty, a strong principal, extended reading practice and instructional time, incentives and recognition, and pre-assessment…

This study skills curriculum addresses the problem of a lack of study skills demonstrated by students in grades 7-10. It focuses on 11 essential knowledge acquisition skills: (1) motivation and ice-breakers; (2) outlining and mapping; (3) time management; (4) PQ5R (Preview, Question, Read, Record, Recite, Review, and Reflect); (5) notetaking; (6)…

Minority students made up approximately 25% of the student population at Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1995. The composition of Central's honors and challenge classes did not reflect this diversity, however, few minority students were taking challenge classes as underclassmen and even fewer were taking AP courses as seniors. In fall…