The Ivy Center for Education will host a free virtual ACT Boot Camp for seventh-twelfth graders from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 8 via Zoom. Students from across the state who want to improve their ACT scores are encouraged to attend.
The Zoom meeting ID is 856 8296 4187 and passcode is 351061. Students may sign up to receive workshop documents and a sign-in link by Dec. 7 by sending an email to Mattie Collins, retired educator and Ivy Center president, at mattie1908@gmail.com.
Charity Smith-Allen, who has a doctorate in education and is principal associate for education at Fetterman & Associates and founder of the Arkansas College Prep Academy, and staff will be the facilitators.
Smith-Allen and her staff have prepared students for the ACT for more than 20 years and are well known throughout Arkansas for raising test scores, according to a news release.
"Since the release of the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) 2021-2022 School Performance and Monitoring Report Cards, for area school districts in the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County area, it is more important than ever that students receive additional training and support to help them score higher on the ACT. Many students have strong academic performance in the classroom but need additional skills and training to perform well on standardized exams, such as the ACT," according to the release.
"The purpose of the ACT is to reflect what students have learned throughout high school and provide colleges and universities with excellent information for recruiting, advising, placement, and retention. The ACT tests academic achievement in English, reading, writing, math, and science reasoning. Taking the ACT is also important for gaining admission into many selective colleges and universities and/or winning scholarships to reduce tuition, housing, and book costs. Students who don't do well can and often study and retest. Scholars may take the ACT 12 times," the release said.
The Ivy Center has been offering ACT prep workshops since 2012 and has seen success in the in-person and virtual workshops. The virtual boot camp is sponsored by the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas.