Tennessee received national recognition Tuesday for its work to help all students fulfill their requirements for college admission.
ACT, Inc. awarded the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) with its inaugural ACT State Equity and Access Champion Award, which celebrates the state’s commitment to postsecondary access and its standing leading the nation in ACT access.
The ACT is a comprehensive college entrance exam covering a wide range of subjects that assess a student’s mathematical skills, grammar usage, science interpretation, and reading comprehension. Public school students test once in the spring of their junior year and then have an opportunity to retake the ACT in the fall of their senior year. Scores are also frequently used to determine eligibility for scholarships.
In 2016, Tennessee launched the ACT Senior Retake program to offer public high school seniors the option of retaking the ACT on the national Saturday test day for free. The program was expanded to provide all juniors with the option of taking the ACT for free and all seniors the option of retaking the ACT prior to graduation.
As a result of the program, Tennessee’s minority, low income, and underserved students have been able to achieve a two-point increase in average composite scores and 1 in 3 students have earned the qualifying ACT score to receive the HOPE scholarship award.
“In Tennessee, we remain focused on ensuring each and every student is ready for success and able to pursue the career path of their choice upon high school graduation, and we are honored to accept this award from ACT,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Thanks to the hard work of our districts and schools, educators, postsecondary institutions and most importantly, families and students, Tennessee is prepared for the future.”
“Tennessee was the first state to provide an opportunity for all students to improve their ACT scores in the fall of the senior year – during school, in their own classroom and at no cost to their families,” said Janet Godwin, CEO, ACT, Inc. “The senior retake program helps advance equity and access so that all students have the opportunity to show learning gains, qualify for scholarships, and improve their chances for success in college and career. The program exemplifies the state’s commitment to providing a pathway to success beyond high school.”
Since 2018, the General Assembly has provided funding for the ACT Senior Retake in every budget. The cost of the Senior Retake is $33 a student, or about $2 million a year. In a typical year, approximately 4,000 additional Tennessee students earn an ACT Composite score of 21 or higher from the Senior Retake, making these students eligible for up to $64 million in HOPE scholarship funds.
“I am thankful that the state of Tennessee is providing opportunities for ACT retakes for our students,” said Dr. Danny Weeks, Director of Schools, Dickson County Schools. “The opportunities provide our students to relieve some pressure from the one-time, high-stakes assessment. We are proud that our students have the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills to help them fulfill their hopes and dreams.”
TDOE has partnered with the University of Tennessee at Martin since 2021 to provide all Tennessee high school students and teachers with access to free, virtual workshops, office hours, and classes on how to succeed on the ACT.
Through the partnership, 165 workshops have been offered serving a total of 2,241 students, eight mastery classes have been offered serving a total of 169 students, and 13 teacher workshops have been offered training nearly 200 teachers.
“Tennessee students deserve our guidance and support to achieve postsecondary and career success,” said UT Martin Chancellor Keith Carver. “The Tennessee Department of Education is an important partner in providing ACT prep and the other resources that students need to thrive in our changing economy and world.”
“Tennessee has taken bold steps to close the opportunity gap for all students in taking the ACT,” said Dr. Cathy Beck, Director of Schools, Cheatham County Schools. “Having measures in place such as the free senior ACT retake and the free ACT prep workshops offered through the University of Tennessee at Martin, our state is leveling the playing field to ensure that all students have the chance to potentially boost their scores and to be college and career ready.”
