Upperclassmen, specifically juniors, often carry the weight of the ACT on their backs, stressing about simple numbers and the effect they carry on other outcomes in life such as college and tuition. Recognizing this stress, East stretched out a helping hand to offer specialized practice for the ACT utilizing two different methods: in-person classes at Lincoln High during spring break, or a zero period at East.
Spring break course
The first option offered to students was a spring break course. From March ninth to the thirteenth, 9:30 A.M. to noon, students take courses at Lincoln High School. Though a hefty course, it offers students more practice in a less amount of time. Unlike the zero period however, this course involves cramming which presents struggles to students looking to have a solid grasp of the concepts and tips provided for them. For the same reason however, some students leaned towards this course for the quick time-frame.
“I chose the spring break option because I don’t have a first and second period of school and I didn’t want to wake up early just for that course,” junior Lia Fisser said. “I don’t do much over spring break anyway, so I thought I might as well get it all done at once.”
A bonus of the spring break course is the hands-on, one-on-one learning. John Baylor, creator of the OnToCollege website that puts together videos and tests for students, instructs the course in-person, finishing a new subject day by day.
“The course in spring break offers the actual people that run OnToCollege, whereas the class that runs through the quarter is less one-on-one with the teacher,” administrator Kyle Thompson said. “You’ll get a video put on screen by John Baylor but not individual practice or questions.”
All in all, the spring break course is a good option for students who don’t have morning periods, are busy with sports/other activities, or simply are unable to have a zero period. It provides the same information in a different method and hopes to achieve the same, overall goal as well: improving students ACT scores.
Zero period at East
From 7:05 to 7:50 A.M., East offers a zero period for students the entirety of third quarter. Acting as a normal class period with attendance and material, students have the opportunity to earn two and a half elective credits for completing the course. While teachers Cara Beaty and Jenny Kortus are the advisors and/or overseers for the course, the main source of practice derives from John Baylor’s OnToCollege program, where videos are displayed and students are instructed to take practice tests and engage in Kahoots.
“The slides are already created for me; [they] also give me the pacing for how to move in the curriculum. But I have been making minor adjustments to the slides and what we do each day, like splitting up the amount of videos we watch each period,” Beaty said. “The class is for juniors only. But you can take the class, just not first period, if you are not a junior. The hope is to get students more exposure to the ACT.”
Students still benefit from videos, practice tests, and other learning opportunities on the OnToCollege website, accessible at all times. After taking practice tests, specialized videos about what one got right and wrong show up to guide the learner.
“A mistake I noticed I often made was reading the question wrong and not honoring thy commas,” junior Briley Zwingman said. “[From the course], I understood more of the grammar strategies and how the test actually works.”
While East was the one of the last high schools to offer the zero period course, the progress in students already proves it’s well worth it. Success both in academics, sports, and extracurricular activities matters at East, even if it’s one class at a time. For more questions about the courses, email Kyle Thompson at [email protected].
