Tennessee Student Assessment Transparency Act of 2016, approved an opportunity for seniors to retake the ACT if

As we begin the school year, we are excited to share with you a new opportunity for current seniors. If your student took the ACT standardized test as a junior, he/she will have the opportunity to retake the ACT at no cost this fall. The ACT Senior Retake Opportunity will be Saturday, October 22, 2016.

Upon recommendation from the Assessment Task Force, the Tennessee General Assembly, as part of the Tennessee Student Assessment Transparency Act of 2016, approved an opportunity for seniors to retake the ACT if they took the ACT during their junior year. The ACT is a powerful national measure of readiness in terms of the cumulative academic knowledge and critical thinking skills valued by both employers and post secondary institutions.

National data indicate that retaking the ACT typically leads to a composite score improvement of 1–2 points. In Tennessee, our state data indicate that students who retake the ACT typically increase their score by 1–3 points. Based on the typical growth of students in Tennessee who took the ACT a second time, we anticipate that this score increase could translate into thousands more students meeting the ACT composite score requirement of a 21 for the HOPE scholarship and avoiding remediation courses once they enter a post secondary institution. Furthermore, increasing the percentage of students who graduate high school with improved ACT scores will allow for more students to start their next phase in life on the pathways to success.

Seniors who are eligible for the ACT Senior Retake Opportunity will receive a special registration retake voucher or fee waiver from the school counselor. The deadline to register for the ACT is Friday, September 16, and the test will take place on Saturday, October 22 at Columbia State. Additional testing sites may be approved at a later date. Contact your schools for more information.