The Tennessee Department of Education and the University of Tennessee at Martin announced this week that all Tennessee high school students and teachers have access to free, virtual workshops, office hours and classes on how to succeed on the ACT, one of the most important college entrance exams offered to high school students across the country.

The ACT is a comprehensive college entrance exam covering a wide range of subjects that assess students' mathematical skills, grammar usage and reading comprehension.

Beginning this summer, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, UT Martin is providing the <a href="https://www.utm.edu/departments/nondegree/courses/children/actprep.php">ACT Success Tactics Workshops and Mastery Classes</a> for free via Zoom to all Tennessee high school teachers and students, designed for rising 11<sup>th</sup> and 12<sup>th</sup> graders, to gain knowledge and skills to prepare for and be successful on the ACT.

“We are excited to partner with UT Martin to focus on ACT readiness and college and career success for all Tennessee high school students,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “These workshops and classes are tremendous free resources that will help better prepare our students for postsecondary success while equipping our teachers with tools for focused classroom instruction on college readiness and career pathways.”

Beginning June 1 and continuing through the fall of 2022, the series of workshops, office hours, and classes are being held via Zoom for free and accessible <a href="https://www.utm.edu/departments/nondegree/courses/children/actprep.php">interaction</a>.

<strong>For all Tennessee high school students:</strong>
<ul>
 	<li><strong>The ACT Success Tactics Workshop </strong>is designed to help students develop new strategies for how to manage exam questions, receive a detailed plan for practice opportunities to improve performance, learn crucial time-saving tips, and familiarize themselves more generally with higher education.</li>
 	<li><strong>The virtual office hours</strong> are offered in one-hour increments and provide students with the opportunity to do a deeper dive into areas where additional assistance is needed.</li>
 	<li><strong>The ACT Mastery Classes</strong> are available upon completion of the Success Tactics Workshop for a deeper dive into a certain section of the exam where additional assistance is needed.</li>
</ul>
<strong>For all high school Tennessee teachers: </strong>
<ul>
 	<li><strong>The ACT Workshop</strong> is offered via Zoom during subsequent semesters, with the first session on Monday, Aug. 2, and open to all Tennessee high school teachers to learn how to build ACT curriculum into their instruction and how to use ACT data to inform teaching strategies. The two-hour workshop may be used for professional development points (PDPs) upon completion.</li>
</ul>
“The Tennessee Department of Education’s work to ensure every student across the state has access to free student success ACT workshops and mastery classes, as well as provide professional development opportunities for school districts, is admirable,” said UT System President Randy Boyd. “The University of Tennessee at Martin is always willing to go the extra mile to serve Tennessee students and teachers, and I applaud them for their dedication, hard work and partnership with the Department on this important initiative.”

The funding for the workshops and classes is from the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER).

Interested students and educators can click <a href="https://www.utm.edu/departments/nondegree/courses/children/actprep.php">here</a> to learn more about the workshops, office hours and classes.

To learn more about the department’s college readiness testing resources and materials, click <a href="https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/education/assessment/act-sat.html">here</a>. For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact <a href="mailto:Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov">Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov</a>.
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