| Pre-Collegiate Testing |
| What is Pre-Collegiate Testing? |
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| Pre-collegiate tests are preparatory college entrance exams designed to assist students in being more successful on actual college entrance exams such as the ACT and the SAT. These pre-collegiate tests such as the PLAN (aligned to the ACT) and the PSAT/NMSQT (aligned to the SAT) are typically taken by students in 10th and 11th grade. 11th grade PSAT/NMSQT results are also used to identify students for National Merit Scholarships. |
| Upcoming Changes in Pre-Collegiate Testing for all 10th graders |
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Beginning in the fall of 2009, all 10th grade students in Pinellas County Schools will take the PLAN pre-collegiate entrance examination aligned to the ACT college entrance examination. PLAN will replace the PSAT as the mandatory 10th grade test under this state funded program. The PSAT will continue to be administered in all Pinellas County Schools as an additional option for any student attempting to qualify for National Merit Scholarships or to prepare for the SAT college entrance examination.
The curriculum based content of the PLAN test for 10" grade students, the non-cognitive career interest inventory, and the student, school and district level score reports were compared to the PSAT. During this process, many benefits of the ACT assessment system were identified by district staff, ultimately leading to Dr. Janssen's decision to move from the PSAT to the PLAN for the state funded 10'' grade pre-college testing program. Training for school-based staff on administration of the PLAN and analysis and interpretation of results to modify instruction and improve student achievement will be forthcoming in the 09-10 school year.
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| What happens to the PSAT/NMSQT? |
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• The PSAT/NMSQT will continue to be offered at all Pinellas high
schools for students interested in qualifying for National Merit
Scholarships and for preparation for the SAT college entrance
examination.
• The PSAT/NMSQT will continue to be offered for students willing to
pay the $13 test fee in grades 9, 10 and 11. Fee waivers can be
provided for economically disadvantaged students.
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| The PLAN test is the pretest to the ACT college entrance exam. It is typically taken by 10th graders in preparation for the ACT. |
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| The PSAT/NMSQT test is the pretest to the SAT college entrance exam. It is typically taken by 10th graders in preparation for the SAT and 11th graders interested in earning the National Merit Scholarship. |
