• 59°
franklin county times

RMS receives $1600 ACT Explore grant

By Staff
Kim West
Russellville Middle School students swarmed the school cafeteria Friday morning, but they weren't there to get an early sample of the school-made pork barbecue.
Instead, approximately 204 eighth graders spent two hours taking the American College Testing Explore exam at no charge thanks to a $1600 community service grant secured by state Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow (D-Red Bay).
The Explore program, which includes a 128-question test divided into 30-minute English, math, reading and science portions with a maximum score of 25, also recommends courses that the students should take in high school and career possibilities based on their responses to the exam questionnaire.
"The ACT Explore program is the first of three ACT programs designed to equip students and their parents by directly relating academics with career interests and goals," said Linda McAlister, guidance counselor at RMS. "Students are more directly involved with planning for their future as they work towards a high school diploma and beyond.
"The program also helps students realize how they will use subjects they are learning now and what they need to know after high school. This gives practical incentives for taking upper-level math, English and science classes."
McAlister said the program will help make next year's transition to high school easier for this year's eighth graders.
"We had orientation (Monday), and I gave them a background of the ACT. I asked them to start thinking about what they're going to do for college and start planning for high school," she said. "Mrs. (Donna) Goodwin is the high school counselor, and she and I are doing this program together. She will come over later this spring to help them register for high school.
"It's a really big transition for them, and sometimes ninth graders struggle so we want to give them as much information as possible."
ACT Explore is different from other testing programs because of the detailed feedback provided to students.
"This test is different because it has a career component and also provides students and their parents with suggestions for improvement (academically)," McAlister said. "My goal during orientation was to just let them know about the program, and they were just mesmerized because I think some of them got the idea that this will give them more control over their future, and it gives them a vehicle to find out what jobs they would be good at.
"I didn't have this program growing up, and I feel very good about their starting high school comfortable with what's going to be expected and having a little more confidence."

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x