[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-400410-105":59,"doc-detail-400410-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","act-test-prep-more-is-not-better","ACT Test Prep - More is not Better","","ACT preparation strategies often replace regular classroom instruction, but research from UChicago CCSR shows that spending class time on intensive test prep does not improve ACT outcomes. The document explains why test prep is less effective than regular teaching: it reduces time for analytic skill development, can create a misleading sense of test timing, and practice tests are not built for learning. In contrast, critical, engaging classroom teaching and a focused academic school atmosphere are linked to higher ACT scores.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/act-test-prep-more-is-not-better/400410/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/act-test-prep-more-is-not-better/400410.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Himbo","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-22","2026-09-27",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why does intensive in-class ACT test prep not improve ACT scores?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It takes time away from developing analytic skills, can create a false sense of test timing, and practice tests are not designed for learning as instructional tools.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What classroom teaching practices are linked to higher ACT scores?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Instruction that challenges students to think critically, defend viewpoints, and construct arguments, such as improving writing, explaining symbolism, discussing solutions, debating readings, and supporting claims with evidence.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How can teachers help students prepare for the ACT without sacrificing quality lessons?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Channel student motivation into coursework, focus instruction on higher-order problem-solving skills, and maintain valuable classroom practices connected to stronger ACT outcomes.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},400410,1791357835,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":14,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":24,"preview_page_count":4},687197100911,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/a000239b6f1da00475?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1785132997149421697","ACT Test Prep – More is not Better  \nMost students in Chicago Public Schools set high expectations for themselves when it comes to the ACT. And most teachers want their students to succeed. Given the motivation and the large stakes regarding the test, test prep strategies are sometimes substituted for regular lessons in many classrooms, in an attempt to make students as prepared as possible. However, research at UChicago CCSR found that spending class time on test prep does not make students more prepared for the ACT.  \nIn fact, it is less effective than most regular teaching practices. The ACT was designed to challenge students’ higherlevel reasoning skills. In-class test prep takes time away from developing those abilities needed to get better scores. Instead, a challenging academic atmosphere and a class curriculum that teaches critical thinking gives students the best shot at succeeding on the ACT. Consider the stats:  \nTEST PREP HAS LITTLE IMPACT ON ACT SCORES  \nACT scores were either indistinguishable, or in some cases lower, in schools where most teachers engaged in intensive test prep activities in class (such as reviewing practice problems and test strategies) compared to schools where most teachers did not, comparing students with similar scores in schools that serve similar students.  \nSpending class time on test prep does not help students’ scores because:  \n􀁸 It takes away time from developing the analytic skills needed on the ACT that come from regular instruction.  \n􀁸 It can give a false sense of the timing of the test.  \n􀁸 Practice tests are not designed for learning; their design makes them confusing as instructional tools.  \nOn the flip side…  \nENGAGING CLASSROOM TEACHING BOOSTS ACT SCORES  \nStudents with teachers that challenged them to think critically, defend viewpoints, and construct arguments fared better on the ACT than students who started out with the same PLAN scores, but who spent less time on challenging tasks in their eleventh grade classes. These instructional practices showed significant positive relationships with  \nhigher ACT scores: English Scores  \n􀁸 Improved a piece of writing in partners or as a class  \n􀁸 Explained how writers use tools such as symbolism  \nMath Scores  \n􀁸 Discussed different solutions to problems with each other  \n􀁸 Used graphing calculators to complete an assignment  \nReading Scores  \n􀁸 Discussed how culture, time or place affects an author’s writing  \n􀁸 Debated the meaning of a reading Science Scores  \n􀁸 Used evidence/data to support arguments or hypotheses  \n􀁸 Generated their own hypothesis Overall Scores  \n􀁸 Wrote at least 5 papers across all classes defending a point of view  \nGOOD SCHOOL ATMOSPHERE HELPS ACT SCORES  \nSchools where students were attentive in classrooms and academically focused did better on the ACT, than students with similar prior scores on the PLAN in schools that were less college-focused or had poor student behavior.  \nACT scores were higher in schools where teachers reported a strong emphasis on college preparation:  \nACT scores were higher in schools where teachers reported good student behavior during class:  \nNote: These differences control for students’ 11th Grade PLAN score, backgrounds, and teacher and school characteristics. Teachers’ reports are taken from the 5 Essentials survey. ^p\u003C.10 *p\u003C.05 **p\u003C.01 ***p\u003C.001  \nHere’s how you can help…  \n􀀹 Channel students’ motivation to do well on the ACT into their coursework.  \nWe found through surveys that even students with mediocre grades and classroom behavior are highly motivated for the ACT. It can help if students recognize that focusing on classwork will help them to do better on the test, regardless of prior class performance.  \n􀀹 Focus your instruction on higher-order problem-solving skills.  \nDoing well on the ACT requires students to be able to interpret complex reading, analyze data, pay attention to details, and write well. This is much more important than broad content coverage. The A","cbCaiq98AAObRTGV","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiq98AAObRTGV","pdf",660667,"English","# Test Prep Has Little Impact on ACT Scores\n## Engaging Classroom Teaching Boosts ACT Scores\n## Good School Atmosphere Helps ACT Scores\n# Here’s how you can help","[{\"question\":\"Why does intensive in-class ACT test prep not improve ACT scores?\",\"answer\":\"It takes time away from developing analytic skills, can create a false sense of test timing, and practice tests are not designed for learning as instructional tools.\"},{\"question\":\"What classroom teaching practices are linked to higher ACT scores?\",\"answer\":\"Instruction that challenges students to think critically, defend viewpoints, and construct arguments, such as improving writing, explaining symbolism, discussing solutions, debating readings, and supporting claims with evidence.\"},{\"question\":\"How can teachers help students prepare for the ACT without sacrificing quality lessons?\",\"answer\":\"Channel student motivation into coursework, focus instruction on higher-order problem-solving skills, and maintain valuable classroom practices connected to stronger ACT outcomes.\"}]","ACT Test Prep - More is not Better | PDF",1790511041]