DESCRIPTION:

‍ ‍Preparing students for life after high school requires more than helping them choose a destination—it requires helping them understand the opportunities available to them and equipping them with the tools to access those opportunities. This session explores how intentional ACT preparation can increase student achievement, strengthen school culture, and expand postsecondary options for all learners. Through Gibraltar's partnership with OnToCollege, participants will discover how a schoolwide approach to college and career readiness has led to higher ACT scores, increased student confidence, greater equity in outcomes, and stronger pathways to students' best-fit post-high school destinations.

As educators, we want every student to find their best-fit path after graduation, whether that includes a community college, university, military service, apprenticeship, or trade school. Research shows that preparing for and taking the ACT and SAT can play a significant role in helping students identify appropriate academic placement, access scholarship opportunities, and improve long-term postsecondary success. In Wisconsin, where the ACT is administered to all juniors and directly impacts district accountability measures, supporting student preparation becomes even more important.

This session will highlight Gibraltar's partnership with OnToCollege and the measurable impact it has had on student outcomes over the past three years. Participants will learn how a schoolwide implementation of ACT preparation contributed to sustained score growth, recognition for Advanced Placement achievement, equitable performance among Free and Reduced Lunch and non-Free and Reduced Lunch students, and a notable shift in student mindset and culture. The session will also explore the significant economic value that higher ACT scores can create through scholarship opportunities and expanded postsecondary options.

Joining the conversation will be OnToCollege founder and instructor John Baylor, who will share insights from partnering with more than 500 high schools nationwide. Participants will learn how helping students understand their “Why to Try” can transform motivation and engagement. By connecting academic performance, assessment results, and extracurricular involvement to future opportunities, schools can create a culture where students recognize the value of effort and are empowered to pursue their goals with confidence.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies for implementing equitable, schoolwide college and career readiness supports that strengthen achievement, build student agency, and help all learners reach their best-fit post-high school destination with minimal debt. The session will challenge participants to view test preparation not as an end in itself, but as a powerful tool for increasing opportunity, access, and long-term success for every student.