Lynn Camp Middle students prepare for the ACT

Two students are shown close up working on the timed CERT assessment using a computer.

If you walked into the cafeteria at Lynn Camp Schools on Tuesday, you would have thought that you were interrupting an ACT test being given.

Seventh-grade students were engaged in a new form of assessment called CERT, which stands for College Equipped Readiness Tool.  Much like the ACT, students are timed and are assessed in core areas of English, reading, math and science.  Once they complete all sections of CERT they receive a composite score similar to that of the ACT.

CERT allows Lynn Camp to assess students much like the current format of the ACT, with tests aligned to career and college readiness standards, the content areas, and for the questions the same types of questions and difficulty levels.

After completing the CERT assessment, the school’s Gear Up college and career navigator team will use the data to guide students toward college and career pathways that may interest them.   It will also help students develop a plan for preparing for the actual ACT during high school.

Funding for the CERT assessment was provided by Gear Up Opportunity, the latest Gear Up grant serving the Knox County Public Schools.