Austin ISD has partnered with online education provider Edgenuity to expand support for high school students by offering free test preparation services for college entrance exams, including the SAT.

AISD students may enroll in Web-based courses that allow them to complete lessons at their own pace. The district encourages all sophomores and juniors to contact their campus counselors to schedule an appointment to discuss this opportunity.

In 2013–14, the district's graduation rates have reached an all-time high of 84.1 percent. More AISD students are participating in the SAT and ACT—and they are scoring better overall on the exams, compared with the state and national averages.

“Preparing Austin students to graduate ready for college is among our top priorities at AISD. Working with our school communities, we are meeting our goals by helping to meet students where they are, but there is more work to be done,” said Superintendent Paul Cruz. “We must continue to invest in our students’ success by ensuring all students have access to the tools they need. The new Web-based services offer students the flexibility to prepare for college entrance exams when and where it works best for them.”

Edgenuity’s online courses will help prepare students to successfully complete the SAT, ACT and Texas Success Initiative tests. 

“Most of today’s students are digitally savvy and are looking for educational opportunities that are personalized, engaging and rigorous,” Cruz said. “This partnership with Edgenuity will help AISD continue to meet the unique learning needs of all our students, including at-risk and first-generation college students. The online courses will help students prepare for and excel on standardized exams at the state and national level.”

Edgenuity’s courses include video-based instruction, interactive assignments and frequent assessment opportunities to track progress.

The ACT and SAT courseware focuses on the primary areas of each test, including mathematics, reading, science and English reasoning for the ACT, and mathematics, critical reading and critical writing for the SAT.

TSI preparation is particularly important for students who wish to attend public universities in Texas, which use the test to gauge if students are college-ready in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics.

AISD students continue to earn higher overall scores on the SAT and ACT exams, compared with their counterparts across the state and nation, according to the College Board and ACT Inc.

• This year, the average overall SAT scores for AISD students was 1507, compared with 1497 nationally and 1432 statewide.
• The average ACT composite score for AISD students in 2014 was 21.9, exceeding the state (20.9) and national (21.0) average composite scores.
• More AISD students participated in the SAT than the ACT exam—2,801 tests compared with 1,499. However, AISD students’ participation in ACT testing continued to increase in 2014 compared with participation in prior years.

For more information, AISD students may schedule an appointment with their campus counselor.

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