CULLMAN, Ala. – Forget cheering for touchdowns or defense — the Cullman High School “pep rally” this week was all about ACT test prep.
OnTo College Founder John Baylor made a stop at Cullman High School for a special ACT prep seminar Wednesday and received a socially-distanced rock star’s welcome from students and faculty who have been using his methods to prepare for the test. Cullman High has used Baylor’s methods and OnTo College curriculum the past few years with success, and finally garnered an in-person visit from the testing guru Wednesday.
Teachers and students turned out for Baylor’s seminar, sharing stories of how students made homemade T-shirts sporting his program’s popular catchphrase “Hammer the Grammar,” and how another dressed up and cosplayed as Baylor himself as part of the test prep sessions.
“He just has such a way of connecting with students,” CHS English teacher Danna Putman said.
OnTo College is a national ACT and SAT prep program used by more than 450 high schools in 24 states, encompassing tens of thousands of students. The curriculum and study prep program reportedly improves ACT scores by 1-3 points, and the average SAT score by 50-200 points.
“In the years we’ve been using OnTo College we’ve seen such an increase in test scores,” Cullman High Principal Kim Hall said. “We’re so excited to get Mr. Baylor on campus to meet with students, especially this year, when they might be feeling disconnected.”
Baylor explained the curriculum has seen entire schools consistently pull up their overall score averages, which can have a positive effect on a community far beyond the multiple choice section on the page.
“Higher scores can mean more scholarships and less debt for students and families,” he explained. “It’s really a way to help school cultures become more future-focused.”
Cullman High senior Logan Holley is one student who benefited several score points from the OnTo College program, pulling his ACT score up from an 18 to a 25 following the prep sessions.
“I’d taken it three times and I couldn’t get my score past 18,” Holley said. “This really helps prepare you for how to take the test. It worked for me and I was able to get a scholarship.”
This week’s seminar, and the curriculum plan, is working to prepare sophomores and juniors for the upcoming spring testing session.
