academic readiness program

The Academic Readiness Program at the University of Kentucky provides personalized services for selected first-year students working to improve their basic skills in writing, reading, and mathematics. Working with academic advising staff in the students' colleges, the Office of Retention and Student Success can help students achieve their maximum potential for academic success. The program includes:

• COMPASS Placement Testing specific to each student's academic needs;
• free online tutoring supported by a UK subject matter expert;
• supplemental instruction in certain courses that best match each student's preferred course of study;
• learning communities where student find close-knit and caring support to guide them through the new and exciting challenges of their first semester at UK.

The University measures basic proficiencies in writing, reading, and mathematics by student performance on the ACT and SAT exams. Taking into account each student's highest score in each of the disciplinary subcomponents, the Office of Undergraduate Education determines eligibility for the Academic Readiness Program. College readiness is based on the Kentucky System-Wide Standards of Assessment and Placement (http://www.lrc.ky.gov/kar/013/002/020.htm) in effect for all Fall 2009 first year students. Eligible for the Academic Readiness Program at UK are those first year students whose highest scores on the:

• ACT are below 19 in Math, 20 in Reading and 18 in English
  OR
• SAT are below 470 in Math, 490 in Verbal (for reading), 450 in Verbal (for English)

Students who are identified as eligible for the Academic Readiness Program must demonstrate their proficiency in the first year. The Director of Retention and Student Success works with each student's college to determine whether the student has demonstrated proficiency in these basic skill areas within the first year at UK. The University wants to help make this a successful endeavor; so we offer many opportunities for students to demonstrate proficiencies - even before they start classes at the University. Some ways to show that basic skills have been achieved are:

BEFORE AND DURING SUMMER:

• a high score on the COMPASS Placement Test taken at a local ACT Testing Center (see which Center is close by: http://www.act.org/compass/advant/remote.html or at no cost at the UK Compass Testing Center
• fulfilling the college-approved learning contract for Academic Readiness Tutoring Online offered free to eligible students admitted to UK;
• successfully completing a developmental education course at a local community college

DURING FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE:

• successfully completing the additional course work required for those who did not satisfy their readiness requirements in advance: a remedial math course and/ or supplemental instruction components for writing or reading (academic credit will count toward full-time status but not toward graduation requirements);
• fulfilling the college-approved learning contract for Academic Readiness Tutoring Online offered free to eligible students admitted to UK

For more information, contact the Office of Retention and Student Success.

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The Office of Undergraduate Education
217 Funkhouser Building
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0054
(859) 257-3027