Texas Education Agency (TEA) has announced a new collaboration to offer EXPLORE(r), PLAN(r) and ACT(r) tests throughout the state at no cost to students in grades eight - 12. The new program goes into effect immediately and covers the cost of EXPLORE testing arranged by school districts before May 21 and individual ACT college admission tests for Texas 11th grade students in April and June. Specific registration information can be found online at http://www.act.org/aap/te xas/.

“We’ve enjoyed working with the TEA to provide an established college and career readiness system to students of all backgrounds throughout the state,” said Paul Weeks, ACT assistant vice president for state programs. “ACT has already been serving many schools and students in Texas, and we look forward to helping even more of them succeed.”

Although registration for the April 10th ACT test date has already closed, ACT will provide a refund to Texas 11th grade students who have already paid their registration fee once they have taken the exam.

Current high school juniors may use a state voucher to register for the June 12 ACT test date. A refund is also available to 11th grade students who have already paid the registration fee for the June test. Students receive just one voucher for college admission testing and may choose to use their one voucher for any national test date.

Materials for EXPLORE and PLAN testing are ordered by school districts rather than by individual students. Parents and students who want to know more about EXPLORE and PLAN should talk with school counselors or visit http://www.actstudent.org /explore or http://www.actstudent.org /plan.

EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT are components of ACT’s College and Career Readiness System. Each is a grade-appropriate, curriculum based assessment that measures what students have learned in school. EXPLORE is designed for eighth and ninth graders, PLAN for 10th graders and the ACT for 11th and 12th graders. Each assessment includes a career guidance and planning element. The system is designed to help students build a solid foundation for future academic and career success by assessing their current skills and encouraging them to plan effectively for the future.