Benet's ACT scores highest in school's history

You could call it Benet Academy's Lucky 7th, but luck had very little to do with it.

For the seventh straight year, the overall composite ACT score at the Catholic high school in Lisle was 28 or higher this year, officials said Friday.

All students in the school's Class of 2010 took the test in their junior year. The class's composite score of 28.4 on a 36-point scale was the highest total in the school's history. Almost 42 percent of this year's graduating seniors received composite scores of 30 or more - up from 35 percent a year ago.

The Illinois composite average was 20.7 and the nationwide average was 21.0.

"It's always gratifying to see the students' hard work pay off," Principal Stephen Marth said Friday.

Marth attributed Benet's success to hardworking students and teachers, supportive parents and "a strong traditional curriculum that seems to have survived the test of time."

He said he knows the composite number will fluctuate from class to class and year to year, but maintaining a score above 28.0 for seven straight year is an indication the college preparatory school is doing something right.

"The parents and I watch from the sidelines," he said, "but the folks who really deserve the credit are the students and teachers who work hard every day, teaching and learning from bell to bell."

All Illinois high school graduates must take the ACT, which tests their skills in English, math, reading and science.

Benet by the numbersBenet Academy's composite ACT scores have remained consistently high over the past several years.2005: 28.12006: 28.02007: 28.22008: 28.32009: 28.12010: 28.4