ACT scores rise at District 300 high schools

After dropping last year, ACT scores in Community Unit District 300 are back up again, according to the district's latest ACT report.

The district's overall score on the standardized test, a college-readiness exam for high school juniors, rose to 20.6 in 2008, up from 20.1 last year.

The increase returns the district to its 2006 level but still places it just below this year's state average of 20.7 out of 36.

A year after expressing concern over 2007's lower scores, school officials called the Class of 2008's results encouraging.

"We've gone up over last year, but we're still below what the bench mark is that shows success at the college level," said Carole Cooper, District 300's director of assessment and accountability.

The district's ACT scores this year rose across all four subject areas tested: English, math, reading and science.

The biggest gains were in reading and math scores, which were up .6 and .5 from last year, respectively. Science scores rose by .4, while English scores improved by .3.

Scores were at or above the state average in all subjects except math.

School officials said a number of ongoing initiatives should lead to higher ACT scores in coming years:

• ACT online preparation courses: Started last year, these after-school programs help familiarize high-school juniors with the types of questions they will encounter on the test.

• Freshman academies: These "schools within a school" opened this year as a way to improve the transition between middle and high school.

• More math: The state now requires students to take at least three years of math, up from two years.

• Department chairs: Officials hope the new positions, hired this year, will help standardize curriculum and align courses with standardized tests like the ACT.

District educators said this year's scores were a step in the right direction, but their focus needs to remain on raising achievement at the three high schools.

"We see it as a good starting point, but we've still got a long way to go," Hampshire Principal Chuck Bumbales said.