District 203 ACT scores continue positive trend

Naperville's Class of 2009 had a tough act to follow when it came to its ACT scores.

Seniors who graduated this spring from Naperville Central and Naperville North high schools earned a composite score of 25.0 on a 36-point scale, according to numbers released last week by the Iowa-based testing group.

That composite reflects a slight dip from the past two graduating classes, which tallied 25.1 in 2007 and 25.2 in 2008, but is still the third-highest in district history since virtually all graduates began taking the test and the fourth-highest in the district's 27-year history of tracking the ACT.

It's also well above the state average of 20.8 and the national composite of 21.1.

More importantly, district officials say, it continues to reflect a generally positive trend over the past five years.

The test, which most students take as juniors (others take it the summer between their junior and senior years or early in their senior years), tests their skills in English, math, reading and science.

Dave Chiszar, director of assessment, said the district merges ACT results with other achievement data to keep track of individual students' progress and to try to produce "the most relevant instruction for each student."

"Each graduating class has a bit of its own personality," Chiszar said, "and we try to look at the growth of that class going through the system."

The ACT, he said, "is one piece of information and whether it's good or bad, we don't ignore it and it has value."

To that end, the district also tests students as freshmen and sophomores as part of its "ACT series" and has created formula-based expectations for each class.

This year's graduates, he said, easily fell within the formula's acceptable range. As a group, students scored highest in math with a composite of 25.2 and lowest in reading with a 24.8.

Those scores, Chiszar said, reflect a district that is blessed with "a great community, great support, great kids, great staff and what I think is a great curriculum structure."