ACT scores consistent in Crystal Lake District 155

ACT scores in Crystal Lake-area high schools largely stayed the same this year, continuing a trend of modest growth or maintenance year after year.

Crystal Lake High School District 155's overall score on the exam, a standardized test taken by high school juniors, was 22.7 this year, the same as in 2009. The highest score on the test is 36, and this year's state average was 20.7.

The district's composite score, a measure of how students did across all subject areas tested, has increased slightly or stayed the same since 2003, when the overall score was 21.7, according to District 155.

It is typically easier for school districts to continue the mild, long-term growth that District 155 has seen than to sustain one or more years of large jumps in test scores.

"We're proud of the consistency," said Scott Kubelka, director of curriculum and assessment. "We believe that our students are able to reach even higher scores."

This year, educators in District 155 plan to develop the district's first ACT goals so they can calibrate their curriculum and college readiness initiatives to meet those benchmarks.

Educators are focusing on reading as the key to achievement in other subjects. ACT reading scores across the district rose from 22.4 to 22.7 this year. English scores dropped from 22.2 to 22.1, while math and science stayed the same at 22.9 and 22.7, respectively.

"Our belief is as students experience success in reading, they're going to find success in other areas," Kubelka said.

District officials are hoping recent efforts to intensify the focus on reading bear fruit in two or three years, when the students who are participating in the new initiatives will take the ACT.

District 155 works with middle schools that feed into the district to identify incoming freshmen who may benefit from enhanced reading courses. About 15 to 20 students are placed in a summer reading program before they start high school. A larger group of students is enrolled in yearlong, intensive reading courses as freshmen.

As for individual high schools, Cary-Grove's ACT scores went up from 22.9 to 23.1, Crystal Lake Central went down from 22.8 to 21.9, Crystal Lake South rose from 22.0 to 22.1 and Prairie Ridge increased from 23.1 to 23.6.