It was a tough ACT to follow
Two districts slip slightly compared to previous year's results
Scores for students taking the ACT college admissions exam in Muskego and New Berlin school districts dropped slightly over last year but still remained above the state average, which has dropped to the lowest point in the past 14 years.
Out of a possible perfect score of 36, Muskego High School students that graduated last spring scored a composite average of 23.2, down from the previous school year's record-setting score of 23.5. In the New Berlin school district, students at Eisenhower High School earned a composite score of 24.5 and students at New Berlin West scored an average 22.9, down from 24.5 and 23.7 respectively.
"We're pleased with results and with the increased number of students taking the ACT," said Alan Groth, director of student learning for the Muskego-Norway School District. "They demonstrate stability, including a three-year trend of sustaining their achievement above 23."
Also pleased with his student's scores, New Berlin School District's director of secondary teaching and learning, Michael D. Fesenmaier, said his district's above average score speak to its track record and "expectation to perform well in this arena."
In addition, 38 students at Eisenhower and 12 at New Berlin West scored 30 or above, while 23 at Muskego scored over that benchmark, which typically means those students will be more likely to get into the college of their choice.
The state average composite score was 22.1 this year, down from 22.3, where it had held steady the past three years. The state's lower average score is likely due to an increase in the number of students taking the exam statewide. The national average this year was 21.
The ACT specifically tests students knowledge in the areas of math, science, reading and English.
Though scores may have slipped a bit this year, educators say that different initiatives they've put in place in the past few years have significantly helped students achieve better scores.
At Muskego High School, for instance, instructors will continue to team up with upper-level teaching administrators to "align the district's curriculum through meetings and ongoing district wide collaboration around student performance and content specific topics," said Groth. And by the 2011-12 school year, the district's content literacy strategies will be implemented in all courses, he added.
"We believe that our continued and persistent efforts to articulate and vertically align our curriculum along with differentiated teaching practices will help all students succeed and reach their personal best," said Groth.
To better students' scores in the New Berlin School District, free ACT-specific programs are offered to help them prep for the test, including individual tutoring offered by school staff, said Fesenmaier, who is also the principal at New Berlin's Eisenhower High School.
"If there is an area we feel was significantly strong, it continues to be mathematics and reading being an area of focus for our district based upon (the ACT) and other assessments of student learning," he said.
At a glance
Scores* by school district:
| English | Mathematics | Reading | Science | Composite | |
| Eisenhower | 24.7 | 24.9 | 24.1 | 23.7 | 24.5 |
| NB West | 21.8 | 23.6 | 22.6 | 22.8 | 22.9 |
| Muskego | 22.7 | 23.9 | 22.8 | 23 | 23.2 |
| State | 21.5 | 22 | 22.3 | 22.2 | 22.1 |
*Results are provided by the state Deptartment of Public Instruction for public schools only.
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Another example of the news playing to the bad news angle: these ACT scores are stellar! And you couldn't use that for your headline?
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Back to topworktogether - Sep 16, 2010 6:45 PM - Report Abuse