ACT scores rise in state, Jackson

Marks dipped slightly in Cape Girardeau and Scott City.

Missouri ACT scores rose a tenth of a point in 2005, but some local schools dropped off slightly from a year ago.

The ACT test is a college preparatory test which is divided into four areas: Mathematics, English, science and reading. The top score is a 36.

Cape Girardeau Central High School ACT scores averaged a 22.7, down .8 percent from last year but still higher than this year's state average of 21.6.

Scott City's scores average dropped .1 to 20.3.

Jackson's scores jumped .4 to 22.5.

"It means that hopefully our students are stronger students in the core areas of math and language skills," said Jackson High School principal Rick McClard.

Central high school principal Dr. Mike Cowan said the school took a "huge jump" last year "so I was almost anticipating that we would go down."

He said last year's testing group was particularly strong and that this year's score is more typical, based on the last five years.

That five-year trend is part of the student profile report schools receive. It allows schools to see where their specific strengths and weaknesses are. The student profile is also divided up into "Core" and "Less Than Core" students.

Cowan said students who participated in the school's college preparatory program scored significantly higher on the ACT.

"So I think the work that we have to do in front of us, based upon our most recent scores, is working with our kids who don't take our traditional college preparatory courses," Cowan said.

Scott City's high school principal, Kerry Thompson, said he wasn't disappointed, but "frustrated" because he wanted to see an increase in the scores.

"We've increased every year in the last three or four years and then we went down one tenth this year," he said."

Seventy percent, or almost 43,000 Missouri seniors take the ACT every year. McClard said one reason some students don't take the test is because they are intimidated.

Casey Guenard, a Central 10th grader, said he didn't know if he was going to take the ACT test, but if he didn't, it wouldn't be because he was scared.

"I'm not really intimidated by anything," he said.

Still, school administrators say there are ways to prepare for the exam to make it less frightening.

"It's one of those things students can actually practice taking the test, because there are numerous practice tests out there and they need to do that before they walk into the ACT test because it is a very strenuous exam," McClard said.

Scott City High School, Jackson High School and Central High School all have ACT prep classes that students can elect to take.

Three years ago Central implemented a ACT/SAT prep course during the school day available to students where students can prepare for the test and receive elective credit.

Last year a few members of Central's faculty offered night sessions to help students prepare for the ACT.

Cowan said that class had quite a few Central students as well as students from neighboring schools.

"We're very pleased to be able to offer that and really feel like they have made a difference for a significant number of our kids," Cowan said.

Jackson also has an ACT prep course class available to its students. McClard said it is a course designed for students who have already taken the ACT and want to strengthen their weak areas, McClard said.

McClard said it's best if students take the test before their senior year.

"I would even suggest the last of their sophomore year, because what we are finding out is students who do not continue to take math and upper level English courses their senior year really suffer when they get to college and on the ACT," he said. "It's one of those things if you don't use it you lose it."