D303’s ACT Science Score Up Again

For the fifth year in a row, the ACT score for St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 is up — hitting a new record of 23.2 by the class of 2012, which saw a gain over 2011 in the composite score as well.

The class of 2012’s overall performance on the ACT college entrance exam is a plum for District 303’s students, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donald Schlomann said Wednesday afternoon that the scores reflect the district’s commitment to the successful education of its students, whether they move directly into the job market after graduating or pursue college.

“We’re very pleased about what our students are doing and will continue to work on that,” Schlomann said Wednesday afternoon. “But the work’s not done yet.”

District 303’s class of 2012 scores were higher than the state average in each category — English, math, reading and science, as well as the composite score, which also was higher than nationwide average composite scores (see chart below).

Related:

• The official ACT online newsroom

“While our students continue to demonstrate significant growth in the classroom, we also need to also prepare them for success beyond high school,” Schlomann said in a release issued by District 303 earlier in the day. “It is important that we assist our students in developing the creative skills, communication skills and adaptability that are crucial to their success once their formal education is complete.”

The district points out that the class of 2012 achieved a composite score of 23.5, which was topped only by the class of 2010’ s composite of 23.6. The 2012 composite score is 2.6 points above the average for all 2012 Illinois high school seniors. The top three composite scores for District 303 students since the ACT became a state requirement for all high school juniors have been posted in the last three years.

Emphasis on ACT, Not ‘No Child Left Behind’

The ACT results are a bright spot that contrasts sharply with a statement Schlomann made to the District 303 Board of Education on Aug. 13, when he noted that nearly every high school in the state had failed to meet the adequate yearly progress benchmarks set under the No Child Left Behind Act.

But Schlomann said the No Child Left Behind Act and its intent has “run its course,” and that the federal law fails to address the needs of students considering employment or college enrollment.

He noted that for about two years, the district has been discussing the No Child Left Behind Act. Rather than focus on the Illinois Standard Achievement Test for the Prairie State Achievement Exam — both of which are tied directly to the No Child law, District 303 has committed to the ACT and related tests, which reflect how competitive the students will be in terms of the job market and college.

The increased focus on the Explore, Plan and ACT tests, Schlomann said, is something the community expects because it wants the students prepared, to have a competitive edge in the job market or when going on to college.

Since 2007, the District 303 composite score has risen 5.9 percent from 22.2 to 23.5. During that same time period, the composite score of the state of Illinois has risen 1.9 percent from 20.5 to 20.9 while the national score has decreased from 21.2 to 21.1. The following chart compares the change in ACT scores to the scores of Illinois students and the composite score to students across the United States.

English

Math

Reading

Science

Composite

D303

State

D303

State

D303

State

D303

State

D303

State

National

2007

21.9

20.2

22.3

20.4

21.9

20.5

22.2

20.4

22.2

20.5

21.2

2012

23.1

20.5

24.1

21.0

23.0

20.7

23.2

20.8

23.5

20.9

21.1 

Change

5.5%

1.5%

8.1%

2.9%

5.0%

1.0%

4.5%

2.0%

5.9%

2.0%

-0.5%

(Alaska, Illinois, Michigan, North Dakota, and Wyoming require high school students to take the ACT)

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