Bradley County Schools Sees Increase In ACT Scores

  • Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Dr. Linda Cash, director of Schools for Bradley County, announces that the 2016 Graduating Class ACT Report reveals the highest ACT Composite Score the system has seen in the past five years. Dr. Cash stated that increasing ACT scores was, and still is, part of the district’s strategic plan and that she is excited to see improvement in the first year of this plan.

Bradley County Schools has always had a focus on increasing students’ preparedness for life beyond high school. The difference now is the focus is sharper and more refined and the need is more urgent, she said.

“When you see this level of improvement, you know it is a system change, a mindset change. Our teachers should be reaffirmed that what they do on a daily basis, matters,” said Dr. Cash. 

Bradley Central and Walker Valley High School, and the Bradley County School System, all saw improvements in the four benchmark areas – English, Math, Reading, and Science, as well as in their overall composite scores. The 790 students that tested elevated the average ACT Composite Score from 18.8 to 19.4.

The Tennessee Department of Education has stated previously that raising the composite score even a tenth of a percent is significant. What does this mean? This means that more Bradley County students are proving that they are college and career ready and will be able to benefit from the HOPE Scholarship, said officials. This means that fewer students will be required to take remedial courses during their first year of college.

English scores increased from an average of 18.4 to 19.1 and Reading from 19.3 to 19.9. The percentage of students reaching the English benchmark went from 53 percent in 2015 to 58 percent in 2016. The percentage increased in Reading to 35 percent. STEM subjects, Math and Science, also saw progress. Science scores improved from 19.0 to 19.6 and the percentage of students achieving that benchmark improved 5 percent to 27 percent. Math scores rose from 18.2 to 18.4 with the percentage of students hitting that benchmark going up 2 percent to 22 percent.

In 2015, 101 students who met all four benchmarks and this year there were 119 students.

Officials said now is the time to be reflective on 2015-2016 and the strategies that were put in place to help raise not only ACT scores, but to help all students excel. Many things helped contribute to these gains such as ACT Prep Class, individual teachers giving of their planning/lunch time to tutor
students, RTI2 and student advisors. Teachers were provided professional development on how to incorporate the ACT standards with Tennessee standards into everyday classroom instruction with more attention being placed on the level of rigor and student engagement. They also stressed a system-wide emphasis on reading 20 minutes a day throughout the schools and the community.

The CTE Department provides opportunities for students to graduate high school with more than just a high school diploma.  CTE students can graduate with various industry certifications that will help propel them into the work force or to continue to focus on their craft at two-year colleges or trade schools. 

Classes such as Cambridge, Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment helped to stretch those students who needed more challenge and opportunities. This year 226 AP tests were given at Walker Valley High School with a 63 percent passing rate.  In the Cambridge Program at Bradley
Central High School, 261 students participated and had a 57 percent pass rate.

In 2016-2017, the Bradley County School System is participating in a Pilot ACT Prep Class that is organized by the TDOE. Officials are anticipating that this will help already existing prep class become more effective in providing support to students as they are preparing to take the ACT for the first time or to perhaps take the ACT again.  For all seniors that took the ACT during their junior year, they are able to take the ACT test again on Oct. 22 on the Senior ACT Retake Day. This is the first year for the TDOE to fund such an initiative.

Secondary schools have been working to provide communication and support to all seniors who want to participate in the retake and to identify students who would benefit from taking the ACT again. The student level data indicates approximately 53 students who currently have a composite score of ‘20’. With these added supports, ACT scores will play a role in accountability as the schools are striving to have 95 percent of students taking the ACT and to see the number of students scoring a 21 or higher increase. Taking the ACT is now a part of the graduation requirements that students must fulfill in order to get a regular diploma. 

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