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photo by Marcus Frazier
Natchez High School senior and Mississippi Scholar student Nick Brooks, studies from a textbook during Hedialina Smith’s geography class Thursday.
Natchez High sees higher ACT scores, private schools’ scores drop
Published Saturday, August 16, 2008
NATCHEZ — Recently-released test scores have proved to be good news for one school in the Natchez-Adams District.
Natchez High School showed improvement in every category on the ACT exam.
The test is used to gauge college preparedness and in some cases is used to establish scholarship eligibility.
The test measures performance in English, math, reading and science.
From the graduating classes of 2007 to 2008 at the scores at NHS went up from: 16.3 to 17.3 in English, 15.8 to 16.3 in math, 16.9 to 17.1 in reading and 16.8 to 17.4 in science.
The school earned a 17.2 as their composite score.
A 36 is the highest achievable grade on the ACT.
NHS’s Principal James Loftin said he was very pleased with the scores.
“We knew they could do it,” he said of his students.
Loftin attributed the higher scores to the increasingly rigorous curriculum and the hard work done by students.
“Students realize the impact of the test,” he said. “And students want to know how to improve.”
Loftin said one of the ways students are improving is by attending special classes that prepare them for the test.
District Superintendent Anthony Morris, like Loftin, said he was very pleased by the scores.
Morris also pointed to the increasing rigor in the NHS curriculum as a reason for the increased performance.
In particular, Morris noted that the number of students participating in the Mississippi Scholars program has increased since the program’s inception in 2007.
The program places eligible students in classes with a more rigorous curriculum than is necessary to graduate.
While students at NHS experienced higher scores, students at other schools saw a slight drop in scores.
At Cathedral High School counselor Penny Daggett said she saw a drop in the composite scores between the graduating classes of 2007 and 2008.
In 2007 the composite score was a 22.6, in 2008 it was 22.3 as scored by the ACT.
Daggett said she attributed the drop in scores to two students that were not in the graduating class but were graded on the test.
Daggett said she could not account for the two extra students graded on the test.
“That can have an impact,” she said.
Adams County Christian School also experienced a decline in scores.
Counselor Tracy Davis said in 2008 the composite score fell from 20.4 to a 19.7 in 2007.
Davis did not attribute the decrease in scores to any one factor but said from year to year there is a “difference in students.”
Davis also said she felt confident the scores would be back up for the class of 2009.
Trinity High School’s Head of School Delecia Carey said Trinity does not release ACT scores.
And while the composite scores at Cathedral and ACCS were still higher than those at NHS, Morris and Loftin have high hopes for the future.
Both said they think the increased rigor on the MCT2 test, given to grammar school students, will translate to even higher ACT scores in years to come.
The state’s composite score was an 18.9.
The State Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds also noted the past five years have showed an improvement in the state’s English stores.
Bounds attributed the elevated English scores to a more rigorous course load.
“Having high standards works,” he said.
Comments
Posted by oldsaw (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 1:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Morris is showing everyone that with time, the system will improve. Good job all!
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 1:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good job to the students putting in hard work! Your efforts will pay off! It's good to hear some good news about the public school system.
Posted by bombingeight (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 1:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Progress is good. It is helpful, I think, to compare these scores with the state's score and then with other states.
Composite English Math Reading Science
Natchez 17.2 17.3 16.3 17.1 17.4
Miss. 18.9 19.3 18.2 19.1 18.7
Tenn. 20.7 20.8 19.9 21.1 20.3
Ill.
W.Vir.
Okla.
Tenn, Ill, W.V. and Okla. rank 36th in the nation, and it was estimated that the Tenn. scores meant that only 18% were ready for basic subjects in college.
Our competition is international, and much more and faster progress is needed in the U.S.
Posted by Hambone (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 6:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
While any progress is good, these numbers are horrible. If bombing8's stats are true, then less than 18% of NHS students are ready for college...are you kidding me?
Posted by DEANNAB (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I new it would be someone here to say something Negative..... anyway, congrats to the scores going up! It will get better and better!!!
Posted by hollywood (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 10:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
great job NHS!!! Why doesn't Trinity release scores??
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The truth is the truth deannab...Not negative just the truth...hambone said any progress was good.....
We knew someone on here would read something negative into a post....
Good job students...Put your head into those books and improve more this year....
Posted by justice (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bombingeight you got that right about our competition is global . Sure pat yourself on the back if Cathedral did better than Natchez High or whatever . Local pride don't mean jack on a global level ! Still the fact remains that the top U.S. public and private schools don't measure up to the academic standards of industrialized nations worldwide . Results from a gov. survey was published a few years back that ranked the countries with the best school systems . The U.S. was somewhere near the bottom . Several South African Countries did significantly better in math & science than the best school systems in the U.S. at that time . A lot of foreign high school students are just as competent in math/science as most college juniors/seniors from the U.S. .
Like I said local pride don't mean a thing when you are ranked pooly in educational performance on a global scale .
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 4:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We can only hope the scores get better in the coming years for all the schools.
Good luck to all the students this year as they take their test.
Posted by bombingeight (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 7:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm glad that most understood why I posted the comparisons of the results with other states. Education is serious and is probably the most important determining factor of the future and well-being of Americans and our republic.
This challenge transcends politics, and its solution requires that we demand excellence and hard-work of all involved, including our students.
Posted by Serenyd (anonymous) on August 17, 2008 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm glad there was an improvement, but let's face it the scores are still pretty bad. The ACT is not that hard of a test, all you really need to score well is to be strong in basic math and english skills. It goes back to early elementary school. And I think Mrs. Carey is doing the public a disservice by not releasing Trinity's ACT scores. It's important for parents to know how these schools compare so they can make an informed decision on where to send their children. What does she have to hide?
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