HHS principal says school needs to better prepare students
Louisiana’s class of 2008 is more college ready than any of the state’s previous graduating classes, but while the state as a whole may have excelled in the ACT, St. Charles Parish took a step backwards.
Louisiana’s average composite score, which includes public and nonpublic students, increased to 20.3 in 2008 from 20.1 in 2007. The composite score in St. Charles Parish fell from 20.2 to 20.1.
Even with the state-wide increase, Louisiana is below the nationwide average, which dropped this year from 21.2 in 2007 to 21.1 in 2008.
“I am not satisfied with our ACT scores,” Lorel Gonzales, the principal at Hahnville High School, said. “We need to better prepare our students for this test by using the PLAN test scores to guide our instruction.”
The ACT’s PLAN test asks students questions typically found on the ACT tests in the subjects of English, Math, Reading and Science.
Rachel Allemand, the schools’ assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment, says that ACT scores tend to fluctuate from year to year.
“While the district continues its efforts to increase student learning, some years scores will be a little higher or lower than other years,” she said. “The change in composite scores from 2007 to 2008 may be due to the large increase (22 percent) in the number of seniors taking the ACT this year.
“In 2008, St. Charles Parish had the highest number of students taking the ACT than it has had in the past five years.”
With more students taking the test, there is a greater chance that the scores would fluctuate. In this case, more students equaled lower scores.
The 20.1 composite score in 2008 is the lowest total the parish has had in five years. In 2004 and 2005, students in the parish averaged a composite score of 20.2. That number increased to 20.5 in 2006, before falling back to 20.2 in 2007.
But Allemand says that she is happy that more students are taking the test, even though the scores fell.
“The fact that more students took the ACT is a positive sign that the seniors were thinking about continuing their learning at technical and community colleges and universities after graduating from high school,” she said.
Both high schools are currently analyzing the ACT scores and developing action plans to address need-areas. Both schools also plan to continue using ACT preparation software to acquaint students with the format of the test questions.
“Teachers also use sample ACT questions in daily review activities for students,” Allemand said. “In addition, the district offers ACT preparation classes for students in the spring and fall.”
Those classes are important because Allemand says that the ACT is not designed to measure the curriculum that Louisiana public schools are mandated to teach.
“As a result, some concepts may not be part of the public school curriculum,” she said.
Gonzales also believes the schools must get more involved in the preparation process, though a large part of that relies on student initiative.
“We must educate parents and students concerning when the student chooses to take the test, how many times they take the test, and which courses they should take prior to the test,” she said. “We offer an ACT course to juniors and seniors, we offer tutoring throughout the year and the district offers an ACT tutorial class during the year.”
Gonzales says that the students have access to print material as well as online resources to help prepare them for the test.
“The students must take the initiative to prepare themselves for the test,” she said.
The highest ACT scores in the state came in St. Tammany Parish, which averaged a composite score of 21.7. The Recovery School District had the lowest composite score at 15.2.
The series of two ACT Prep sessions are being offered on Sept. 14 and Sept. 21, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Destrehan High School. The sessions will provide an overview of the ACT, practice tests and teach test-taking strategies to assist students in taking the ACT.
The cost is $10 per student for both sessions. Materials and refreshments will be provided for the participants.
Since seating is limited, students are required to make reservations.
To make reservations or for more information, call Toni Evans at the St. Charles Parish School Board Office at 985-785-7265 or email her at tevans@stcharles.k12.la.us.
Reservations must be made by noon on Sept. 10.
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