Monday, August 28, 2017

CHS Graduates Have One Of The Highest ACT Averages In 15 Years!

The ACT scores of our 2017 graduates were recently released. I probably should not say that I was surprised ... but I was when I saw one of our highest ACT Composite averages in many years!
THESE ARE NOT THE STATE TESTING RESULTS SOON TO BE RELEASED FOR JUNIORS.
When looking at this data, an important piece to interpret is the number (or percent) of graduates who have taken an ACT. Nebraska ranks very high with typically around 80% (last year an amazing 88%) of graduates that have taken an ACT compared to Eastern states that might have as few as 10-30%.  As you can imagine, if a school (or state) has, say 50% of graduates take the ACT, chances are that they are high performing students. Whereas a state like Colorado, that is one of several states where 100% of graduates take the ACT, will typically have a lower overall average.
With that said, Chadron High School consistently has 90-95% of graduating seniors that have voluntarily taken the ACT.  This past year was no different. Here's a summary of our data with comparisons to trends from past years that I've managed to find.
2017 National Average:    20.8
2017 Nebraska Average:   21.4
2017 Chadron Average:  22.6
Chadron High School Historical Trend of ACT Composite Averages
  • 2017  22.6
  • 2016  20.8
  • 2015  20.4
  • 2014  20.8
  • 2013   22.7
  • 2012   21.4
  • 2011   21.9
  • 2010   22.8
  • 2009   20.6
  • 2008   21.3
  • 2007   20.6
  • 2006   21.9
  • 2005   20.2
  • 2004   21.5
  • 2003   21.0
  • 2002   22.3
Last year, ACT updated the 'college readiness benchmark scores', making minor changes to the English and Science benchmarks. Benchmark scores are set through collaborative research with postsecondary institutions nationwide to show student readiness for college-level coursework.
Percent Of Students Meeting All Four Benchmarks (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science):
  • CHS   35%
  • State   28%
As you can imagine, we are very proud of the academic achievements we have been maintaining. We strive each year to improve our system approach to student learning beginning in elementary grades all the way through our high school classrooms.
A special thanks to all of our teachers and students for their efforts!!!

For parents or students specifically interested in ACT preparation, I'd encourage you to visit with our guidance office for materials and to utilize some of the many online test prep materials including the ACT Online Prep.