Delavan-Darien High School did better than the state average for composite ACT scores for the first time in nearly 20 years.
“This is only the beginning,” said Principal Mark Schmitt.
According to Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction records dating back to 1995-96, the 2012-13 D-DHS ACT test takers are the only group to have posted a better average than the state. The D-DHS average of 22.2 was one-tenth of a point higher than the state average of 22.1.
“I am extremely proud of the efforts of students and staff related to all of the improvements we’ve seen in this district lately, including this news of our improving and above-average ACT scores,” Superintendent Robert Crist said.
D-DHS also posted its second best year-to-year ACT score gain just a year after posting its best year-to-year gain. This year, the 86 test-takers improved the school’s average by 0.94 points. The 113 test takers in 2011-12 improved on the 2010-11 scores by 1.04 points (composite scores of 21.26 vs. 20.21, respectively). The maximum score on the ACT is 36.
The nearly two-point jump in the average over two years is a strong indicator that shows the district is moving in the right direction when it comes to improving students’ academic achievement, Schmitt said.
Prior to this past school year, the closest D-DHS students ever came to meeting or exceeding the state average was in 2006-07, when the average D-DHS score was 0.45 behind the state, according to DPI data.
“Seeing these results truly excites me, because it shows that this is only the beginning of great things for our students and our school,” Schmitt said. “We didn’t exceed the state average by much, and we’ve got a long way to go, but this is certainly positive news for our school district community. Our students, parents and staff should be proud of their efforts, as am I.”
Compared to 463 high schools in the state where the ACT was taken, D-DHS finished No. 204 in composite score ranking, or in the top 44.1 percent of all schools, according to DPI data.
Broken down by testing subject area, DDHS was in the top 33.7 percent for reading with a score of 22.78, 35.4 percent for science with a 22.7, 40.4 percent for English with a 21.52, and 60.1 percent for math with 21.53.
The D-DHS average of 22.2 fared well among Walworth County schools, as well.
Williams Bay, the county’s smallest public high school, topped county scores with an average of 24.6. Whitewater had a score of 22.7, while Badger High in Lake Geneva was at 22.58, East Troy followed at 22.57. D-DHS was in the middle of the pack and was followed by Elkhorn, 22.1, and Big Foot, 21.6.
The increasing scores at D-DHS should hopefully give pause to students and parents living in the district who are considering open enrolling elsewhere, said Mike Heine, coordinator of school and community relations.
“Many families that exercise their school choice options do so because of a perception that our schools deliver sub-standard education,” Heine said. “Although this is just one of many data points we can analyze, our above-average ACT scores, and our increasing scores of the past two years, should tell our community that our students can achieve in our schools and that our teachers deliver quality lessons in an ever-improving educational environment.
“With continued improvements to our curriculum and teaching methods, and with innovative new programs being added, we hope to continue to see annual gains in our student achievement scores on universal benchmarks such as the ACT.”
Schmitt attributes the recent improvement to the way staff collaborates and is responsive data to meet the needs of all students.
Some of the things the school has done includes developing a “freshman house” to focus on the needs of the entire freshman class; implementing new behavior and character programs; partnering with UW-Whitewater for tutoring and pre-college programs; bringing “authentic intellectual work” into the classroom that teaches engaging content to the students; and growing enrollment in high-level and Advanced Placement courses.
D-DHS has also set records the past few years for the number Advanced Placement exams taken each year, and D-DHS has seen an uptick in the graduation rate, which has exceeded the state for graduating students on time.
