School is second in area; officials attribute success to focus on preparation
By Heather Ruenz
Whitewater High School students finished second in a ranking of area schools for ACT test performance last school year, but also had the lowest percentage of students taking the college preparatory exam in the area.
All but four of 15 Southern Lakes area high schools scored above the state average on the 2013-14 ACT test, according to results released Aug. 20 with Whitewater tied for second with an average composite score of 23.8.
Elkhorn, Union Grove, Palmyra-Eagle and Delavan-Darien high schools showed average composite scores on the test that were below the state average of 22.1 out of a possible score of 36.
The results are for 2014 graduates who took the test during high school, most their junior year.
The highest composite score of area schools was in Williams Bay where students scored 26.1. The composite score is a compilation of results in English, math, reading, science and writing. The lowest composite score was in Delavan-Darien where students scored 19.9 on average.
Whitewater Unified School District officials attribute the high score to the effort put forth to help prepare students.
“The high school administration and staff have put a focus on counseling students to ensure they are scheduling proper coursework to support college and career readiness goals and in preparation of the ACT,” Doug Parker, Whitewater High School principal said Wednesday.
The school, Parker said, uses the Educational Planning and Assessment System to also better inform students, families and staff about academic coursework and skills to bolster in ACT preparation.
District Superintendent Eric Runez said the district’s focus on improving literacy skills for all of its students, also comes into play.
“The district is focused on improving literacy skills and the high school has implemented reading initiatives, Links to Literacy, targeting improvement in reading skills,” Runez said.
For the last time this year, the participation rate of graduating seniors will come into play. The percentage of 2014 graduates who took the test as juniors ranged from a high of 76.9 percent in Muskego-Norway to a low of 45.8 percent in Whitewater.
“Students are not encouraged or discouraged from taking the ACT,” Parker said. “The focus is on counseling students and families on the necessary preparation for the many post secondary pathways, whether it’s a four-year college, technical college or straight into the workforce.
“The intent is to help students and their families make decisions to support future goals and aspirations,” Parker said, adding, “The high school’s test taking rate has been relatively steady.”
Parker said the participation rate listed for Whitewater may include students who attend Lakeland, JEDI virtual school and the Challenge Academy in addition to Whitewater High School.
“If you calculate the participation rate using WHS graduates that attend our school, it would be in the upper 50 percent,” Parker said.
Beginning this school year, all juniors will take the ACT test, which will replace the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination as the required state test.
Runez said he anticipates that WUSD, like most other school districts in the state, will experience a decline in ACT average scores when all students are required to take the test.
“Unfortunately, the ACT is a college preparation assessment that does not appropriately reflect the readiness of a student intending to go into the workforce or attend a technical or certification program,” Runez said.
“There is a concern that we will be frustrating students by forcing them to take an assessment that does not support their future goals,” Runez added.
Though Whitewater’s composite score in itself is high compared to other schools in the area, the number of students who scored higher than that average – between 25 and a perfect score of 36 – the past four years is worth noting.
Thirty-three students in the class of 2014 scored between 25 and 36; 20 students in the class of 2013; 27 in the class of 2012, and; 29 in the class of 2011 scored in that range, Parker said.
In an effort to better help students prepare, the district has implemented an ACT test prep course in its offerings, Parker said. These practise tests can be similar to the da-100 free exam questions from practise tests that you may find online. Taking mock tests can help students prepare better for any examination that they might be facing, and since all students will be required to take the test, the district has felt the need to introduce mock papers as well.
“Last year’s seniors were not afforded the class before they took the test as it was new last year for juniors. In addition, practice exams are available to students,” Parker said. The district also offers counseling regarding college entrance examinations to students.
UW-Whitewater holds an ACT Preparation Camp over the summer every year, which also offers much of the same opportunities to improve test scores. It is a two-week residential program. Student must be entering the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade to be eligible.
Staff writer Vicky Wedig contributed to this story.
