Even as ACT changes their reporting method, District 203 graduates record a 53 percent college and career readiness rate, double the national average of 26 percent.
Naperville Community Unit School District 203 results on newly released ACT scores show that 53 percent of the 2013 graduates met the four key benchmarks that purportedly show readiness for success in the first year of college, double the national average of 26 percent. Naperville District 203 students have achieved 50 percent or better for the last seven years.
Under ACT’s definition, a student is ready to start college – a two or four year program – if he or she has the knowledge to succeed without taking remedial courses in the freshman year. Success is defined as the student’s having a 75 percent chance of earning a C grade and a 50 percent chance of earning a B in a college-credit course, based on results on each of the four ACT subject areas.
In college readiness for each of these categories, District 203 students show an 87 percent readiness in English (63% state), 70 percent in algebra (42% state), 65 percent in social science (41% state), and 65 percent in college biology (35% state). Illinois is just one of nine states that require all high school juniors, not just those who plan to attend college, to take the ACT as part of the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE).
“One of the things that has been reinforced for us through the Future Focus 203 community engagement process is that parents place as high a value on college and career readiness as they do one the results of a single data point like the ACT,” said Dan Bridges, Superintendent for Naperville CUSD 203. “Our focus is on long-term success in life, and I believe we are making strides in this area and our students are achieving.”
While the ACT composite score for the school district dropped slightly to 24.8, district leadership feels this is a strong result given the increased pool of student scores included in the measurement this year. For the first time, composite scores for school districts include results for students who were allowed extended time to complete the test.
When only scores of students who completed the exam in the standard allotted time are calculated, the class of 2013 posted a 25.4 ACT composite average, a .1 increase from the previous year.
Of the 1539 student scores included in the final results, 140 (9 percent) were scores from students allotted extra time to complete the exam. In Illinois, students granted extra time had an average score of 16 on the college entrance exam. District 203 students who qualified for additional time scored 19.4.
“By including those students who require additional time to complete the exam, it is a more accurate reflection of the performance of all students, but it changes the year-by-year comparisons,” said Assistant Superintendent for Assessment and Analytics Tim Wierenga. “What we need to do now, as a district, is take the time to drill down into the data, learn what we can from it and apply it in a way that meaningfully impacts our students’ academic success.”
ACT research has shown that the rigor of coursework has the greatest impact on ACT performance and college readiness. Those District 203 graduates who completed Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, Trigonometry and Calculus scored an average of 29.9, a .8 increase over last year. Students taking Biology, Chemistry and Physics also scored 29.6, a .5 increase over last year. For students taking less than three years of study in math and science, their scores still outpaced their counterparts.
“Everything we learn about our students’ ability to perform academically helps us to develop the teaching and learning programs that support success in life. Our focus is on our district mission. It is these standards that will best serve our students once they leave our schools,” said Bridges.
Anyone interested in participating in a discussion concerning areas of improvement that support student success is encouraged to attend Future Focus 203, a community engagement program started last year. The next sessions will focus on the finances and facilities that support learning now and in the future. The next session is Wednesday, September 11 from 7 to 9PM at Naperville Central High School. To learn more about these sessions, visit the district web site at www.naperville203.org and on Facebook at “Future Focus 203.”
