By Erica Thomas, managing editor
LEEDS — Leeds City High School is addressing a new report by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA), which shows average ACT scores in Alabama public high schools were down for the Class of 2020.
Although the trend has been seen nationwide, PARCA said the drop in scores has nothing to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, because the scores gathered were from tests taken before the shutdown.
From 2019 to 2020, the composite score declined from 18.9 to 18.6. The average scores for individual subjects, English, Reading, Math and Science, also declined.
The research breaks down the scores by each school. For Leeds High School, the composite score declined from 19.8 to 18.8.
Principal Rayford Williams said the school is constantly tracking data for students and uses several assessment tools to improve problem areas.
Williams provided a detailed plan to increase ACT scores in his school:
- This summer we have implemented an in-person summer program where students are receiving daily instruction.
- We have added practice ACT tests for our students, which will track student improvement.
- Teachers implement ACT standards in their daily instruction to prepare students for specific content presented on the test.
- Teachers also utilize an ACT bellringer (short 5-minute lesson) program, so that students are receiving practice multiple times weekly.
- We have also added ACT Boot Camps for our students.
“Test anxiety and understanding proper testing strategies is a challenge for some of our students,” said Williams. “We feel that adding the practice test will offer another opportunity for students to experience a testing situation. The bellringer program and bootcamps also offer testing strategies that our students can implement on test day.”
When asked if the school has suffered from the pandemic, Williams was open and optimistic about the future of his students.
“I anticipate some gaps in learning due to the pandemic,” he said. “Fortunately, Leeds City Schools did not experience a stoppage of daily instruction last school year. If we continue to execute our plan we will recover and, hopefully, have a normal school year.”