Armuchee ACT scores top state, national again

Four out of five area high schools average lower ACT scores in 2016.

Armuchee High students who took the ACT managed to beat both the national and state average for the third year in a row and Rome High students tied the national average, according to scores released Wednesday by the Georgia Department of Education.

“I’m pretty proud of that,” said James Burris, principal of Armuchee High. “I credit teaching great courses and offering a high number of AP courses.”

While the 2016 composite score — 21.9 — is slightly lower than the 2015 score of 22, Burris said his students and teachers are proud of the achievement.

Model High students were the only ones who showed improvement in 2016, with a 20.5 over 2015’s score of 20. Coosa High saw a drop to 19.2, from 20.1 in 2015. Pepperell High also saw a drop, to 19.5 from 20.2 in 2015.

Rome High’s score of 20.8 tied with the national average, but was lower than the school’s 2015 score of 21.1. It was also lower than the Georgia average of 21.1.

“I’m thrilled we beat the national average,” said Michael Buck, superintendent of Rome City Schools. “We do want to improve, of course, and I think a rigorous curriculum across the board is the way to do that.”

Buck said there was an increase in the number of students taking the ACT as well, increasing from 163 in 2015 to 184 in 2016. “That is the most we’ve had taking the ACT,” he said. “I feel that maintaining a competitive score is something to be proud of when you see increases in the numbers of test-takers.”

Buck said he has seen a trend of more students taking both the SAT and ACT, which tests students in English, math and science.

“Georgia has trended to more SATtakers,” he said. “However, that changes over time and I think by taking both tests, students are increasing their options as they transition into colleges.”

“It is a struggle and I will be honest, I am not pleased,” said John Jackson, superintendent of Floyd County Schools. “Our student pool increased and that is not an excuse, but scores do fluctuate over a period of time. We had 60 more students taking the ACT in 2016.”

The downward trend in three of the four high schools is “troubling,” Jackson said, and steps are being taken to remedy it.

“We are offering a more substantial, meatier physical science course in ninth grade to better prepare students,” said Jackson. “We also are attacking difficulties in language arts system wide.”

Jackson said that officials also are considering adding a test prep course, which would help students become more comfortable with the test.

“It is proven to lower anxiety for testtakers, if they go in prepared and familiar with what they can expect,” he said.

Georgia students managed to beat 26 other states’ averages and tie with one state — Minnesota. Georgia’s students beat the averages of students in Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Arkansas, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Florida, New Mexico, West Virginia, Arizona, Alaska and Texas.

The ACT is an achievement test measuring what a student has learned in school. It covers English, reading, math and science.