ACT scores continue to rise for students at Guthrie High School

Guthrie Public School officials presented their latest ACT participation and scores on Monday night at the Board of Education meeting. The school increased their composite score by a full point compared to 2011.

Executive Director Doug Ogle explained the state average scores on the ACT decreased, but scores at Guthrie High School continue to increase.

In 2015, students earned a composite score of 20.5 in the four core curriculums: English, mathematics, reading and science. An overall improvement from a 19.8 in 2012 through 2014 and a 19.5 in 2011.

The average composite score for the state has held steady at 20.7 in the past five years.

“(Principal) Chris LeGrande and his staff has done a great job of preparing students to take the ACT,” Ogle said.

The district has put an emphasis on more students taking the college entrance test. With more student participation it was feared the composite score could see a decrease, including Superintendent Dr. Mike Simpson.

“I was concern that one of the side effects of increasing our participation was our average would actually go down. We have increased our number and increased our average. I don’t take that lightly.”

An average of 109 students took the test from 2011 to 2013. In the last two years (2014 and 2015) the combine average increased to 145 students.

According to the five-year trend, students scored an average of 19.8 in English and marked increase from a year ago (19). The state average was 20.1.

In math, GHS was above the state average with a 20 score compared to the state’s 19.8. In the previous two years, GHS held steady at 19.2 after an 18.9 in 2012.

The district reported a 21.3 score in reading compared to the state’s 21.5 average.

Finally, in science, the school scored a 20.5 in 2015 and was just off the state’s average of 20.7.

“We are offering more science classes than we have ever had this year,” LeGrande a former science teacher said. “I’m very excited about what we are doing at the high school in the science department as well as the other subject areas.”