The recently released District ACT College Readiness Report shows that Russellville City Schools in northwest Alabama, improved their average composite ACT scores from 17.9 in 2015, to 18.4 in 2016. While RCS Superintendent Heath Grimes is pleased with the results of the report, he knows that the district has some challenges ahead to reach state averages. Grimes recently said, “We have our own unique set of circumstances, hurdles and challenges that we face in our district like other districts do, so it isn’t fair to compare our students and their scores to surrounding schools that might not have those same challenges to overcome.”
The report showed that on a percentage basis, there were fewer RCS graduates that showed college readiness based on the state average. The state only recently started to require 11th grade students to take the ACT, regardless of their future academic plans, and Grimes believes that many students might not be placing a high priority on the test because they are either immediately moving into their careers after high school or attending a vocational school and not a university.
However, Grimes is not discouraged, “Everyone has heard the saying that the only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday. That is the approach we are taking with our students.” And the approach seems to be working. With the district’s plan, partnership with nearby colleges and universities, and advanced placement courses, they believe they are in a great position to see more growth from their students in the years to come.
Included in that plan are several new tools the district is beginning to use this year, including a partnership with an ACT prep course through MasteryPrep. According to RHS Principal Jason Goodwin, students not enrolled in an AP course will be required to take the ACT prep course by MasteryPrep. Grimes is confident that the changes the district is making, along with the new tools they have available, will help students get on the right path for success.
This is a summary of a Franklin County Times article released 8/31/2016. You can learn more about Russellville City Schools by reading the full article at this link.