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Students from the Barrow County School System (BCSS) Class of 2020 earned an average composite ACT score of 19.8, an increase in scores from 2019.
The ACT includes scores from 2020 high school graduates who took the ACT at some point in grades 10 to 12. The ACT measures what students learn in high school to determine readiness for college. It consists of curriculum-based tests of educational development in English, mathematics, reading, and science designed to measure the skills needed for success in first-year college coursework. The ACT uses a scoring scale of 1-36, both overall and for each of its four sections.
The district saw consistent gains across all subject areas over 2019 scores.
“We attribute our progress relating to the ACT to our consistent approach over the last five years in how we counsel students on when the right time to test really is. Students truly need to be through both Algebra II and Chemistry before taking this particular college entrance exam,” shares Apalachee High School Principal Jennifer Martin. “In the past, some of our students were taking it too early in an effort to get a baseline for their achievement, however, this approach is not appropriate for this particular test. Our focus on when to take the test has truly improved how students have performed.”
Barrow County saw a decline in the number of students that opted to take the ACT in 2020. A total of 246 students in the district took the ACT – 132 at AHS and 114 from WBHS. The previous year, 281 students opted to participate. Spring test dates were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which likely resulted in fewer test-takers.