Oswego Schools: Improving ACT Scores is a Top Priority

Oswego Community Unit School District 308 is determined to raise its students’ ACT scores over the next five years, the district announced this week, saying the concerted effort will involve a wide range of stakeholders.
 
The Teaching and Learning Department gave a presentation to the Board of Education on Monday, May 12, detailing strategies to raise the district’s composite scores to 23 points by 2019. Currently, the composite scores are 20.7.
 
“The effort has to start in elementary school and continue all the way through high school,” said Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Dr. Judith Minor. “The more rigorous the curriculum, the more opportunities there are for student success in college and careers.”
 
The Teaching and Learning Department presented current and future plans for elementary education, secondary education, 2014 summer school, special programs, assessment, data and accountability, and professional development. Each of these components will play a significant role in raising district-wide ACT scores.
 
Teachers and parents are at the center of the effort to raise ACT scores across the district, Minor said, adding teachers are vital to implementing the right strategies to reach students. Parents are a crucial support system and need to understand what it takes for their children to succeed on this important assessment, Minor said.
 
“All these pieces build into the support a student needs for success with higher levels of academic rigor,” she said.
 
Future steps will also include curriculum revisions, more opportunities for online learning and dual credit, improving study skills, and increasing student access to more rigorous courses.