Chesterfield County’s four high schools had an average composite score of 18.8 on national ACT testing last year, according to test results released recently by the South Carolina State Department of Education.
The ACT is a curriculum and standards-based educational and career planning tool that assesses students’ academic readiness for college. Students who decide to take the ACT are tested in English, math, reading, and science.
McBee High School and Cheraw High School both composite scores of 19.6, highest in the district. Chesterfield High’s composite score was 18.9 and Central High’s was 17.4. McBee High School exceeded the state’s public student average composite score in reading at 20.3.
Chesterfield County had 181 students to take the ACT last school year.
Chesterfield County Superintendent Harrison Goodwin said that the district will be dissecting the ACT results, as well as other testing data, to chart a course for future improvement.
“We are disappointed that at a time when the state ACT rate is showing growth that our scores are not showing the same growth pattern,” said Goodwin. He added that ACT results may not be a true reflection of the successes of the academic program of the school district because students choose whether or not to take the test.
“While we cannot use this as an excuse for the test results, we do have to take into account the students who took the test and if they had taken the appropriate prerequisite courses to prepare them to be successful on the test,” said Goodwin.
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