Cape school gets ACT honor for academics

Cape Girardeau Central High School is one of only eight schools in Missouri and 382 nationwide to be singled out for academic rigor in math and science by the ACT Education Division.

The commendation by ACT, a national testing service, validates the academic program at Central, principal Dr. Mike Cowan said Friday.

The high schools singled out by ACT include some of the traditionally best academic schools in the nation, he said.

Six public and two private schools in Missouri were recognized for their academic success. Only two -- Central and Jefferson City Helias -- are outside of the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas, Cowan said.

Central and the other high schools were singled out for their students' higher-than-average ACT math and science exam scores compared to high school students nationwide.

On average, students from rigorous academic schools who took algebra II had ACT math scores of 21.6 compared to 19.1 for students from other high schools. Students from rigorous academic schools who took chemistry had an average ACT science score of 22.3 compared to 21.0 for students from other high schools, the testing service said.

The ACT didn't release figures for specific schools in its commendations.

"Your school is clearly a leader in preparing all high school students for post-secondary education and workforce training programs," ACT said in a commendation letter to Central school officials dated May 14.

The study demonstrates that students who take tougher courses in high school are better prepared to succeed in college, Cowan said.

"It is very affirming," said Cowan, who routinely pushes students to take challenging classes.

Central is planning to add two more Advanced Placement courses in physics and environmental science this coming school year, Cowan said, bringing the total of AP courses at the high school to 14. At the end of AP courses, students can take national tests; if they score high enough, they receive college credit for those courses, Cowan said.

Central High School plans to add AP French and Spanish in the 2008-2009 school year, he said.

Seventy percent of Central students scored three or above on a five-point scale on AP exams compared to 60 percent among students nationwide over the past five school years, Cowan said.

Such statistics, he said, demonstrate the value of students taking tougher academic classes.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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