Scott City adds ACT prep course to graduation requirements

The Scott City School Board on Wednesday approved adding a one-semester ACT preparation course for juniors to the district's graduation requirements.

The requirement will begin with the graduating class of 2019.

Guidance counselor LaDonna Pratt and high-school math teacher Vicki Helderman presented details of the course to the board and said the proposal was in response to the state's January 2014 decision to administer the ACT to all 11th-grade students in Missouri public and charter schools.

"Some of our students are very nervous about that," Pratt said. "This is a way to reduce that stress."

The board approved the proposal with a 6-1 vote.

Board member Gary Elders had the lone vote against the proposal and said he thinks the board should learn more about the effectiveness of the course by looking at results from other districts.

Helderman, who also teaches the ACT prep course, said some students who took the class raised their test scores by several points. About 25 seniors were enrolled in the elective course this year, and no juniors were in the class because of scheduling conflicts.

Pratt said the more students can practice, the more their comfort level will rise before taking the test.

"The more information we can expose [students] to in those subject areas that they'll be tested in, the more confident they're going to be in selecting the best answer that they can," Pratt said. "It's also the difference between scholarships and no money for school."

Mike Johnson, high school principal, said when students who weren't planning on going to college do well on the ACT, it may encourage them to look into continuing their education.

The proposal was one of three presented to the board to incorporate the course. It also includes transitioning students' personal finance credit into social studies and their geography credit into world history.

The board also approved an updated version of its comprehensive school improvement plan and running records.

Helderman, who is chairwoman of the committee that updates the plan, said a few minor changes were made, such as adding a reading program from the middle school to the plan.

"We also highlighted a few volunteer projects that students at the middle school and high school do within the community," she said.

The board then adopted the 2015-2016 school calendar and renewed the district's contract with Opaa! Food Management.

klamb@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

3000 Main St., Scott City, Mo.