Libby High School students' average ACT score drops

Libby High School students dropped below the state average on ACT testing during scoring this spring.

The students, now seniors who were juniors in April, tallied a composite score of 18.9 as compared to the state average of 21.3. Students were tested on English, math, reading and science. 

In all, 84 juniors took the American College Testing exam that provides a cumulative score to determine a student’s readiness for college. 

Last year, half that number — 42 — of Libby juniors took the test, and the composite score was 22.8 or 0.8 higher than the state average of 22.0.

The reason for the drop this spring is the entire junior class took the test, school officials said.

“It’s part of the Gear-Up program,” said Libby Schools Superintendent K.W. Maki. “The difference is last year, only our college-bound students took the test. This year the entire junior class took the test.”

Jan Lombardi, director of the Gear-Up program in Montana with the Office of Higher Education, said the program is designed to provide local school districts with the “tools” they need to make sure more students are prepared for college. She said the Libby School District is one of 18 districts across the state that chose to participate in the Gear-Up program, which includes grant funding for economically challenged districts.

Lombardi said Gear-Up is working with the Montana Office of Public Instruction to provide money to local school districts to cover the costs of standardized testing for any high school junior who wants to take a college-readiness test such as the ACT.

“The goal was to open the door to make sure juniors had equal access to take the ACT. Before, four out of 10 students weren’t taking the test because their family didn’t have the means,” she said. “So, the intention wasn’t to put a mandate on any district or student, but to open the door so students have access to a test that is a college admissions requirement.”

Lombardi said nine states require 100 percent participation in the ACT, while several others are very close to full participation. In Montana, however, only 72 percent of juniors and seniors take the ACT.

She said districts typically see a lower overall average for ACT scores after more students begin taking the test. Districtwide testing results provide a look at the college-preparedness levels of a broader set of students, instead of just those who have been identified as college-bound, she said.

“It’s not intended to be an implied statement to the school that they have a problem,” she said. “But it’s a tool for the students family and school to determine if the students are college ready or not.

“Look at North Dakota where 98 percent of students are taking the test, and maybe some of those students aren’t college ready. But that’s not up to us to decide. You do initially see a dip in the scores, because you get students who haven’t typically in the past had the resources to take those tests. But over time, historically, you will see the numbers climb back up, too.”

That recurring surge in scores was emphasized by Allison Hagen, the communications director for the Office of Public Instruction.

“Scores do drop initially, but in time, those scores come back. It’s proven in states that have been doing this longer than Montana.”

The Libby testing data provides a cross-section of the junior class, indicating 40 percent of the class is prepared for college English composition, 31 percent is ready for college math, 40 percent is prepared for college social sciences and 25 percent of Libby juniors are ready for college biology.

It’s Maki’s assertion that because all LHS juniors participated in the examination — even those students who have no plans for college — that scores were lower.

“It’s unfair if you just look at the district scores, but if you understand that the Gear-Up program gives students the opportunity to test for free, it’s a good thing,” Maki said.

Libby High School Assistant Principal Jim Germany couldn’t agree more.

“Some will look at this and say the district isn’t doing as good a job at educating our students, and that’s just not the case,” Germany said. “Hey, we had some kids who took the test and came away thinking ‘Hey, I did better than I thought I would.’ That can open a window of possibilities for that student. Maybe he is college material.”

This spring, 607 more students statewide took the ACT, primarily because, like Libby, those schools have participated in the Gear-Up program. Libby’s 84 students represent 1 percent of all students statewide who took the test. 

Libby High Principal Ruth VanWorth-Rogers said the testing is a tool.

“It gives us more to build on. It’s something that we can use to gauge all students. It’s effective,” she said.