Administrative

School sets ACT record

Graduates shine brightest in Shawnee County

By Colby Killinger

August 29, 2007

Last year, most 2007 graduates took the ACT, a college entrance exam. The ACT scores were released Aug. 14. Along with earning the coveted Governor’s Award, Silver Lake boasted the highest scores in the county, earning a 23.5 average.

The Shawnee County average fell just below the Kansas average with a 21.7. As a state, Kansas earned a score of 21.9. All neighboring states except Missouri fell below the national average of 21.2.

Two graduates led the Silver Lake High School's average with a composite score of 32, with a perfect score being a 36. Thirty-nine of the 55 Silver Lake seniors took the ACT; an impressive 71 percent.

Larry Winter, principal, said in past years he has seen a few 80 percents, so the number of students was a bit less but still substantially higher than most Topeka schools.

"Percentage-wise, we're pretty high. The percentage of students who take it in other places might be half," said Winter.

Winter credits the high percentage of Silver Lake test takers to the large number of students who pursue post-secondary education. He said there are a lot of students who see the ACT as a benchmark exam. If they do well on the ACT, then they are well prepared for college.

Winter commented, "I think you can see consistently that if we aren't the highest, we are one of the highest. I think that's due to the fact that we challenge students with a core curriculum… Students who took the core curriculum earned an average of 25.4 versus a non-core average of 21.1. So you're looking at over a four-point spread, which means we are doing something right… It gives us a sense of pride."

On a national note, for the third time in five years, the national average rose. This year, the average score rose by 0.1 point.