KEDC “Closing Achievement Gaps” Summit

Wayne County High School – Brian Dishman, Principal

Wayne County High School saw its College/Career Readiness Rate increase from 32% in 2011 to 68.5% in 2012. As a result of this increase, the Wayne County School District was recently recognized by Commissioner Holliday as the second most improved district in the state in terms of CCR. WCHS feels its success with CCR can be attributed to a three part strategy.

1.  Progress monitoring – The power of this strategy lies in knowing precisely where each student is on the pathway to college/career readiness. Progress monitoring allows staff to identify students who are in need of intervention and provides the information necessary to plan those programs.

2.  Targeted interventions – From College Readiness Math and English courses to WorkKeys interventions and KOSSA help sessions, these interventions are designed to provide the extra support needed for students to achieve college/career readiness.

3.  Advising – This strategy focuses on providing students and parents with the information needed to make informed decisions regarding their personal CCR pathway. One goal of this strategy is to have every student “committed” to at least one CCR pathway by the end of their freshmen year.

This year, WCHS has implemented two new strategies aimed at enhancing college readiness, while also promoting student growth from PLAN to ACT, particularly in the area of math.

4.  ACT Boot Camp – This intensive, five-week program from TorchPrep is designed to help students “beat” the ACT. Through a combination of weekly training sessions, homework modules, and full length practice tests, the goal of ACT Boot Camp is to help students actualize their highest ACT score.

5.  ACT Math Skills Intervention – Using the ACT College Readiness Standards for math as a guide, students are participating in an intensive, individualized intervention targeted at specific skill deficiencies that might inhibit their ability to reach benchmark on the ACT. This intervention incorporates both Khan Academy and ACT Online Prep.