Advanced placement, SAT, ACT scores on rise at NKHS

By Andre Jones | October 3, 2012 12:12 pm

New Kent School Board members are pleased with the increased ACT, SAT, and advanced placement scores among the county’s high school students.

Director of instruction and curriculum Nate Collins presented what are entitled as “indicators of college preparedness” at the board’s work session on Sept. 24.

New Kent High School students’ scores in all three subject areas of the SAT improved. Reading scores improved from 477 to 496, as well as math from 481 to 500 and writing from 457 to 473. Composite scores of the ACT also increased from 22.3 to 22.4. Almost 71 percent of advanced placement students passed three or more subject areas, more than seven percent higher than the state average.

SAT scores from NKHS students were on par with the state, but were better than larger school divisions within the regional area, including Chesterfield County.

In other matters discussed at the work session, Collins forewarned the board that according to minutes from a statewide meeting, more than 700 schools did not meet Annual Measurable

Objectives (AMO). Superintendent of schools Rick Richardson said that it was a difficult goal to accomplish because they didn’t have any idea what to aim and focus on.

“We were shooting for a target that we didn’t know how or where we had to go with it,” said Richardson.

Director of instructional technology Ross Miller would echo Richardson’s sentiments, saying that the testing prognosis is a difficult situation to deal with.

“We don’t know the expectations because the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) won’t tell us what we need to meet until after we take the tests,” said Miller.

“We still don’t know what to aim for,” added Collins. “We thought we had an idea for math, but the VDOE is going to review the standards.”

In the final action of the night, New Kent Elementary School will be adding another paraprofessional to reduce the teacher/pupil ratio. Richardson spoke about the possibility of hiring a new teacher if enrollment was greater than projected. Money for hiring the new staff position will come from contingency funds.