Fayette County debuts in top 10 of statewide ACT scores

Contact: Lisa Deffendall • First Posted: Thursday, September 4, 2008

The Fayette County Public Schools has debuted among the top 10 of all school districts in the state after the first-ever required administration of the ACT to all juniors in Kentucky.

With an overall district average of 20.2, Fayette County posted the 8th highest scores in the Commonwealth on the ACT, the well-known college entrance exam often used as a barometer of rigor and achievement in high schools. 

"As the new law that requires every junior in high school to take the ACT is implemented, it is exciting to have the district rank in the top 8 districts of all 175 districts in the entire state!” said Fayette Schools Superintendent Stu Silberman.

More than 2,000 high school juniors in the district took the ACT last spring and bested state averages by roughly two points in every subject tested – English, mathematics, reading, science – and on the overall composite.  In addition, four of the district’s high schools were among the highest-scoring 16 schools in the state of Kentucky:

  • Paul Laurence Dunbar was 5th among the state’s 232 high schools with a composite score of 21.5.
  • Henry Clay High School ranked 8th with a score of 21.1.
  • Lafayette High School ranked 14th with a score of 20.5.
  • Tates Creek High School ranked 16th with a score of 20.4.

Silberman acknowledged that within those overall averages there is still work to do to ensure that all students are taking rigorous courses and being challenged to the highest levels of achievement. As the district hones its focus on achievement at the high school level this year, there is also a push to identify additional resources and interventions for Fayette’s fifth high school, Bryan Station, which tied several schools at No. 167.

“We will continue to support the efforts at Bryan Station High School to move them forward,” Silberman said. “In conjunction with statewide and district teams, they have developed a solid plan that is currently being implemented that we are supporting to raise achievement for all students."