Watonga High School students increased their composite ACT scores by 1.7 points between fall and spring, the school said Monday, improving in every subject area.
The improvements were discussed during the Watonga Public Schools Board of Education meeting on Monday, May 9, the final meeting of the spring semester as Watonga seniors prepare to graduate on Saturday morning.
Superintendent Kyle Hilterbran told the school board – comprised of Aaron Clewell, Dwight McGee, Andy Wigington, Mayra Flynn and Shawn Cox – that the test scores demonstrate a positive direction for the district.
“That’s big-time,” Hilterbran said. “To hit your goals and improve that much is awesome.”
The school’s composite score on Oct. 5, 2021, was 16.3, compared to 18 in April. The sample comes from Watonga High School juniors; about 40 took the test both times, Hilterbran said.
The school met its internal goals for the English, reading and science sections of the test.
The ACT is a standardized test used in admissions decisions by colleges and universities in Oklahoma and across the country.
New stipend
During the meeting, the school board authorized a $500 stipend to be distributed to all WPS employees on the last day of school. It’s the latest in a series of stipends the district has given out this year, incentives the board has approved as the district’s finances remain healthy.
The board has already approved an additional $1,000 stipend to be distributed June 23, Hilterbran said.
As the school year is drawing to a close, the board approved some procedural items and then discussed school personnel during an executive session. It accepted a handful of resignations and hired on four new teachers.
Watonga’s graduation will be this Saturday, May 14 at 10 a.m. in the high school gymnasium.