St. Joseph Catholic High School students post record-breaking ACT scores

Friday, Sep. 05, 2014

Saint Joseph Catholic High School students broke another record as their 2014 ACT composite scores were posted in late August.  

“We are thrilled to see our average composite score break the 24 barrier; we continue to take steps upward,” Principal Patrick Lambert said.

ACT reports that the state average for Utah in 2014 was 20.8; Saint Joseph posted a composite score of 24.3.  

While Saint Joseph administrators do not believe that ACT exam preparation and academic grades give the full picture of a student’s achievement or growth in high school, they do believe that colleges and universities are placing ever more weight on ACT scores and grades in the admissions process.  

“We educate students across emotional, spiritual, physical and academic areas, but we are also cognizant of preparing them adequately to be admitted to the college of their choice across the country,” Lambert said.  

Historically, more than half of Saint Joseph graduating seniors go out of state to attend institutions of higher learning.  

“We need to be sure that they are prepared for any college they choose, be it Georgetown, Notre Dame, Creighton or somewhere closer to home like the University of Utah or Westminster,” said Joanna Wheelton, president of Saint Joseph Schools. 

College preparation has become a focus for Saint Joseph Catholic High School over the past two years. For example, the school has partnered with Weber State University to host two intern counselors each year. In addition, the school recently hired a teacher through the Notre Dame Echo program who will assist with college counseling; his background in the admissions office at Marquette University will aid in guiding students toward their dream school.  

Meanwhile, Saint Joseph will continue to host its College Preparation Workshop in October and March, free and open to students across the diocese. 

A free ACT 101 seminar also will be offered to the community later this month, providing an in-depth analysis of the exam and tools students can use to increase their scores. 

Finally, the school is introducing a semester-long ACT preparation course, which includes a review of the fundamentals of each subject and teaches techniques designed for multiple choice exams.  

“My goal is for the students to be well-prepared for the dynamics of the actual ACT test because it is so different from the other assessment tests they have encountered thus far,” said faculty member and ACT course instructor Chad Loosemore.

“Breaking the 24 composite score barrier moves Saint Joseph into another tier, meaning that our students have access to more schools, more scholarships.  Each step up in average scores increases our reach across competitive higher education institutions,” added Lambert.

Courtesy of Saint Joseph Catholic Schools