Lockport Township HSD 205 posts strong graduation, highlights SAT work as state shifts to ACT

Lockport Township High School District 205 Superintendent Dr. Bob McBride presented the district's annual student academic achievement report to the board on Oct. 21, highlighting high graduation and college-preparation participation while noting SAT scores as an area for improvement.

McBride said the district's graduation rate is in the "high 90s" and that 97% of freshmen are on track to graduate. He reported that 85.5% of seniors were enrolled in an advanced placement or dual-credit course and 74% of students reached the state’s college and career readiness "scholar or distinguished scholar" level. McBride noted the report is nearly 100 pages and is archived on the district website.

On standardized testing, McBride said SAT scores provide a national comparison but need work; he also noted that the state is moving to the ACT as the college-readiness assessment. To address gaps, he proposed two primary strategies: provide accessible, affordable college-test preparation during the school day so more students can participate without parental expense, and strengthen four tested skills — inference, reasoning, synthesis and analysis. "We've got to strengthen our students' core strength in those 4 skills," McBride said.

McBride invited the public to review the full report and offered his office as a point of contact for questions. The district did not specify timelines or budgets for implementing the proposed test-prep expansion or curriculum work in the brief.