For the second year in a row, Paris High School has received the College Readiness Award from the Texas ACT Council for increasing the number of students taking the ACT Assessment over the past five years and significantly increasing their level of achievement and college readiness. The Texas ACT Council is comprised of secondary and post-secondary educators who advise ACT, Inc. on the utilization of ACT programs and services in Texas schools and colleges. ACT, Inc. is the not-for-profit organization that provides assessment, research, information and program management services in the broad areas of education and workforce development, and is the publisher of the ACT Assessment. The ACT Assessment is the college admissions test that is used and accepted by all colleges nationwide. In 2012, over 39% of Texas graduating high school seniors took the ACT. The total number of Texas students taking the ACT has increased more than 40 percent since 2008.
According to Karen L. Pennell, Assistant Vice President and ACT Southwest Regional Manager, “The Texas ACT Council wanted to recognize those Texas high schools that have made significant strides in increasing the college and career readiness of their graduates as demonstrated by their ACT score increases over the past five years. This can only happen as a result of the high school’s faculty and staff efforts and the dedication of Paris High School students and parents to focus on college and career readiness and raise the level of academic readiness for all students.”
“Only 170 high schools in Texas were honored for this superior level of accomplishment, which represents only 9% of all Texas high schools,” Pennell said. “These outstanding Texas high schools should be proud of their faculty, staff and students! Congratulations!”
Paris High School also received the College Readiness Award in 2011 when over 205,000 Texas students took the ACT which was an all-time high. Only 10% of all high schools in Texas were honored that year.
In 2010, Paris High School was one of five high schools in the state to receive similar recognition from Former Commissioner of Education Robert Scott for strategies used in preparing students for college success. TEA recognized Paris High School for exceptional high school completion and college readiness programs implemented with High School Allotment funds. The High School Allotment is an annual fund created by the Texas Legislature in 2006 that provides every Texas school district with $275 per student in grades 9-12 to improve high school graduation and college readiness rates. TEA recognizes districts or schools that use these funds to implement exceptional programs or strategies.
