FHC ACADEMIC UPDATE
Second Quarter Update, 2019-2020 School Year
Hello, Spartan Nation!
Two quarters are officially in the books, and in spite of the recent ice and snow, third quarter is under way. With all of the wonderful things happening at FHC, the school year always progresses so quickly. However, it is important to avoid getting caught up in the hustle of the year, and to, instead, reflect upon what transpired during the past quarter and to consider what is on the horizon for the current quarter. Please read below to learn about our successes thus far and to see what is coming down the pike. Let's go Spartans!
Sincerely,
Andy Downs, Ed.D.
Associate Principal
ACADEMIC CELEBRATIONS
There has been a lot to celebrate at FHC. I am very proud to share these celebrations with you. It is my hope that these successes will fuel us and help us to finish the school year strong.
ACT
Over 95% of our sophomores have taken the retired ACT, and 86 of these same sophomores were celebrated as ACT All-State, as they scored a composite score 21 or better, which is above the state average of 20.8.
On the regular ACT, 69 of our students were celebrated as Rising Stars because they increased their composite ACT score by 3 or more points. This is a testament to their hard work and to the value of taking the ACT multiple times.
Also, 52 of our students have achieved Bright Flight Status. This means that these students received a composite score of 31 or better on the ACT and qualified for the Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship.
A Perfect ACT!
A senior at FHC scored a 36 on the ACT! Congratulations to Eric Peasel, who is a member of the class of 2020! Only .2% of the students who take the ACT each year accomplish this feat. This is truly an amazing accomplishment.
High-Caliber ACT Prep For All
Dr. Mark Arnold from Saint Louis University began offering differentiated ACT Prep sessions to our juniors who are going to be taking the ACT in February. Dr. Arnold volunteers his time to help our students to improve their readiness for the ACT by teaching them high-quality strategies that they can use while taking it.
AP Recruitment
Through a data-based identification and recruitment model that was built by FHC’s AP Steering Committee, 798 students were recruited to take AP classes for the 2020-2021 school year. These students show qualities and skills that will make them successful in an AP class. This means that huge portion of our Spartans could take college level classes while in high school, thus dramatically increasing their likelihood of succeeding in college.
In order to make sure that all of our Spartans feel supported and comfortable in taking more rigorous classes, FHC offers a week-long “AP Boot Camp”over the summer to give them a jump-start and to prepare them for the rigors of AP. These students will also be able to take a for-credit AP support class called "Foundations of AP". The year-long course is designed to teach first-time AP students the critical academic skills like note-taking, active reading, test preparation, college-level writing, and the fostering of a growth mindset to persevere through challenging classes.
Recruiting Freshmen for AP
148 current FHC freshmen are being recruited to take AP courses for their 2020-2021 sophomore school year. Many of these same freshmen will participate in a week-long “AP Boot Camp” over the summer to give them a jump-start and to prepare them for the rigors of AP. These students will also be able to take a for-credit AP support class called "Foundations of AP". The year-long course is designed to teach first-time AP students the critical academic skills like note-taking, active reading, test preparation, college-level writing, and the fostering of a growth mindset to persevere through challenging classes.
College & Career Readiness
All FHC seniors will graduate having taken either the ACT, ASVAB, or the Work Keys assessment. ACT is a universally-accepted college entrance exam. The ASVAB is a military aptitude Assessment. It is taken by students considering military careers. The Work Keys is a workplace skills assessment that provides students with endorsements that can be used when they apply for jobs in the community.
Using Real-Time Performance Data To Impact Individual Students
All FHC PLC teams have submitted plans focusing on three priority standards, instructional
strategy commitments, and efforts to strategically apply interventions, based on
assessment results.
UPCOMING TESTING
ACT
ACT TEST PREP
ACT PREP FOR JUNIORS
All juniors have been enrolled in a FREE ACT Prep course on Study Island. Students simply go to www.studyisland.com. Here are the steps to use to access Study Island:
- Use the following information: Username: First.Last@fhsd and Password: Student ID# (6 Digits).
- From there, simply click on “My Classes” and select the ACT Prep course from the drop- down menu to begin practicing for the ACT!
- Furthermore, Dr. Mark Arnold from SLU will run ACT Prep sessions for all juniors in the and is available for paid private tutoring, which can be accessed through our Guidance Office.
- Additionally, junior-heavy core courses have embedded ACT-level items into their curriculum and assessments.
FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
Email: andrew.downs@fhsdschools.org
Website: https://fhc.fhsdschools.org/
Location: 5199 Highway North, Cottleville, MO, USA
Phone: 636-851-4703
Twitter: @FHCASSOCIATE