Beyond Test Scores

In a special education report dated January 27, the Memphis Business Journal ranked local private schools by their average composite ACT scores.

 

We chose not to participate in this ranking, because we have long believed that a school’s quality and a student’s performance cannot be determined by a test score. The National Association of Independent Schools shares this stance and has been vocal about how misleading a single metric can be when assessing the quality of a school.

 

Our middle 50% ACT range for the class of 2017 is 25 – 31. This current range is reported to every college to which a Hutchison girl applies as part of our official school profile. You can find our school profile on our website under the College Preparation section. Our school profile reflects many of the factors and data points colleges and families consider when determining the quality and strength of a school. In light of the Memphis Business Journal chart, we would like you to know that our average composite ACT score for the same year they reported (the class of 2015) is a 28.

 

As a matter of principle, we encourage our girls to resist the temptation to define themselves by a test score. To reinforce this philosophy, we choose not to rank our girls academically and avoid participating in efforts by third parties to define a girl’s academic growth solely by a test score.

 

We believe the value of a Hutchison education is that it prepares young women not simply for a test, but for success in college and in life.