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Proof is ACTing Up
By Andy Knef
Under the leadership of outgoing Headmaster Billy Wayne Hankins, Simpson Academy shines the spotlight on its academic all-stars just as brightly as its sports standouts. Jamie Rogers, Simpson Academy Guidance Counselor, signed on with Hankins in 2013 when the former head football coach, athletics director and elementary school principal took the helm at his alma mater. “In those days it’s fair to say we were known for our successful sports teams more than academics, and Coach Hankins’ first priority was to change that balance,” Rogers explains.
Academic success at the college preparatory school is measured, first and foremost, by the number of SCA students being accepted into 2- and 4-year colleges. Last year close to 100 percent of graduating SCA seniors were accepted to Mississippi schools of higher learning. In today’s challenging economic environment facing Simpson County families, getting into college is one thing, but paying for it can be an even bigger anxiety factor. That’s where SCA’s laser-like focus on the ACT Test comes in. The ACT is the most commonly used standardized measure of a high school student’s readiness for college. Colleges and Universities around the nation, including the Magnolia State, weigh the 4-core (the essay section is optional) area exam heavily in evaluating high school applicants. In fact, specific ACT scores – graded on a 1-36-point scale – correspond directly to designated scholarship levels for institutions like the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, The University of Southern Mississippi, Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Jones County Junior College.
Those institutions are all cited in a handout Rogers created under the direction of Headmaster Hankins called “What Is the ACT Worth?” The easy-to-read chart is also posted on SCA’s website. “It places a value on ACT performance that means something to parents,” Rogers says. “It’s a quick snapshot that shows, starting at a score of 20, how improving ACT scores match up with bigger available scholarship amounts at our most popular Mississippi colleges. As guidance counselor, I try to communicate to new families how they can invest in their children’s education. They can get a return on their investment by pushing the ACT.”
Another innovation that Rogers credits with opening the floodgates on rising ACT scores and scholarship awards is called the “ACT 25 and Above Club.” Just like it sounds, this prestigious group, open to SCA students with ACT scores of 25 and above, is where the real scholarship rubber hits the road. For example, an ACT score of 25 is worth $1,400 at Co-Lin, $2,000 a year at Mississippi State, $1,500 at Ole Miss and $4,500 at Southern Miss. The goal for Cougar scholars, just as for athletes, is steady improvement. Since they’re encouraged to take the test multiple times, 3-5-point ACT improvement is routine for hard-working strivers. Students with scores of 30 and above, along with better than 3.5 grade point averages, can cash in with full tuition and room and board at Co-Lin, up to $6,500 at Mississippi State and full tuition at Southern Miss. “This year we have 24 students in the club – that’s a record for Simpson Academy,” Rogers adds. “Together, we set a goal and the entire Cougar community has bought into a standard of academic excellence that is paying off in a big way.”
SCA students don’t wait for high school to begin prepping for the ACT. A simplified ACT for younger scholars is called the ACT Aspire Test. It’s offered to grades 3-9 in the fall, winter and spring. “We get immediate results that we can analyze with our teachers,” Rogers says. “We make the students aware of their scores and make adjustments to the curriculum and modify our instruction as needed.”
Rogers hammers home ACT awareness to students and their parents. Raising ACT scores is the way to get more bang for their scholarship bucks she reminds them through continual conferences, emails and phone calls. In high school (10th, 11th and 12th) all students take the ACT Weekday Test, which allows groups of students to take the same ACT content and faculty to analyze common data and tweak instruction accordingly.
Resulting scores are easy to see, but how does administration and faculty implement daily strategies and practices to achieve these accomplishments? “In a word, it’s practice,” says Chris Murphy, a third-year Simpson Academy algebra and calculus instructor who teaches grades 8-12. “We distribute practice ACT tests and go over the results, while focusing on teaching the skills and rigor necessary to succeed. We identify weaknesses and strengths and work to improve.”
The Southern Miss graduate helps his students understand that preparation is the key to success academically, financially and in all phases of their lives. “We teach our students to recall the skills they already have,” Murphy says. “I incorporate ACT questions in my daily lessons, and I help them develop simple strategies to attack all four areas of the test. For example, if they know two answers on a four-answer multiple choice question, eliminate two and you have a 50-50 chance.”
Another basic test-taking tactic is time management. “The time issue is big,” Murphy says. “No credit is gained by leaving any questions unanswered. I strive to ensure my students can get each section finished in the time allotted.” That’s 60 problems in 60 minutes for the math component of the ACT. “I instruct them to be efficient, don’t randomly answer questions,” he adds. “Constant practice to get better is the best mind set for success.”
Simpson Academy continues to enjoy a proud athletic tradition with conference champions and all-district players in multiple sports. The vast majority of students play on some Cougar team. Coach Adam Evans understands firsthand how practicing hard in the classroom and on the ballfield is a potent double play combination. In his seventh year teaching PE and history, the Cougars head baseball coach checks grades every Friday. “I want to encourage students to integrate sports and academics to set them up for their careers,” says the Jones County Junior College graduate. He went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Coach Evans sees a direct correlation between leadership in athletics and academics. “The kids I coach respond very well to keeping their focus on grades,” he says. “Having someone on the team serve as a role model in combining sports and studies always helps, and there’s no shortage of those leaders here. Most kids I coach know it’s never going to fly to say ‘I’m too tired from practice’ to buckle down in class. As teachers and coaches here, we work together to build the expectation that student athletes will do the right thing and take care of their business every day. The first order of business is getting to school on time and working hard to improve your grades and your ACT scores.”
Three of the brightest trail-blazing Simpson Academy student athlete leaders are Mary Margaret White, Mason Kennedy and Sabra Hubbard. Kennedy and White are undecided on where they’ll attend college. Hubbard plans to attend Mississippi State.
Eleventh-grader White is a track and cross country all-district performer who made SCA’s prestigious Head Master’s List with all grades of 95 and above. She is hoping to improve on her current 26 ACT score by taking an on-line ACT prep course. “I see the relevance of getting help with the ACT because a one-point improvement can make a huge difference in your scholarship money,” says the Mendenhall resident. “I appreciate that in English class we get “bellringers” with questions similar to the ACT and our math teachers hand out packets with sample ACT tests to help us improve our scores.”
Hubbard, a senior, plays basketball and runs track while earning a 4.0 GPA and a 26 on the ACT. The Mount Olive resident says ACT prep has helped expand her love of literature. “I was never a big reader before outside of school, but I started reading literature more last year to help me improve my reading comprehension for ACT,” she explains.
As Student Body President, Magee resident Kennedy explains that getting into the college of his choice is about more than his ACT score. While playing football and baseball for the Cougars and earning a 4.0 GPA, the senior devotes significant hours to community service, primarily through his family’s affiliation with First Baptist Church of Magee. “I’ve had incredible opportunities for service and I believe colleges are really looking for a well-rounded person,” he says. That hectic schedule hasn’t prevented the determined young man from scoring a stellar 31 on the ACT. He credits outside ACT tutoring along with the support of Simpson Academy teachers like Mr. Murphy. The demanding math teacher grilled Kennedy with sample test question reviews and strategy sessions. “My parents taught me to take pride in everything I do and to always do my very best,” Kennedy adds.
For Headmaster Hankins, the academic and athletic success of students like Kennedy, White and Hubbard is more than music to his ears. It’s like conducting the many instruments of a finely tuned symphony, hitting the highest, clearest notes at precisely the right time. This year, he conducts his final SCA performance, before retiring at the end of this semester. After 28 years teaching and coaching at the school, Headmaster Hankins believes passionately that he leaves his beloved alma mater in the strongest academic position it has ever enjoyed.
“When I became headmaster, my primary goal was to get everyone in the boat – students, faculty and families – pulling in the same direction,” Coach Hankins says with a glint of wistful recollection in his eye. “I knew how successful athletics were coming from that side and I had a good handle on the challenge of motivating people to achieve a goal. But I also knew we needed to apply that same level of accountability and high expectations to our academic approach. We worked with the Board of Directors to achieve the buy-in necessary to change the course of that boat and, it’s taken time, but it has clearly turned around in the last three years. We’re trending up with documented results.”
Headmaster Hankins concedes that a more rigorous academic approach has ruffled feathers at times. Parents who may have seen their child go from an A-B student to B’s or C’s weren’t shy about sharing their concerns. That’s when educational outreach encompassing the whole Cougar family – parents, teachers and students – was deployed. A message of efficient learning and accountability overseen, primarily, by Coach Hankins and his partner in culture change, Guidance Counselor Jamie Rogers. “Students are coming here – even at the elementary level – for academic reasons, not just for athletics,” Headmaster Hankins says. “We talk ACT every day in the classroom, because performance on that test will translate directly into scholarship dollars for families who need these funds to get their children the best education, and the best future, possible. The challenge going forward is to continue to succeed as the rigor of the ACT goes up. We can’t relax a second. Like in football, if we pat ourselves on the back, we won’t stay on top.”
The Headmaster insists that SCA is attracting the most capable faculty ever, including teachers with a wide range of skills and subject expertise. “We’re implementing all the components of a successful academic program and curriculum,” he says. “And, critically, we’re holding students accountable for their academic performance. They have a responsibility to meet deadlines and apply for their scholarship on time. Jamie sends out the requirements and if students don’t show enough initiative, we’re not OK with it.”
An essential partner in SCA’s career-targeted academic focus is the Simpson County Technical Center operated by the Simpson County School District. Requesting students can take off-campus programs related to agriculture and natural resources, construction, diesel services, metal fabrication, law and public safety and health sciences in addition to their traditional college prep courses. “In rural Mississippi you’ll always have kids that want to work in these technical fields,” Coach Hankins says. “And even these students will typically go on to 2-year certifying programs or 4-year colleges. Our partnership with the Tech Center is such a blessing. Not all our kids are going to State or Ole Miss. Some will go to Co-Lin or Hinds or become an electrician or a welder. We want to offer our kids every option.”
Offering every student the opportunity to achieve a quality education and the option to attend college and move successfully into the work force. That’s the clear vision that Coach Hankins and his trusted educational team have embraced during his seven years as Headmaster. “My dream is that there will come a day at Simpson Academy when our whole community gets fired up for academics the same way we get fired up for a Friday night football game,” says the old football coach with a knowing smile. “As I leave after this year, I’m extremely proud of the gains we’re made in our ACT scores and proud of the faculty upgrades that have enriched Simpson Academy at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. Mainly, I’ll be proud that we improved academics, and did it without giving up something else. That something is a sense of family based on our shared faith and love for this school.”
Photo by (Andy Knef)