Georgia’s ACT scores continued to rise in 2008 and Bryan County High School was listed in the top 25 most improved schools.

The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement test designed to measure college readiness and preparation. The ACT includes four separate exams in English, reading, mathematics, and science. There is also an optional writing portion. The exam is scored on a scale from 0 to 36.

BCHS’s composite score was 17.8, an improvement of 1.8 from the previous year.

The state's composite is 20.6, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

"We are not where we need to be," said BCHS principal Harold Roach, "but this shows we are improving. The increased scores are due to hard work by BCHS faculty who are committed to using research-based teaching strategies to increase student achievement."

BCHS was also recognized this month with a Superintendent’s Distinguished Achievement Award. The award from state school superintendent Kathy Cox is for student scores on the Biology End-of-Course Test. In a letter to Roach, Superintendent Cox praised the school for being one of 10 schools with the greatest gains in the percentage of students in the meets and exceeds scoring levels.

"In the past two years, we have all worked on improving our teaching strategies. Credit should be given to all the teachers at BCHS," said Science Department Head Tommy Skrak. "Everyone had a part in these improved scores. The students are to be commended for stepping up and doing their best."