by Tammy Dodderidge
Sumner Academy of Arts and Science is among a distinguished group of schools, students and employers being recognized by ACT for exemplifying what is being done in states across the country to improve individuals’ prospects for success.
The school has been named a national semifinalist in ACT’s third National College and Career Readiness Campaign. The goal of the campaign is to bring attention to the hard work and exceptional achievements of education leaders, teachers, top employers and students.
“Sumner is honored to have been selected as a semifinalist. This is truly a testament of the hard work of both our students and our faculty,” said Jonathan Richard, Sumner principal. “Sumner prides itself on its diverse student body, high college matriculation rate, and its well-rounded course and extra-curricular offerings. It also has the largest Kauffman Scholar enrollment of any school. We are grateful to have been selected and to represent the people of Wyandotte County.”
Sumner is included in the high school category of the campaign, and is one of only four high schools in the nation being recognized for their success in college and career transition. All of Sumner’s seniors are admitted to a post-secondary institution, and each student participates in a minimum of two college visits by the time they graduate. All students take the ACT WorkKeys assessments, designed to measure their job-readiness skills.
“Sumner faculty routinely engage in vertically aligning ACT and International Baccalaureate data across all grades and throughout all course curriculum. It is not uncommon for an 8th grade student to be exposed to ACT and IB language and vocabulary,” Richard said. “Heavy emphasis is placed on learning from internal assessments. Data is frequently analyzed which allows faculty and students to narrow in on areas of weakness and strength. We believe this focus, along with talented faculty and academically-driven students, has strongly contributed to our students’ success.”
All national semifinalists were selected from nominations by 34 participating states across four award categories: student readiness (for students), college and career transition (for high schools), career preparedness (for community colleges), and workplace success (for employers). Each of these categories represents a critical juncture in the college and career readiness continuum.
Sumner and the other 15 semifinalists will be recognized at a gala in Washington, D.C., in June.
More details about the campaign are available at www.act.org/readinesscampaign.
Tammy Dodderidge is the communications manager for the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools.