By Tommie Saylor
Truman High School Principal
“A man’s worth is no greater than his
ambitions."
-- Marcus Aurelius
Last week ACT scores have been coming
in all around the state and students are beginning to see just how well they
did on this very important college readiness test.
This is a test that colleges place tremendous
value on. It is one point of data can very well be the difference between a
student being accepted into the college of their dreams – or not being accepted
altogether.
Though I understand the importance of
a standardized test, what I do not like is placing so much value and life-altering
consequences on this single test performance. Though this one test may have
been well researched and does a wonderful job of measuring a student’s knowledge
base, what it cannot measure is a student’s desire.
I will use myself as an example. I
only scored a 17 on the ACT when I took this test some 30 years ago. Most
experts will tell you that a score of 21 will indicate that the student is
college ready, and my score was not even close.
By looking at my performance on the
ACT, one may have given me the advice to forget college, and find a vocation
that did not require advanced training. Yet when I did decide to go to college,
after serving five years in the Army, I found success. I worked two different
jobs totaling over 40 hours a week, was married with two children and carried
15 to 20 credit hours per semester. I attended classes all year and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in
three years.
In fact, my GPA from college was higher
than my high school GPA.
According to my ACT score this should
never have happened. So what was the “magic” in my success? No ACT score was not
able to measure my desire, drive and willingness to do whatever it took to
succeed.
This is the kind of lesson we teach
at Truman High School. At Truman, we teach more than just Math, Science,
English and Social Studies, we teach lifelong lessons that prepare our students
for what lies beyond. We teach such things as the importance of being on time, of
completing a task within a specific time frame, the importance of teamwork and the
importance of respecting authority.
We teach the importance of respecting
each other, of personal responsibility, the rewards that come with delayed
gratification and most importantly, the ability to pursue a dream with
unwavering persistency.
Simply, we show our students how the
“magic” works and build in them passion, desire and drive to make their dreams
come true. We are the gatekeepers and we build up in our students a sense
of pride, passion, and self-worth, that when properly focused, allows them to accomplish
anything their hearts focus upon.
Science and educational experts may
have been able to develop a test that can measure one’s aptitude, IQ and
cognitive abilities; but they have yet been able to develop a test that can measure
a student’s heart, spirit and soul.
Keep up the good work. Continue to
fill your students with dreams and encouragement. Teach them to never give up,
to never give in, and to never allow the naysayers the satisfaction of stealing
their dreams.
Remember, their future is in our
hands … Improving one week at a time …
The New Truman High School.
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