Group of six educators and school leaders stand on stage at the CLAS School of Distinction Awards ceremony, posing with a School of Distinction banner. American and Alabama flags frame the stage, with CLAS sponsor backdrops behind them and green ferns lining the front of the platform.

Cherokee County High School

ACT Bootcamp
Cherokee County Schools
Principal: Mr. Bobby Tittle
Superintendent: Mr. Mike Welsh

Leading up to the 2024-2025 school year, Cherokee County High School had been in the low seventies on the State Report Card for the previous three years, scoring a 70 in 2022 and a 73 in 2023 and 2024. A student-centered plan was needed – one that rewarded and prepared students while holding them accountable for actions that impacted the State Report Card. First, the school developed a plan to hold chronically absent students accountable by tying driving and prom activities to attendance. Additionally, they provided practice ACT exams and held ACT prep classes for the entire junior class, taught by ACT-certified teachers. Lastly, Cherokee County High School ensured that seniors attended and graduated. All these activities were combined to develop the ACT Bootcamp. The ACT Bootcamp stood for:

A – Attend & Achieve: Attend school and achieve high on the ACT
C – College, Career & Complete: Become College & Career Ready and complete high school
T – Tackle the Test: Score your best on the ACT

Each of these school-developed and student-centered activities helped increase the school’s most recent State Report Card score by 14 points, rising from a 73 to an 87. This increase was one of the largest gains in the state for grades 9–12.

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