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Hill-Murray Receives Second ACT Award for Academic Excellence
School Principal Dr. Susan Paul was informed by the ACT in late December that the school was the 2009 recipient of the prestigious ACT Red Quill Award. There were only three other Minnesota schools that were recipients of the honor. And only 25 other schools in the nine-state ACT Midwest region were acknowledged.
According to Red Quill Committee Chair, Phillip J. Daniel, the ACT Red Quill Award honors schools that “recognize the need for diligent analysis of data and have a willingness to develop and enhance curriculum and instruction based on (the) learning community needs.” In his award letter, Daniel says, “Your students have consistently demonstrated a high level of achievement that has been validated by meaningful data provided through ACT’s College/Career Readiness System.”
This was the second ACT award for Hill-Murray in less than three years. In its 2007 report Rigor at Risk: Reaffirming Quality in the High School Core Curriculum, the ACT cited Hill-Murray for its academic rigor, stating that the school has “proven that core courses can be made rigorous and that rigorous content can be effectively taught to students . . . your school is clearly a leader in preparing all high school students for postsecondary education.” Hill-Murray was one of 382 public and private high schools across the U.S. that was cited; there were only eight in Minnesota and only one other in the metro area.
Hill-Murray Principal Dr. Susan Paul says that “these awards are not just about scoring higher on the ACT exam to get into the college of your choice, or to receive more scholarship grants. High ACT scores do make a difference in that regard, but these awards make more of a statement about how we use ACT data at Hill-Murray to help individual students define areas for improvement—and how we as a school can improve. We use the data to enhance our curriculum and emphases in those areas. It’s very intentional.” She also affirms the results of the school’s use of the ACT data. “We hear regularly from our graduates that they are well prepared. These awards strongly confirm that they’re ready for the rigors of college.”
The Hill-Murray administration announced the awards in a special celebratory surprise meeting for the staff,  complete with "Red Quill Cake." President Joseph Peschges and Principal Paul addressed the staff, thanking them for their continuing hard work and dedication to preparing H-M students for college academics.
The Red Quill Award was established in 2006 to recognize schools that are implementing innovative approaches to improve curriculum and have shown consistent growth in student ACT scores over time. The ACT exam is one of the most widely accepted exams used by U.S. colleges and universities for evaluating students seeking to enroll in an undergraduate program.
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