Center Focus 1-16 ALL.pdf Center Focus May 2014 | Page 10

Dowling Catholic Students Shine Academically
I
owa Assessments are given annually to
all school students to test proficiency
levels in reading, math, and science.
During the 2012-2013 school year,
Dowling Catholic’s 11th grade students
scored 96.89% proficient in reading,
97.17% proficient in math, and 94.52%
proficient in science. The school is
leading the way in the Des Moines metro
area.

At Dowling Catholic High School,
students achieved an all-time high
composite score of 25.2 on the ACT exam
with an increase in scores across all four
disciplines (English, math, reading and
science). This compares with the State of
Iowa’s composite score of 22.1.
Dowling Catholic student Soren Kyhl
received a 36 on his ACT exam, the
highest composite score possible. In

addition, the 2013 DCHS class had a
record 10 National Merit Semi-Finalists.
Dowling Catholic has expanded the
opportunities for students to take AP
courses. In 2012-2013, 212 students took
255 AP exams with 85% of the students
receiving a passing score of 3 or higher.
AP exams are scored from a range of 1-5.
In a recent Des Moines Register
article that discussed DCHS’s decision to
eliminate class rank, Dowling Catholic
was referred to as the “West Des Moines
academic powerhouse.”

Dowling Catholic High School had a
graduation rate of 99.7% for the 20122013 school year, and $18.9 million was
offered in scholarships to 165 members of
the 2013 graduating class.

120
100

Dowling

80

Waukee

60

West DSM
Johnston

Ankeny

Urbandale

40

Des Moines
State

20
0

Nation
Reading

Math

Science

*Article previously published in the Catholic Mirror.

Dr. James