COVINGTON, Ga. — When it comes to standardized testing scores — particularly the ACT, in this case — Eastside High School stands out in a national way. 

The Georgia Department of Education released school-level ACT scores for the 2021-22 school year for the Newton County School System, and Eastside not only outpaced the district and region, but also the nation in every category. 

The ACT differs from the SAT in that it is a curriculum-based, multiple-choice test that evaluates students in English, Math, Reading and Science, whereas the SAT measures critical thinking, analytical and problem solving abilities. 

The national average for English, Math, Reading, Science and Composite scores are 19.0, 19.3, 20.4, 19.9 and 19.8 respectively. Eastside’s averages in those same categories were 19.8, 19.4, 21.3, 20.0 and 20.3 respectively. 

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Alcovy was second with average scores of 17.8, 17.9, 19.9, 18.8 and 18.8 while Newton registered 16.3, 16.7, 17.7, 17.4 and 17.2. 

Each NCSS high school was slightly below the Georgia averages (21.0, 21.8, 22.5, 21.5 and 21.6). The composite score students receive is cumulative of the entire test and scored on a range from 0 to 36. 

Eastside principal Jeff Cher said the numbers prove the kind of quality that populates his school's hallways each day.

"I am exceptionally proud of the performance of our students," Cher said. "Additionally, our staff should be commended for incorporating research-based instructional practices in a strategic and focused manner. Our goal is continual improvement and excellence for all students."

NCSS superintended Samantha Fuhrey expressed her pride for the hard work the school system’s staff has done to help bring about respectable numbers, specifically emphasizing Eastside’s accomplishments. 

“Congratulations to our Eastside students, families, teachers and leaders,” Fuhrey said in a NCSS press release. “We are all incredibly proud of your hard work, dedication and focus. “We continue to work diligently to prepare students for life beyond high school which, for many, includes post-secondary education. As such, teachers and both district office and school leaders will review the results to continue to identify opportunities for all students to experience even greater success.” 

This comes just a couple of weeks after Fuhrey lauded the school system for producing high school graduation rates that surpassed Georgia trends.