The male and female students enrolled in the Wake Leadership Academies (WLA) for Men and Women at Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) set a record by scoring higher than the state average ACT scores in each subject area for the 2014-2015 academic year. The ACT is a curriculum- and standards-based educational and career planning tool that assesses students’ academic readiness for college.

The WLA male students ACT results showed that in English, WLA’s male students scored 22.2 compared to the state average score of 17.1. In math, WLA’s male students scored 24.4 compared to the state average of 19.0. In reading, the WLA’s male students scored 24.3 compared to the state average which was 18.8, and in science, the WLA’s male students scored 22.7 and the state average was 18.7.

Ian J. Solomon, principal of the Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy, noted that the early college African-American male students also scored higher in all subject areas on the ACT than the state average for African-American males.

In English, WLA’s African-American male students scored 16.9 while the state average score for African-American males was 13.8. In math, WLA’s African-American male students scored 20.6 compared to the state average of 16.6. In reading, WLA’s African-American male students scored 19.5, while the state average was 15.7. Lastly, in science WLA’s African-American male students scored 19.0 and the state average for African-American males was 16.0.

“While I am excited at our overall performance as a school, seeing the work and efforts that these young men have put forth and the results on this college readiness indicator is true confirmation of why this work is important,” said Solomon. “Their performance counteracts many of the stereotypes that are prevalent in our society as it relates to African-American males. It is my hope that these results can play at least a small part in reshaping that prevailing narrative into one that trumpets the true potential of African-American males.”

The WLA females also made their mark on the ACT.

The WLA female students ACT results showed that in English, WLA’s female students scored 19.3 compared to the state average of 17.1. In math, WLA’s female students scored 20.9 compared to the state average of 19.0. In reading, WLA’s female students scored 20.5 compared to the state average which was 18.8 and in science, WLA’s female students scored 20.1 and the state average was 18.7.

Carla Jernigan-Baker, principal for the WLA women’s leadership academy, expressed how proud she is our students.

“I am very proud of our young women,” Jernigan-Baker said.  “These scores confirm and validate that these young women are college ready. I am also proud of our relationship with Saint Augustine’s University which proves that early college works.”

In the fall of 2013, the Wake County Board of Education secured Saint Augustine’s University as a college partner for the Wake Leadership Academies. The partnership allows Leadership Academy students to enroll in university courses to pursue the early college portion of their rigorous academy experience, through which they may earn a high school diploma while also earning transferable college credit.