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Fifty Escambia County High School juniors will be participating in an ACT Boot Camp Feb. 13-15, school officials said.

Principal Kike Pettaway said Monday the school’s goal this year is to increase its ACT scores. She added that the goal will also help improve the school’s report card grade, which is one of the components needed to remove ECHS from the failing school list.

Pettaway said the camp is comprised of 50 juniors school officials felt were good candidates to achieve the goal.

“The identification criteria is based on their pre-ACT scores,” Pettaway said. “I reviewed all of their scores, and we identified students and then put them into two groups.”

Pettaway said Scott Hammond will be facilitating the math intervention and instruction, while Teresa Hultz is facilitating the ELA portion during the camp.

Pettaway said the camp will be held at ECHS in two designated classrooms.

“Group 1 will start with the math instruction and Group 2 will start with ELA,” she said. “They will receive two hours of intensive instruction. Then, they’ll have a break. After the break, they’ll transition to the other portion.”

Pettaway said the students will be engaged in this intensive instruction all three days of the camp.

“They’re teaching them test-taking strategies and subject-related content,” she said.

Pettaway said the concept of the boot camp came from the school system.

“Everyone has been very supportive when it comes to the academic success for all schools in the district,” she said. “The superintendent (Michele McClung) and her staff collaborated with me, and we implemented this boot camp at Escambia County High School.”

Additionally, Pettaway said the school also implemented an ACT online prep and students are required to participate in ACT bell ringers daily.

Pettaway said the boot camp is a team effort.

“Everyone here on campus has embraced our mission,” Pettaway said. “The students, faculty and staff are all on board. They’re excited.”

Pettaway said the students will be rewarded with an ACT incentive after the test.

The juniors will take the ACT test on March 14.