August 27, 2007
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS , OH – Cleveland Heights High School student Alex Kraus is among an elite group of 24 college-bound students in Ohio and one of 177 in the country to achieve a 36, the highest possible ACT composite score. About 34,000 Ohio students and 395,000 from across the nation completed the ACT college-entrance exam on June 9, 2007. The senior in the Legacy Small School has attended the Cleveland Heights – University Heights City School District his entire school career.

“I’ve received an incredible math and science education, one that few schools in Northeast Ohio could equal,” Kraus said. “I have taken AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, AP Biology, and AP Physics before the end of my junior year.”

Kraus was also recently named a National AP Scholar for scoring the highest possible score on 10 Advanced Placement tests. Only 10 students in Ohio earned this honor by the end of their junior year.

“Alex’s ACT score is simply phenomenal and I applaud his extraordinary achievement,” Superintendent Deborah S. Delisle said. “He is a shining example of our District, and the incredible successes one can reach through hard work, diligence, and a passion for learning. I extend my heartiest congratulations to Alex and his family.”

In June, Kraus competed on the American Regional Math League, comprised of the best math students in the State. He also founded and coached a math club and team at Heights High and, in their first year competing, finished 24th in the State. As part of the District’s Post Secondary Enrollment Option program, Alex has earned math and economics college credit the past two years at Case Western Reserve University by taking such courses as Number Theory and Multivariable Calculus.

Kraus hopes his accomplishment will inspire others to look at the opportunities found in the CH-UH City School District. “Many people have the erroneous impression that a superior education is not available from an inner ring public school,” he said. “I hope that my success can encourage other gifted math students to look at our public schools and see what is possible.”

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading, and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. For purposes of comparison, the average composite score for the national high school graduating class of 2007 was 21.2.