Education News
ACT scores declined in 2008.
The New York Times (8/13, A15, Rimer) reports, “The average score on the ACT college admissions test fell slightly this year to 21.1 out of a possible score of 36, down from 21.2 last year” but “equal to the 2006 average,” according to the testing agency. “Overall, 22 percent of the 1.42 million 2008 high school graduates who took the test this year received scores indicating that they were ready for college.”
Seen another way, that figure means “that more than three in four test takers will likely need remedial help in at least one subject to succeed in college,” according to the AP (8/13, Pope). Even so, “the ACT’s creators said it was good news that average scores held nearly steady even as more students took the exam,” as it indicates that “the total number who have earned benchmark scores showing they are ready for college-level work is rising.” An ACT official explained, “We have a more heterogeneous population of test takers, so we’re including those kids who weren’t considering college or aren’t considering college.” The AP notes, “A record 1.42 million…of this year’s high school graduates took the ACT.” The growth comes as a greater number of states have begun offering the exam state-wide, or requiring it. Additionally, in some areas “where students have historically taken the SAT exam,” students are now “taking both to try to boost their college application credentials.”
Education Week (8/13, Cech) adds, “Much of the growth can also be chalked up to the raw numbers of college-going young people. ACT test-takers represented 43 percent of all high school graduates nationally this year — up from 42 percent in 2007 and 40 percent in 2006.” A number of papers, including the Arizona Republic (8/13, Ryman), the Dallas Morning News (8/13, Stutz), Minnesota’s Star Tribune (8/13, Shelman), the Salt Lake Tribune (8/13, Schencker), West Virginia’s Charleston Gazette (8/13, White), New Jersey’s Star Ledger (8/13, Mooney), South Carolina’s Post and Courier (8/13, Courr