Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

August 17, 2005

CONTACT:  JIM MORRIS Director, Public Information 573-751-3469

 

ACT Scores Improve Again, Offering Preview of Debate
Over Changes in High School Graduation Requirements

Missouri’s average score on the ACT college-entry exam ticked upward again in 2005, for the second year in a row, while the national average stayed flat for a second year. As a group, Missouri students continue to score well above the national average on the ACT exam, state education officials said today.

The new statistics provide evidence that should bolster the state’s case for raising high school graduation requirements for public schools, said Commissioner of Education D. Kent King.

In June, at King’s recommendation, the State Board of Education gave preliminary approval to a policy that would raise the minimum high school graduation requirements from 22 to 24 units of credit. In addition, the new standards would incorporate the so-called "core curriculum" that ACT recommends for high school students – 4 units of English and 3 units each of math, science and social studies.

The State Board of Education is likely to give the new graduation standards its final stamp of approval in October. The new standards would apply to the graduating class of 2010.

"There is a direct link between ACT scores and the courses young people take in high school. We know that students who take the recommended core curriculum or who pursue upper-level courses score significantly higher on the ACT exam and are more likely to be successful in college or the workplace," King said.

"I am pleased with the latest Missouri results," he added. "It appears the upward trend of the past decade has resumed. It also is important to note that our state scores have increased pretty steadily since the early 1990s, even though the number of students taking the ACT has grown significantly."

This year, 70 percent of Missouri graduates took the ACT, the same as in 2004. A decade ago (1995-96), 35,600 Missouri students (63%) took the ACT, compared to the almost 43,000 included in this year’s results.

"I think ACT data can be an important tool for school boards and high school faculty as they evaluate their students’ performance and their curricula. This will be especially important as we push forward with the implementation of more demanding graduation standards for all students," King said. Areas that deserve attention include:

• Performance by minority students. Average ACT scores of minority students (except Asians and Pacific Islanders) are lower than those of white students. Minority students who take the recommended core curriculum courses, however, score substantially higher than those who do not.
  

• The gender gap. This year, about 23,500 females took the ACT in Missouri, compared to 19,000 males. The average composite score for women is sixth-tenths of a point lower (21.3) than the men’s score (21.9). While women score slightly higher than men in the ACT subtest areas of English and reading, they score significantly lower than men in math and science.
  

• College-readiness indicators. In addition to the composite score that is usually publicized, students also receive separate scores for the areas of English, math, reading and science reasoning. Scores in these areas may be used to evaluate high school programs and to project students’ likelihood of success in related fields at the collegiate level.

"To improve the performance of all students, we need to look inside the numbers and understand how different groups are doing. As we look to the future, it is important for schools to use ACT and other testing data to help strengthen their academic programs.

"One of the growing challenges for our nation is to develop more talent in the areas of math and science. We need to do more to encourage young women to pursue careers in math, science and engineering. I think high schools need to look for new ways to attract and support young women so they will be successful in upper-level math and science," King said.

The latest ACT results for the nation and all 50 states were released today. Missouri’s statistics are based on the scores of 42,705 students who graduated from public and private high schools in 2005 and who took the exam at least once during their sophomore, junior or senior years.