Vol, 7, No. 27: August 25, 2008		Get SEAchange by email

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2. ACT scores hold steady

Wisconsin's 2008 graduates out performed their peers nationally, posting a composite score of 22.3 on the ACT college admissions test. The same score was achieved last year. The mark is well above the national composite score of 21.1, which dropped one-tenth of a point from the previous year.

The number of students taking the ACT went up by 560 to a total of 46,990, or 67 percent of the state's high school graduates.

Wisconsin's composite score ranks third in the nation among the 26 ACT-taking states. Minnesota had a composite score of 22.6 with 69 percent of its graduates tested. Iowa had a composite score of 22.4 with 60 percent of its graduates taking the ACT.

"We can be proud of our college-bound Wisconsin graduates, who performed very well on the ACT assessment," said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. "However, we must continue to encourage students to take coursework that will prepare them for college and the world of work. Achievement gaps in scores and course-taking patterns are quite apparent."

Gaps between scores of white students and students of African American, American Indian, Asian, or Hispanic origin range from 2.4 to 5.8 points. In a positive development, the percentage of Wisconsin ACT-takers who were students of color increased slightly from last year to 11.7 percent.

"We are working with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the American Diploma Project to ensure that our students have high school coursework that is rigorous and relevant to college and the work place," Burmaster said. "We want our graduates to be world ready."

More information is available in a DPI news release.

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Last updated on 8/25/2008