Record Numbers of Stark Students Take ACT Test
College readiness is no longer a privilege but a right - a right of all students that P-12 must fulfill.* - ACT, Inc.
Stark County districts strive for all students to secure college and workforce readiness.** In 2008, the number of high school seniors taking the ACT college admissions test surpassed the 3,000 mark for the second year in a row. For the first time in history, the total number of all students taking the test exceeded 5,000. Additionally, the 1,646 female and 1,474 male seniors had average composite scores exceeding the national average. While females in Stark County came close to matching the Ohio average, males surpassed that average by 0.2 points.***
Average ACT Composite Scores for 2008 Stark Seniors
Students usually take the ACT test in either their junior or senior year. The 3,120 seniors taking the test were joined by 2,269 Stark juniors. That's up from 1,844 juniors the year before, making the total number of tests 5,389. Another 1,847 sophomores took PLAN, a pre-ACT test, in the 10th grade. The test allows teachers and students both to review progress towards college readiness while there is still time to make necessary interventions. Ten Stark County districts currently administer PLAN.
The Stark County P-16 Compact and its members have long supported increasing both preparation for, and the use of, the ACT test as a critical college access strategy. States that use the ACT as part of their assessment system, or encourage students to take the test, have seen substantial increases in their college-going rates and increased high school rigor.****
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* ACT, Inc. (2008). The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students Are on Target for College and Career Readiness before High School. Available at: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/reports/ForgottenMiddle.html
** See: Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or Different? at: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/reports/index.html
*** Figures released to the Stark Education Partnership by ACT, Inc. Elementary and Secondary Services, Columbus, Ohio.
**** See: Statewide Administration of the ACT: A Key Component in Improving Student Preparation for College and Work and other studies at: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/case.html |
