The high school class of 2007 posted a modest increase on the ACT college entrance exam, extending the test’s upward scoring trend and showing improved levels of preparation for college.
Still, the results highlight the persistent gap between the preparation levels of high school graduates and the skills they need to do well in college. Only 23 percent of test-takers met a benchmark score that indicates readiness in a range of introductory, core college courses.
The national average ACT composite score rose from 21.1 last year to 21.2 on a scale of 1 to 36 extending its recent pattern of slight but noticeable increases.
The ACT says one-year trends are not necessarily meaningful, but that the average scoring increase of 0.4 points since 2003 is significant, considering 1.3 million of this year’s high school graduates took the test.
