Tennessee posts second lowest ACT scores in the nation
Officials call for continued reform
Tennessee posted the second-worst average ACT score in the nation this year, according to results released by the organization on Wednesday.
In a report titled "The Condition of College and Career Readiness," the American College Testing organization revealed the composite test score for the state's public high school students dropped from 19.1 to 19.0.
The highest possible score on the test is 36.
The low ranking skews downward due to the fact that Tennessee is one of only eight states in the country that requires all graduates to take the standardized test, a change which took place in 2010.
All states requiring 100 percent of graduates to take the test scored in the 40th percentile or lower. Massachusetts, which posted the highest average score, requires only 22 percent of its graduates to take the ACT.
But differences in total numbers of graduates tested were no excuse for officials in the Tennessee Department of Education, who said the results called attention to the continuing need for reform efforts in line with goals set out by the Race to the Top initiative.
Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman called the composite score "unacceptable" and pressed for greater accountability in endeavors to improve education across the state.
"We have to do more to ensure that our high school students' academic results align with their aspirations," Huffman said. "As U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan noted in his visit to Tennessee last week, we must aspire to be the fastest growing state in the country, while being honest about where we stand and how far we still need to go."
In the four subject areas of English, math, reading and science, only 15 percent of Tennessee students met all four benchmarks that signify college readiness.
The measures are based on actual grades earned by students taking first-year courses in college, and represent if a student would be able to earn a passing grade of a "C." Across the state, 55 percent of students met college-ready benchmarks in English, 24 percent in math, 38 percent in reading, and 17 percent in science.
The report also highlighted a wide achievement gap for black students, who posted the lowest percentages of college-ready scores in any ethnic group. Across the state, 33 percent of black students met benchmarks in English, 8 percent in math, 16 percent in reading, and 4 percent in science.
In a forum held in Nashville last week, Gov. Bill Haslam's called the achievement gaps affecting black students "immoral," and said his administration was committed to closing them in order to move forward.
Tennessee officials are hoping that recent gains in TCAP testing scores for students in third through eighth grades will signify higher ACT scores for high school students in future years.
"College readiness is not an issue determined in 11th grade, but is the culmination of an entire system of education," Huffman said. "I am encouraged by the progress that we are making in the earlier grades, and feel a sense of urgency to ensure that this translates into higher skill levels by graduation."
