2009 Public High School Seniors Match Previous ACT Score, but SC Down a Tenth for all Students

CHARLESTON, SC – August 19, 2009 –  South Carolina’s 2009 public high school graduates matched last year’s performance on the ACT college entrance exam despite a dramatic increase in test-takers, the company said today.

But the state’s average ACT score dropped by one-tenth of a point when the performance of non-public school students was included.  These students were 13.5 percent of the test-takers.   

The 2009 average composite score for all Palmetto State seniors was 19.8 on the ACT’s 36-point scale.  That’s down a tenth of a percentage point from last year’s 19.9, the state’s highest average ever.  The national average was 21.1, unchanged from last year. 

Public high school graduates had a composite score of 19.7 for 2009, unchanged from last year.  ACT officials said eight South Carolina students – all in public schools – reported perfect scores of 36 for 2009.  

ACT considers a change of three-tenths of a point to be statistically significant; one-tenth of an ACT point is comparable to four points on the SAT.  South Carolina’s scores have shown a trend of incremental growth over the past five years, which ACT officials said indicated that the state is making progress in college readiness.  

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said South Carolina’s public school students have shown steady progress while dramatically increasing the number of students tested.   
 
“The national average has gained two-tenths of a point since 2005, but our gain is twice that,” Rex said. “That’s especially significant considering we’ve had a 42 percent growth in the amount of test-takers during that time.  But we can’t be satisfied with where we are.  We need to keep moving these numbers higher.”

ACT officials said a dramatic growth in student participation is usually accompanied by a downturn in scores, which has not happened in South Carolina.

Rex said nearly 2,300 more public school students’ scores are in this year’s report, a 16.5 percent increase from 2008 alone.  Nationwide ACT results are based on nearly 1.5 million participants, up four per cent compared to last year. 

The newly released ACT scores are from students who graduated in 2009, regardless of when they took the test during their high school careers.  The ACT includes four tests: English, mathematics, reading and science reasoning.  Scores are reported in each of those as well as the overall composite.

Rex said public school students’ scores in the four subject area tests also continue to show significant gains compared to national results since 2005.

“Math and science gains are the largest at seven-tenths of a point and four-tenths of a point, respectively,” Rex said.  “English and reading are both up three-tenths of a point, which is also larger than the national gains.”

Average ACT composite scores for white students in South Carolina’s public schools increased two-tenths of a point to 21.9 in the 2009 report; African-American students’ average scores were 16.5, matching last year’s mark.  Male students outperformed females by four-tenths of a point nationally, but males and females had tie scores in the Palmetto State’s public schools.

South Carolina public school students who took the core academic courses recommended by ACT had an average score of 20.2 for 2009.  Those who did not take the core courses scored an average of 17, more than three points lower. 
 
The ACT’s recommended core courses include four years of English; three or more years of mathematics, including algebra I and II and geometry; three or more years of social studies, including American history and government and world history; and three or more years of natural sciences, such as general, physical and earth science, biology, chemistry and physics.

Results from an optional ACT writing test that began in February 2005 were reported for the fourth time this year.  Although it’s not required for admission by most colleges and universities, almost 64 percent of South Carolina’s ACT-tested 2009 public school graduates took this test.  Their average score was 6.5 on a 12-point scale.  The national writing score was 7.2.
 
The ACT is the predominant college entrance exam in about half of the states, while the College Board’s SAT dominates the other half.  Although the SAT is still South Carolina’s most popular college-entrance exam, a record 16,170 public high school graduates took the ACT for 2009, up from 11,405 in 2005.

The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam designed to measure the academic skills that are taught in schools and deemed important for success in first-year college courses.  The SAT is an implied learning test that measures how students think based on their experiences both in and out of the classroom setting.
 
All South Carolina colleges and universities accept either ACT or SAT scores for admission. The top five South Carolina universities receiving scores from ACT test-takers were the University of South Carolina (Columbia), Clemson, College of Charleston, Winthrop and Coastal Carolina.  Seventy-seven percent of the state’s pubic school ACT participants said they hope to earn a two-year degree or higher in their postsecondary career. Their most popular field for majors is health science and allied health fields and business/management.
 
(The following table contains ACT subject area and composite scores for 2005 to 2009 for South Carolina public school students and the nation.) 

To view and/or download Number of Student Test Takers and Average ACT Scores by South Carolina Public High Schools for 2009 Graduates click here.

To view and/or download Number of Student Test Takers and Average ACT Scores by South Carolina Public High School District for 2009 Graduates click here.