Article Details

August 18, 2010

Kathy Toelkes, Director of Communications, 785-296-4876
For immediate release

Kansas graduates show readiness for college
More focus needed in math, science

TOPEKA – High school graduates in Kansas continue to outpace the nation in performance on the ACT college readiness exam. Results released today from the 2010 exam show Kansas graduates had an average composite score of 22.0 on the exam out of a possible 36. That’s up slightly from the previous year and above the national average of 21.0. Kansas posted the highest average composite score among the 13 states that had at least 75 percent of graduates participating in the exam.
 “I am pleased to see that Kansas students continue to perform well when viewed against other students across the nation, however I also recognize that our work to ensure all students are ready for postsecondary opportunities – whether that means college or work – is ongoing,” said Interim Education Commissioner Dr. Diane DeBacker. “It is important that as educators we maintain our focus on building skills that will enable all students to be successful after high school.”
Kansas students performed particularly well in the areas of English and reading, where 74 percent and 60 percent of test-takers respectively met college readiness benchmarks established by ACT. The benchmarks represent scores that would indicate a level of preparation needed to have at least a 50 percent chance of achieving a grade of B or above in entry-level college coursework. Fifty-one percent of Kansas graduates met the benchmark in math and 34 percent achieved the science benchmark. In all cases, the percent of Kansas graduates meeting the benchmarks was at or above the percentages meeting the benchmarks last year and exceeded the percent of graduates meeting the benchmarks nationwide.
 The average score for Kansas high school graduates in English was 21.4, well above the benchmark of 18. Kansas’ average reading score was 22.3, 1.3 percentage points above the college readiness benchmark of 21.  In math, Kansas students fell just 0.3 percentage points below the benchmark of 22, and they were 2.1 percentage points below the science benchmark of 24.
 Numbers from the 2010 ACT exam continued to show the importance of taking core coursework in high school. Core coursework includes four years of English and three years each of math, science and social studies. Students who complete core coursework consistently score higher on all areas of the ACT than students who do not complete core coursework. In Kansas, 80 percent of graduates taking the ACT exam completed core or more coursework in high school and their average composite score was 22.6; 2.7 percentage points higher than students who had not taken core coursework and 0.6 percentage points higher than the average composite score for all Kansas graduates taking the exam.
 More information about Kansas students’ performance on the ACT exam can be found at www.act.org. In addition, information regarding statewide locations for the annual ACT College and Career Readiness Workshops can be found on the website.

###