Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — For the second year in a row, Arkansas’ high school seniors attained an average ACT score of 20.6 this year, trailing the national average of 21.1, education officials announced Tuesday.
“We would have liked to have seen these scores climb again this year,” said Diana Julian, interim commissioner for the state Department of Education, in a news release
“However, I do believe ACT scores and other college- and career-ready measures will continue to increase in years to come as more students benefit from the Smart Core curriculum and our educators continue to focus on raising achievement levels for all students,” Julian said.
Arkansas students’ average math and reading scores were again 20.1 and 21, respectively, remaining at all-time highs for the state. National averages were 21 in math and 21.4 in reading.
Students’ average English score dropped from 20.7 in 2008 to 20.6 this year, and the average science score dropped from 20.3 in 2008 to 20.2 this year. National averages this year were 20.6 in English and 20.9 in science.
Seventy-three percent of Arkansas students in the class of 2009 took the ACT. The diversity of the test takers increased from last year, with 15 percent more Hispanics and 5 percent more blacks taking the ACT.
Divided by demographic group, average scores were: black, 16.7 in Arkansas and 16.9 nationally; American Indian and Alaska native, 20.9 in Arkansas and 18.9 nationally; white, 21.6 in Arkansas and 22.2 nationally; Hispanic, 18.8 in Arkansas and 18.7 nationally; and Asian and Pacific islander, 22 in Arkansas and 23.2 nationally.
Julian said the test results show that students who pursued the state’s Smart Core curriculum were able to increase their ACT scores by several points. For example, Arkansas students who took the Smart Core math sequence — Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and a fourth year of higher-level math — scored an average of two points higher than students whose math studies stopped at Algebra II.
Jim Purcell, director of the state Department of Higher Education, said the ACT scores show that educational improvements like Smart Core are making Arkansas’ students better prepared for college.
Between those improvements and the arrival next year of Arkansas’ first lottery-funded scholarships, “we could be seeing a perfect storm of positive developments that will help carry Arkansas into the 21st century better prepared than ever to lead the region, and possibly the country, as we move forward into the global economy,” he said.
