Tennessee seniors show improvement in ACT scores

Friday, August 17, 2012, Vol. 36, No. 33

NASHVILLE (AP) — In Tennessee, ACT scores for the high school class of 2012 show a slight improvement in all four subject areas — english, math, reading and science.

All public school students in Tennessee take the ACT in their senior year, which is over 68,000 students statewide, according to ACT results released Wednesday.

The average composite score for Tennessee seniors in 2012 was 19.7, a small increase over the average composite score in 2011 of 19.5. The percentage of Tennessee students earning scores that indicate readiness for college courses also increased in each of the subjects.

— In English, the average score increased to 19.6 this year from 19.4 last year. The percentage of students meeting the English college readiness benchmark was 59 percent this year, compared to 58 last year.

— In reading, the average score increased to 19.9 this year from 19.7 last year. The percentage of students meeting the reading college readiness benchmark was 43 percent this year, up from 41 percent last year

— In mathematics, the average score was 19.1 this year, up from 19.0 last year. The percentage of students meeting the mathematics college readiness benchmark was 29 percent this year, an increase from 27 last year.

— In science, the average score increased to 19.6 this year from 19.4 last year. The percentage of students meeting the science college readiness benchmark was 21 percent this year, up from 20 percent last year.