ACT Scores Hold Steady in 2003
Many Students Not Ready for College-Level Work

Only a fourth (26 percent) of 2003 graduates earned a score of 24 or higher on the ACT Science Test, while just four in ten earned a score of 22 or higher on the ACT Math Test. ACT research has shown that students who attain these college readiness benchmarks are more likely than others to be ready for college biology and algebra courses, respectively. They also have a high probability of completing these first-year courses with a grade of C or higher.

In comparison, the large majority (67 percent) of students scored 18 or higher on the ACT English Test, indicating they likely have the skills necessary to be ready for college English composition classes.

“We’ve heard a lot of talk recently about the inadequacy of students’ writing skills,” said Richard L. Ferguson, ACT’s chief executive officer. “However, it appears that the more critical problems are in science and math.”

Students who have higher-level skills in these subject areas are better positioned to succeed in the course work necessary to pursue science- and math-related careers. “The strength of the United States in national security, medicine, research, and engineering is dependent upon the science and math skills of today’s young people,” said Ferguson. “Our results indicate that too few students are learning these skills.”

Readiness for college science and math course work is particularly low among African American students. Only 5 percent of African American test-takers scored at or above the college readiness benchmark for college biology, and just 10 percent attained the readiness benchmark for college algebra.

Many Students Don’t Take Challenging Course Work

Many students lack high-level skills in math and science because they don’t take challenging course work in high school. Fewer than two-thirds (62 percent) of tested graduates in the class of 2003 took the core course work recommended for college-bound students.

ACT results have consistently indicated that students who take at least the recommended core curriculum in high school—four years of English and three years each of mathematics (algebra and higher), natural sciences, and social sciences—are likely to fare better in college than those who don’t.

Graduates in the class of 2003 who took core course work earned an average ACT Composite score of 21.8, compared to 19.3 for those who did not. Students who take higher-level courses beyond the core curriculum tend to earn higher ACT scores and to be better prepared for college. Graduates in 2003 who took four or more years of math earned an average ACT Composite score of 23.4, compared to 19.3 for those who took less than four years of math. Those who took three or more years of science, including physics, earned an average Composite score of 22.6, compared to 19.4 for those who took less.

Relatively few students, however, are taking higher-level courses. Fewer than half (45 percent) of all ACT-tested graduates in the class of 2003 took three or more years of science, including physics, in high school. Even fewer (39 percent) took four or more years of math.

"Far too few college-bound students are taking even the basic course work necessary to prepare for college, let alone pushing themselves by taking higher-level courses," said Ferguson. "This is one of the reasons why college remediation and dropout rates are so high."

Results Again Include All Graduates In Colorado, Illinois

This year is the second in which scores for virtually all graduates in two states, Colorado and Illinois, were included in national totals. Both states began administering the ACT Assessment to all their public school eleventh graders in April 2001 as part of state-mandated testing. The fact that scores remained unchanged this year, despite a significant increase in the number of test-takers, is positive, said Ferguson.

"As the number of students taking the ACT Assessment has been steadily increasing over the years, we might expect the average score to decline, since we are likely adding students from a wider range of academic achievement," said Ferguson. "Instead, we have seen remarkable stability in the average ACT score."

Racial/Ethnic Minority Scores Rise

The national average Composite score rose slightly for all racial/ethnic minority groups this year for the first time since 1997. The number of students from each racial/ethnic minority group also grew significantly, from a 2 percent increase in the number of American Indian/Alaskan Native test-takers to a 13 percent spike in the Puerto Rican/Cuban/Other Hispanic students tested.

Asian American students earned the highest average ACT Composite score at 21.8 (up by 0.2 point), followed closely by Caucasian students with an average score of 21.7. Puerto Rican/Hispanic students earned an average Composite score of 19.0 (up by 0.2), followed by American Indians/Alaskan Natives at 18.7 (up by 0.1), Mexican American/Chicano students at 18.3 (up by 0.1), and African American students at 16.9 (up by 0.1).

"Our research has shown that far too many African American students are not being adequately prepared for college," said Ferguson. "They are less likely than others to take rigorous, college-preparatory courses, and they often don’t receive the information and guidance they need to properly plan for college."

Students in every racial/ethnic group category who took the core college-preparatory curriculum again earned significantly higher average Composite scores—10 to 15 percent higher—than those who did not.

"Regardless of their race or ethnic background, when students take the right courses in high school, it is reflected in their ACT scores and, thus, their preparedness for college," said Ferguson. "Parents, counselors, teachers, and administrators must have higher academic expectations for students."

Males and Females Continue To Achieve Comparable Scores

As in recent years, there was minimal difference between the average ACT scores of male and female students in 2003. For males, the average Composite score is 21.0, for females, 20.8.

Recent ACT research suggests that this difference is due to the greater number—and, thus, broader spectrum—of females who take the test: 56 percent of test-takers in the class of 2003 were female, while just 44 percent were male. In both Illinois and Colorado, where all public school students take the ACT, there was no difference in the average Composite scores earned by males and females.

Males continue to earn higher average scores than females on ACT’s mathematics and science tests, while females continue to earn higher average scores than males on the English and reading tests.