Information Brief 2012-6
ACT College Readiness Benchmark Attainment in Mathematics by Race/Ethnicity and Income
The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks indicate readiness for credit-bearing first-year college coursework in English, reading, mathematics, and science. In mathematics, 45% of ACT-tested 2011 high school graduates met the ACT College Readiness Benchmark, while 66% met the Benchmark in English, 52% met the Benchmark in reading, and 30% met the Benchmark in science. The following chart shows how ACT-tested 2011 high school graduates’ college readiness in mathematics varies with family income and race/ethnicity.
Percentage Meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks by Race/Ethnicity and Income—Mathematics
| Race/Ethnicity | % Meeting Benchmark | % Near Benchmark | % ≥ 3 pts below the Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 88 | 4 | 8 |
| White | 70 | 9 | 21 |
| Hispanic | 61 | 9 | 30 |
| African American | 37 | 9 | 54 |
| Race/Ethnicity | % Meeting Benchmark | % Near Benchmark | % ≥ 3 pts below the Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 74 | 7 | 19 |
| White | 52 | 11 | 37 |
| Hispanic | 39 | 10 | 51 |
| African American | 20 | 9 | 71 |
| Race/Ethnicity | % Meeting Benchmark | % Near Benchmark | % ≥ 3 pts below the Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 57 | 9 | 34 |
| White | 32 | 11 | 57 |
| Hispanic | 22 | 9 | 69 |
| African American | 9 | 5 | 86 |
Note: Based on data from 1,109,900 ACT-tested 2011 high school graduates in these racial/ethnic groups who reported family income. This count reflects a nonresponse rate of about 24% for these groups and may not be representative of the underlying population of ACT-tested high school graduates.
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