College Readiness Continues to Lag in Some Subjects and Racial/Ethnic Disparities Persist, 2006 ACT Scores Suggest

National results from the 2006 ACT tests released in August show that, although college readiness as measured by ACT scores rose this year, large numbers of graduating high school students continue to be unprepared for college. More than half of all tested students failed to meet the college readiness benchmark on ACT math and science tests, and African American, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaskan native students lag significantly behind Caucasian American and Asian American/Pacific Islander students in scores on all four tests.

ACT tests cover key academic areas of English, reading, math, and science; college readiness benchmark scores mark the level at which students are likely to succeed in commonly taken college courses. More than 1.2 million students took the ACT tests this year.

FINDINGS

College Readiness

• Forty-two percent of tested students met or exceeded the college readiness benchmark on the ACT math test, indicating that they have a high probability of earning a C or higher and a 50 percent chance of earning a B or higher in college algebra.
• Only 27 percent met or exceeded the benchmark on the ACT science test, indicating that they are ready to succeed in college biology.
• Fifty-three percent met or exceeded the benchmark on the ACT reading test, indicating that they are ready to succeed in first-year college social science courses.
• Sixty-nine percent met or exceeded the benchmark on the ACT English test, indicating that they are ready to succeed in college composition.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities

• Only 11 percent of African American students, 23 percent of American Indian/Alaskan native students, and 25 percent of Hispanic students met or exceeded ACT’s math benchmark, compared to 48 percent of Caucasian American students and 60 percent of Asian American/Pacific Islander students.
• Only 5 percent of African American students, 12 percent of Hispanic students, 15 percent of American Indian/Alaskan native students met or exceeded ACT’s science benchmark; 32 percent of Caucasian American students and 34 percent of Asian American/Pacific Islander students met or exceeded the benchmark.
• Twenty-two percent of African American students, 34 percent of Hispanic students, 38 percent of American Indian/Alaskan native students, 56 percent of Asian American/Pacific Islander students, and 61 percent of Caucasian American students met or exceeded ACT’s reading benchmark.
• Thirty-eight percent of African American students, 48 percent of Hispanic students, 50 percent of American Indian/Alaskan native students, 72 percent of Asian American/Pacific Islander students, and 77 percent of Caucasian American students met or exceeded ACT’s English benchmark.

More information about the 2006 national and state ACT scores is available on ACT’s Web site.  

DID YOU KNOW?

• About 45 percent of the students tested said that they aspire to pursue graduate study or a professional degree after college.

• Only 21 percent of students met or exceeded the college readiness benchmark scores on all four ACT tests.

• Only 3 percent of African American students, 9 percent of Hispanic students, and 10 percent of American Indian/Alaskan native students met or exceeded the benchmarks on all four tests.