Source: DPI
The average Wisconsin student’s score on the ACT college entrance exam was down during the last school year, although state education officials say it’s not a surprise.
The 2015-16 school year marked the first time all graduating high school students took the exam. Wisconsin’s average score was 20.5, compared to the national average of 20.8. It marked a drop of 1.7 points from the previous school year, when only 73-percent of graduating seniors took the ACT.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers said the results are a “solid starting place” for the state. “By administering the ACT as part of our statewide testing program, we are assessing for college and career readiness. That’s a high bar, but it’s what employers and postsecondary schools tell us is required for high school graduates to be successful. These results represent achievement for all students, not just those headed to college who took the ACT in prior years,” Evers said in a statement.
Overall, Wisconsin’s average score on the test was 29th in the nation. Among the 19 states that require all students to take the test though, Wisconsin ranked fourth, coming in behind Minnesota, Illinois, and Colorado.