Iowa education director thinks all students should take ACT test

Iowa students continue to top the national ACT average, according to ACT's annual report released today.

ACT doesn't rank states according to scores, but Iowa came in second behind Minnesota.

“Historically, Iowa has been among the highest reporting states of the ACT tests,” Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass said. “But it's important to look at the students taking the test.”

Roughly 61 percent of Iowa's graduating seniors took the ACT last year. Of that total, 62 percent of the students were white. This was a higher percentage than Hispanic students (39 percent), African American students (34 percent) and Native American students (37 percent).

“There is a lot of room for growth in assessing college and career readiness for all Iowa students,” Glass said.

Eight states – Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wyoming – require all graduating students to take the ACT, even those who don't plan to go to college. These states have lower average composite scores than Iowa, but Glass said the results provide a more conclusive picture of student achievement.

Glass believes Iowa should adopt the ACT college entrance exam as a requirement at the high school level.

Linn-Mar Superintendent Katie Mulholland was a school administrator in Illinois when the state first had all students take the ACT. She said there was concern from educators that the 100 percent participation rate would cause scores to drop, but changes were minimal.

Illinois has since shown an upward trend. The average composite score increased from 20.5 in 2006 to 20.9 in 2011.

“I fully support all students taking the ACT,” Mulholland said. “Even though it's only one number, it's a fair benchmark of whether we're doing our job or not.”

A state-wide exam could result in more college-bound students, too. Mulholland remembers students visiting counseling offices to discuss college. These were kids who didn't think college was an option prior to taking the ACT.

“If we arm our kids with ACT scores, we might open their world to what could be,” Mulholland said.

Glass would need support from the state Legislature to make this idea of all Iowa students taking the ACT a reality. He estimates the cost would be somewhere between $1 to $2 million dollars.

Nearly 23,000 of Iowa's Class of 2011, took the ACT last year. These students achieved an average composite score of 22.3, compared to the national average of 21.1. Iowa's average composite score is slightly higher than last year's statewide composite score of 22.2, but is unchanged from 2007.

Still, it isn't the composite score that matters as much as ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks. Benchmarks are scores on the ACT subject area tests – English, reading, math and science – that specify the minimum scores needed to show a student has a 50 percent chance of earning a grade of B or higher, or about a 75 percent chance of earning a C grade or higher, in corresponding first-year college classes.

“The benchmarks are much more meaningful,” ACT spokesman Ed Colby said. “They are tired directly to a student's likely success in college.”

Thirty-one percent of Iowa test-takers met all four of ACT's college readiness benchmarks, up from 30 percent last year. Nationwide, 25 percent of students met all four benchmarks.

National average composite score: 21.1

Iowa average composite score: 22.3

Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School average composite score: 22.7

Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School average composite score: 24.2

Cedar Rapids Washington High School average composite score: 23.7

Iowa City High School average composite score: 25.1

Iowa City West High School average composite score: 25.7

Linn-Mar High School average composite score: 24.2

Prairie High School average composite score: 23.5