Iowa's ACT scores still high, but college readiness a problem

Iowa's composite ACT score remains among the highest in the nation at 22.2 - 1.2 points higher than the national average of 21.

Only Minnesota has a higher score - 22.9 - among states where more than 50 percent of students take the college-entrance exam, according to a College and Career Readiness Report released today by ACT.

Iowa's average has gone up and down during the past four years, ending one-tenth of a point higher than the 2006 average.

“In terms of other states, Iowa is doing well, but we still see a lot of room for growth,” ACT spokesman Ed Colby said.

Despite the high composite score, the report found that only 30 percent of the 22,943 Iowa high school students who took the test in 2010 met benchmarks indicating they were prepared for college-level courses in English, math, reading and science. The percentage of prepared students is higher than the national rate of 24 percent, but Colby said the numbers were cause for concern.

“We still have a lot of students out there not graduating with all the skills they need to succeed in first-year college coursework,” he said.

Cedar Rapids schools recently began requiring students to take more credits in core subjects to better prepare them for college, said Sandy Stephen, the district's executive administrator for secondary education.

The changes may be paying off, as Cedar Rapids Washington High School set a school record this year with a composite ACT score of 25.

“Cedar Rapids students typically outperform students in the state and nation,” Stephen said.

Iowa City schools also recently increased credit requirements for students to graduate, said Assistant Superintendent Ann Feldman.

Colby was optimistic that Iowa's recent adoption of the Common Core curriculum would help improve the percentage of students ready for college classes. The Common Core is a set of national education benchmarks that ACT helped develop.

“The idea behind the Common Core is that we'll have standards linked to college readiness that will be shared hopefully by most states,” Colby said.