Four years ago Annandale school officials were worried about how well students were being prepared for college after a drop in ACT college entrance exam scores. In 2006, the district’s composite score, which had always been close to the state average, seemed to be drifting away. Last month, curriculum coordinator Kathy Holahan called the small improvements made by the last few classes, especially in the area of math, heartening. Success And while scores haven’t improved by leaps and bounds, the fact is that Minnesota has posted the highest average in the nation for the past six years, and just being close to that number indicates success, she said. Annandale’s average of 22.8 among 2010 high school graduates virtually mirrors Minnesota’s average of 22.9 on a 0 to 36 scale. The average ACT score nationally was 21.1 this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education. Math was the only category in which Annandale students tested above the state average, posting a 23.7 to the state’s 22.9. "That’s impressive," Holahan said. She attributed the increase in part to the tougher demands of Minnesota’s K-12 academic standards and teachers’ response to those demands. "All of our math staff … they are realizing there is a call for increased rigor in math and science instruction, and they are paying attention," she said. Students have shown similar success in science where scores have stayed at 22.6 for the last three years, which again virtually aligns with state averages. The lowest scores posted by 2010 AHS graduates occurred on the English portion of the ACT where students’ knowledge of basic punctuation is tested. While Annandale’s 21.8 looked a little low next to the state’s 22.3, on average students were still above the college readiness benchmark for English of 18. A benchmark score is the minimum needed to indicate a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding college course. The benchmarks are 22 for math and social studies and 24 for science. While not dismissing the English portion of the test, Holahan pointed out that a student’s writing skills are a truer prediction of how he or she will do in college. "The ACT is one measure really (of a student’s education)." While the test has been shown to be a fair predictor of college readiness, there are a lot of other factors to consider, she said, including a student’s drive to do well, personal management skills and responsibility. Despite that assessment, many colleges still turn to ACT scores when considering acceptance. Others rely more heavily on the student’s entire high school experience. The ACT is an optional exam generally taken during a student’s junior year and can be taken more than once, which Holahan recommends. In Annandale, 89 students out of a graduating class of 146 took the test, which is about 61 percent. While a very high ACT score or a very low score may affect the numbers, Holahan said a school average is a pretty fair measure of how the overall class performed.
