News Release
For Immediate Release August 18, 2010
Contact: Charles Pyle, Director of Communications (804) 371-2420
Julie C. Grimes, Communications Manager, (804) 225-2775
Virginia public high school graduates achieved significantly higher scores on the ACT this year, and the number of public school seniors in the commonwealth taking the college-admissions examination continued to grow.
Public school students in the commonwealth improved in all subjects and achieved a composite score of 22.1, compared with 21.0 for public school graduates nationwide. The five Virginia graduates who achieved perfect scores on the ACT were all public school students.
Participation in ACT testing among Virginia public school graduates increased seven percent. During 2010, 16,118 of Virginia’s graduating public school seniors took the ACT, compared with 15,113 in 2009.
"Virginia students keep doing better on the ACT even though year by year, the pool of test takers becomes less and less exclusive," Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said. "This speaks to the continuing effectiveness of the Standards of Learning and the commonwealth’s system of accountability and support for public education.”
Virginia Public School Average ACT Scores |
||||||||||
Year |
English |
Mathematics |
Reading |
Science |
Composite |
|||||
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
|
| 2006 | 20.4 | 20.6 | 20.9 | 20.8 | 21.2 | 21.4 | 20.7 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 21.1 |
| 2007 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 21.1 | 21.0 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.2 | 21.2 |
| 2008 | 21.3 | 20.6 | 21.7 | 21.0 | 22.0 | 21.4 | 21.3 | 20.8 | 21.7 | 21.1 |
| 2009 | 21.4 | 20.6 | 21.7 | 21.0 | 22.1 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 20.9 | 21.8 | 21.1 |
| 2010 | 21.7 | 20.5 | 22.0 | 21.0 | 22.3 | 21.3 | 21.9 | 20.9 | 22.1 | 21.0 |
The percentage of Virginia public school students meeting ACT college-readiness benchmarks was seven or more points higher than the percentage nationwide. The benchmarks identify students who are prepared for success in first-year college English composition, algebra and biology.
Percentage of Public School Students Meeting |
||||||||||
Year |
English |
Mathematics |
Reading |
Science |
Meeting all 4 |
|||||
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
|
| 2005 | 69 | 68 | 40 | 41 | 50 | 51 | 24 | 26 | 19 | 21 |
| 2006 | 68 | 69 | 43 | 42 | 52 | 53 | 26 | 27 | 21 | 21 |
| 2007 | 70 | 69 | 44 | 43 | 53 | 53 | 29 | 28 | 23 | 23 |
| 2008 | 73 | 68 | 49 | 43 | 57 | 53 | 32 | 28 | 26 | 22 |
| 2009 | 73 | 67 | 48 | 42 | 58 | 53 | 33 | 28 | 27 | 23 |
| 2010 | 74 | 66 | 52 | 43 | 59 | 52 | 37 | 29 | 31 | 24 |
ACT results are reported on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest possible score. ACT describes increases in achievement in a state’s average score of 0.1 point or greater as statistically significant.
The overall composite score for Virginia high school graduates – public, private and homeschooled – was 22.3, compared with 21.0 for graduates nationwide. Twenty-two percent of all 2010 Virginia graduates took the ACT, up from 19 percent the year before.
Virginia All School Average ACT Scores |
||||||||||
Year |
English |
Mathematics |
Reading |
Science |
Composite |
|||||
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
VA |
US |
|
| 2006 | 20.6 | 20.6 | 21.0 | 20.8 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 20.7 | 20.9 | 21.1 | 21.1 |
| 2007 | 21.0 | 20.7 | 21.2 | 21.0 | 21.7 | 21.5 | 21.1 | 21.0 | 21.4 | 21.2 |
| 2008 | 21.5 | 20.6 | 21.8 | 21.0 | 22.2 | 21.4 | 21.3 | 20.8 | 21.8 | 21.1 |
| 2009 | 21.7 | 20.6 | 21.8 | 21.0 | 22.3 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 20.9 | 21.9 | 21.1 |
| 2010 | 22.0 | 20.5 | 22.1 | 21.0 | 22.5 | 21.3 | 21.9 | 20.9 | 22.3 | 21.0 |
While the number of Virginia students taking the ACT continues to grow, the SAT remains the dominant college-admissions test in the commonwealth.
SAT results for 2010 will be released by the College Board and the Virginia Department of Education later this month.
Printer-Friendly Version (PDF)
View VDOE's Expenses