News Release

For Immediate Release:  August 22, 2012
Contact:  Charles Pyle, Director of Communications, (804) 371-2420
                 Julie C. Grimes, Communications Manager, (804) 225-2775

Virginia Students Outperform National Peers on ACT

Number Taking College-Admissions Test Continues to Grow

Virginia public high school graduates outperformed their peers nationwide by a significant margin on the ACT this year, and the number of public school seniors in the commonwealth taking the college-admissions examination continued to grow.

Mirroring last year’s results, the state’s public school students achieved a composite score of 22.2, compared with 21.1 for public school graduates nationwide.

During 2012, participation in ACT testing among Virginia public school graduates increased more than 5 percent: 18,298 of Virginia’s graduating public school seniors took the ACT, compared with 17,351 in 2011.

Virginia public school students showed a slight increase in mathematics achievement with a composite score of 22.2 compared to 22.1 in 2011.

Virginia Public School Average ACT Scores

Year	English		Mathematics		Reading		Science		Composite
Year	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US
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
2011	21.8	20.6	22.1	21.1	22.5	21.3	21.8	20.9	22.2	21.1
2012	21.8	20.5	22.2	21.1	22.5	21.3	21.8	20.9	22.2	21.1

The percentage of Virginia public school students meeting ACT college-readiness benchmarks was six or more points higher than the percentage nationwide. The benchmarks identify students who are prepared for success in first-year college English composition, reading, algebra and biology.

“As Virginia continues to implement new and more rigorous Standards of Learning in mathematics, English and science, I expect to see our students demonstrate additional progress in meeting ACT’s college readiness benchmarks,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said.

The state’s public school students showed one-point increases this year in college-ready benchmarks in mathematics, reading and science, as well as the percent meeting all four, benchmarks, and remained the same as last year in English.

Percentage of Public School Students Meeting ACT College-Readiness Benchmarks

Year	English		Mathematics		Reading		Science		Meeting all 4
Year	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US
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
2011	74	66	54	45	60	52	36	30	31	25
2012	74	67	55	46	61	52	37	31	32	25

ACT results are reported on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest possible score. All of the seven Virginia graduates who achieved perfect scores on the ACT were public school students.

The overall composite score for Virginia high school graduates – public, private and homeschooled – was 22.4, compared with 21.1 for graduates nationwide. Twenty-five percent of all 2012 Virginia graduates took the ACT, up from 24 percent the year before.

Virginia All Students School Average ACT Scores

Year	English		Mathematics		Reading		Science		Composite
Year	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US
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
2011	22.1	20.6	22.2	21.1	22.7	21.3	21.8	20.9	22.3	21.1
2012	22.1	20.5	22.3	21.1	22.7	21.3	21.9	20.9	22.4	21.1

Percentage of All Virginia Students Meeting ACT College-Readiness Benchmarks

Year	English		Mathematics		Reading		Science		Meeting all 4
Year	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US	VA	US
2008	74	68	50	43	58	53	32	28	26	22
2009	74	67	49	42	59	53	33	28	27	23
2010	76	66	53	43	61	52	37	29	31	24
2011	76	66	55	45	61	52	36	30	32	25
2012	76	67	56	46	63	52	38	31	33	25

While the number of Virginia students taking the ACT continues to grow, the SAT remains the dominant college-admissions test in the commonwealth.

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