ACT scores climb, but not college readiness

Six years after Illinois required that all high school juniors take a college entrance exam, state ACT scores plateaued at last year's record high and more students graduated equipped for college.

Yet, less than a quarter of Illinois' Class of 2007 could score at least a C in core intro-level college courses, according to information released today.

The findings reveal a nagging disconnect between what students learn in high school and what they need to know to perform well in college. State officials, test administrators and local educators Tuesday described a fault line in education that warrants "cause for concern."

"I look at ACT scores for the past couple of years and they are trending upward. That is an important component," said Jay Sabatino, superintendent of Antioch-Lake Villa High School District 117. "The flip side is 'am I satisfied with that?' The answer is no."

Illinois students averaged 20.5 on the 36-point test, edging up from the 20.2 reported five years ago. Statewide, 68 teens scored 36 compared with 33 perfect scores in 2006.

This comes as a record 140,483 Illinois teens sat through the three-hour exam.

Just 21 percent of high school graduates hit benchmarks that gauge a student's readiness for college, up from 19 percent in 2003.

Hispanic and black high schoolers fared worse. They trailed Asian and white students in each subject tested -- math, science, reading and English -- and graduated less equipped for college.

Just three percent of black students and seven percent of Hispanic teens could succeed academically in all four subjects compared with 28 percent of white high schoolers and 35 percent of Asian students, according to the report.

Students enrolled in more challenging classes netted higher scores -- 3.5 points higher, research shows -- than those who took less than four years of English and three years of math, science and social studies.

"It's not only the years of science," Illinois School Superintendent Christopher Koch said. "It's what they take in science. It's the biology, chemistry and physics."

That Illinois trails the nation is due, in large part, to testing every high school junior beginning in 2001. Colorado also tested all 2007 graduates. Michigan included the ACT in its battery of state exams this spring. Kentucky and Wyoming will begin universal testing in 2008.

Educators say improvement comes down to a renewed focus on high school achievement, stiffer graduation requirements and better data to shape instruction.

"When you see serious increases in the test, there are real increases in learning," said Chuck Venegoni, who chairs the English department and analyzes test data at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. "It does require a concerted effort."