Mean Act Scores by High School Site
Background
With the passage of the “Oklahoma 2000 Education Challenge Act” in May of 1989, the state of Oklahoma affirmed a commitment to promoting excellence in the education of Oklahoma children. The act established that the State Board of Education publish annually a summary report of information provided by the Oklahoma Educational Indicators Project. The purpose of this program is to develop and implement a system of measures or indicators of educational performance. The act also mandated that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) cooperate in the annual publication of this report. The State Regents, with the cooperation of the State Department of Education and other agencies, has participated in the development of indicators of comparative educational standing and accomplishment. The High School Indicators Project reports on: (1) ACT scores, (2) college-going rates, (3) college credit hours and GPA, and (4) developmental education (remediation) rates (beginning in 1995). In compliance with Senate Bill No. 183, the State Regents will transmit these data to the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.The Mean ACT Scores of the High School Indicators Project provides the mean ACT scores of Oklahoma high school graduates.
Mean ACT Scores by Oklahoma High School Site
According to ACT, 1,845,787 high school graduates across the United States took the test. Oklahoma high school graduates, with a valid Oklahoma high school code, represent 29,995 of these test-takers. Approximately 75% of the Oklahoma graduating class of 2014 took the ACT at least once.
Oklahoma’s 2014 senior class scored an average composite score of 21.0, which is one-tenth of a point lower than the previous year. The state’s score in mathematics (20.2) and science (21.1) decreased by one-tenth of a point, while the English score (20.4) decreased two-tenths of a point. Reading (21.8) remained unchanged from the previous year. District composite scores range from a high 32.4 to a low of 13.1.
Oklahoma Mean ACT Scores (Five-Year Trend) Based on Highest Score
| Year | Number of Students Tested | English | Math | Reading | Science | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 26,665 | 20.5 | 20.1 | 21.6 | 21.0 | 20.9 |
| 2011 | 27,639 | 20.5 | 20.0 | 21.7 | 21.0 | 20.9 |
| 2012 | 28,597 | 20.5 | 20.2 | 21.7 | 21.1 | 21.0 |
| 2013 | 28,118 | 20.5 | 20.3 | 21.8 | 21.2 | 21.1 |
| 2014 | 29,995 | 20.3 | 20.2 | 21.8 | 21.1 | 21.0 |
Source: ACT Inc.
Statewide, 47% of the students taking the ACT fail to score 19 or higher on the Mathematics portion of the exam, and this subject remains an area of weakness in Oklahoma student preparation. On the other hand, many Oklahoma students are taking more challenging courses that better prepare them for college. In 2014, 66% of Oklahoma’s test-takers took the ACT college preparatory core curriculum.
Data for all 2014 high school graduates by county, high school site, and district can be viewed by clicking on the following link: 2014 Mean ACT Scores. Additional high school graduate years can be viewed by selecting the appropriate links provided on the Oklahoma State Regents’ website.
Measuring College Readiness
The ACT test is a measure of educational development. Performance on the test is influenced by the student’s educational experiences. The ACT Corporation cautions against using the ACT test scores in isolation from other measures to infer the overall quality of schools and education within a state. Specifically, the ACT tests are designed to measure high school students’ educational development as related to their readiness to pursue further study at the college level.
Many Oklahoma students fail to meet ACT’s College Readiness Benchmark Scores which measure the number of ACT-tested graduates that will likely be ready for college level work. Less than 25% of the 2014 Oklahoma ACT tested graduates meet all four benchmarks as indicated in the graph. A benchmark score is the minimum score needed in a subject area for a student to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit bearing college course.
Methodology
The State Regents compute the mean ACT composite and subject scores for the state of Oklahoma for each individual high school site. This computation is based on the highest composite test score of those who took the ACT more than one time. ACT, Inc. calculates the mean ACT composite score on the last test score. Therefore, the computed mean ACT scores by OSRHE and ACT, Inc. are not comparable. The rationale for using the highest score is that Oklahoma higher education policies rely on ACT scores and other relevant data in making some admissions and course placement decisions for the student. Consequently, the highest score more accurately reflects actual use of these data.
The student’s ACT score is credited to the high school where the highest score was earned. If the high school code does not match a valid Oklahoma high school site, then the score is excluded.
For high schools with five or fewer ACT test-takers, an asterisk was entered to comply with the federal privacy act. For more information on ACT Scores or questions, contact Kathy Spengler at 405.225.9100 or kspengler@osrhe.edu.