Notheast News
August 29, 2012 

Although Kansas City Public Schools made gains in some of its ACT composite scores, the scores remain relatively low.

For the 2011-2012 school year, students at Central High School earned a 14.4 composite score out of 36 points; East High School, 14.4; Lincoln College Prep, 22.2; Northeast High School, 14.8; Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts, 16.1; and Southwest Early College Campus, 16.

As a state, Missouri’s average ACT composite score was 21.6, compared to the national average of 21.1. Twenty-nine students in Missouri scored a perfect 36 in 2012. Massachusetts ranked No. 1 for its average ACT composite score of 24.1.

The ACT tests students in four areas: English, math, reading and science. ACT determines a college readiness benchmark score for each subject, which includes English, 18; math, 22; reading, 21; and science, 24. In Missouri, 27 percent of students who took the ACT met all four benchmarks. In comparison, 29 percent of Kansas students met all four benchmarks; 25 percent met the benchmarks in Illinois; and 30 percent met the benchmarks in Iowa.

In 2012, 75 percent of Missouri’s high school graduates took the ACT, up 4 percent from last year. As a nation, the number of students taking the ACT is also rising. However, ACT reports that 60 precent of those students “met no more than two of the four benchmarks” and are “at risk of not succeeding in college and career.” Only 25 percent of students taking the ACT nationally met all four readiness benchmarks.

ACT Composite Scores

Independence

Truman – 22.3 average composite ACT
William Chrisman – 21.2
Van Horn – 18

Kansas City

ACE – 16.5
Central – 14.4
East – 14.4
Lincoln – 22.2
Northeast – 14.8
Paseo – 16.1
Southwest – 16

Liberty

Liberty – 23.3
Liberty North – 23.3

North Kansas City

N. Kansas City – 20.8
Oak Park – 21.4
Winnetonka – 20.3
Staley – 21.7