In Minnesota, the most commonly taken standardized college entrance exam is the ACT. Seventy-two percent of Minnesota high school graduates in 2011 took the assessment.
Minnesota's average composite score of 22.9 was the highest in the nation among the 27 states in which more than half the college-bound students took the test in 2011. Minnesota has led the nation in average composite ACT scores for seven consecutive years. The national composite score was 21.1.
The underlying data correlating student preparation and characteristics to test scores indicate that:
- Students who take rigorous high school courses consistently perform better on the ACT.
- Minnesota students are not as ready as they could be for college level work, especially in mathematics and science.
- Achievement and test participation gaps persist for students of color.
College Readiness
College preparatory classes taken in high school are positively correlated with high ACT test scores. Of the 29 states where at least 40 percent of all 2011 high school graduates took the ACT, Minnesota was the only state where more than half of the graduates met at least three of the four College Readiness Benchmarks.
Reports released by ACT emphasize the need for students to take a specific sequence of courses in secondary school to be ready for college and work beyond high school. For over 20 years ACT has recommended that high school students take a certain number of courses in high school to be ready for college. ACT stresses the need for high school students to take challenging courses.
ACT has identified the courses listed below as contributing most to college readiness and considers them the minimum college preparatory curriculum. New Minnesota high school graduation standards implemented for students graduating in 2010, with additional requirements for those graduating in 2015, will be in alignment with the ACT recommended core curriculum:
- Four years of English
- Algebra 1, algebra 2 and geometry
- Biology, chemistry, and physics
In addition, ACT found that taking a course such as speech, in addition to English in grades nine through 12, improved students college readiness. Foreign language courses also improved student's English language readiness. One (or more) mathematics course such as trigonometry, pre-calculus, or calculus in high school boosted college-readiness in mathematics.
More Minnesota test-takers in 2011 took the minimal (or higher) ACT-recommended high school course sequence in each of the four subject areas compared to last year. Since 2007 the number of test-takers taking the minimum core or more courses in high school has increased from 54 percent of test-takers to 86 percent. Even so, only 36 percent of Minnesota students were considered college-ready in all four subjects areas tested (English, mathematics, science and social science) as determined by their test scores compared to 25 percent nationally. A direct correlation can be made between ACT scores and the number of core college preparatory courses taken by students.
ACT Mean Composite Scores in Minnesota and Nationally for the School Years Ending 2002 to 2011
About the Test
Seventy-two percent of Minnesota high school graduates in 2011 took the assessment. The number of Minnesota test takers increased from 44,323 in 2010 to 44,952 in 2011. Some students took the test in their junior year, some took it during their senior year, and some took it in both years or twice in one academic year. For students who took the test multiple times, only the most recent score was included in this analysis.
The ACT test comprises four subject areas: English, reading, mathematics, science and an optional writing test. The ACT assessment helps colleges determine how well students are prepared for college. Colleges use the ACT scores for student admissions, advising, and placement. Minnesota's state universities generally require a composite score of 21 or higher for admission. The highest possible ACT score is 36 and in 2011, 28 Minnesota students achieved a perfect composite score; meaning they scored a 36 in all four subject areas.
A perfect score was achieved in the following subject tests by Minnesota test takers:
- 175 in English
- 230 in Mathematics
- 382 in Reading
- 207 in Science
The ACT assessment reveals helpful information only about the 70 percent of aspiring college students in Minnesota high schools who took the test. It reveals nothing about the 30 percent of high school graduates who never took the test. Some states, including Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wyoming require all (or nearly all) of their high school seniors to take the assessment.
The ACT results are more representative of Minnesota than the SAT. Only about 10 percent of Minnesota college bound seniors take the SAT, compared to 46 percent nationally. Minnesota students taking the SAT are typically applying to selective out-of-state colleges.
ACT releases only national and selected state data. For local school or district information, contact the school district. For more information about ACT, visit www.act.org.
