Ohio ACT Scores Lag Behind Falling National Average

ACT math scores hit a 14-year low in the U.S. in 2018, and Ohio students are a big part of the decline.

“The negative trend in math readiness is a red flag for our country, given the growing importance of math and science skills in the increasingly tech-driven US and global job market,” said ACT CEO Marten Roorda. “It is vital that we turn this trend around for the next generation and make sure students are learning the math skills they need for success in college and career.”

The ACT is an entrance exam commonly used by colleges and universities across the U.S. The test is used alongside the SAT at most institutions. A perfect score on the ACT is 36, achieved by acing different sections on English, reading, math, science and an optional writing exam.

More than 1.9 million graduating students took the ACT, which is more than half of the class of 2018. The U.S. average score on the ACT in 2018 was 20.8. That's down from 21 in 2017. Buckeye State students averaged a score of 20.3 in 2018. That's a stiff drop from 2017's composite score of 22.

It appears the biggest drop in performance came on the math section of the ACT. Only about 40 percent of 2018 graduates met the College Readiness Benchmark on math. Only 38 percent of Ohioans hit the benchmark, according to ACT results.

The average ACT math test score was 20.5, the lowest composite score on the test in 20 years. Last year, students got a 20.7 on the math section of the test, the ACT organization said.

“Innovation is important in improving educational outcomes,” said Roorda. “One big step we can take is to make sure that our learning resources are designed in a way that is more personalized and better fits this generation’s way of consuming information. ACT is committing significant research and resources to this effort.”

The ACT company provided a list of recommendations to states where students continue to struggle in math and on the test overall:

• Give educators the resources they need to help improve educational outcomes.
• Assess student learning and implement improvement strategies starting early in students’ educational careers.
• Provide equitable resources for underserved students.
• Ensure that students’ education is holistic and addresses the needs of the “whole learner.”
• Collect, handle, and use assessment data responsibly, with special attention to maintaining its security and quality.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

Photo from Shutterstock