- REPRINT from TEA News Release
Commissioner of Education Michael Williams
announced that the 2013 composite score for all
Texas students taking the ACT college admission
test hit a new high of 20.9 according to a report
released by ACT.
In addition, the composite scores for Texas White,
Hispanic/Latino and African-American students are
at all-time highs - matching or exceeding national
composite scores in each of those student groups.
“Our state’s ongoing commitment to rigor in the
classroom is clearly evident in these national
results,” said Commissioner Williams.
“In the
coming years, the challenge will be in maintaining
this momentum which has provided a strong
foundation of success for all students, while also
offering all students greater flexibility to make
course choices.”
“The ACT data show that we continue to make
steady progress in college and career readiness,
validating our efforts to improve rigor in Texas
public schools,” said Dr. Raymund Paredes, Texas
Commissioner of Higher Education.
“As we begin
implementation of HB 5 to provide additional
flexibility in student coursework, it is imperative
that education leaders work collaboratively to
sustain a level of rigor that prepares students for
the workplace and college.”
For the Class of 2013, the number of ACT test
takers in Texas totaled 109,841. ACT tests are
administered for a number of subject areas
including English, math, reading, science and
writing (optional). Texas scores in all those areas
(excluding the optional writing test) increased
in 2013:
• English - 19.8 (compared to 19.6 in 2012)
• Reading - 21.0 (compared to 20.8 in 2012)
• Science - 20.9 (compared to 20.8 in 2012)
• Math - 21.5 (compared to 21.4 in 2012)
Williams specifically noted an increase in the math
scores for Texas students while national ACT scores
in math dropped to 20.9 (a decrease of .2). The
ACT report also showed that 48 percent of Texas
students were identified as being ready for College
Algebra compared to 44 percent of nationally-tested
students.
“We’ve seen that an emphasis on an important
core subject such as math can put Texas students
in position to succeed,” said Commissioner
Williams. “Math should continue to be a focus in
our classrooms if we expect Texas students to keep
excelling and surpassing students in other states.”
Other highlights of the Texas ACT results for the
Class of 2013 include:
• From 2012 to 2013, the Texas ACT composite
score increased .1 to 20.9, an all-time high
that equals the national composite score,
which dropped by .2 during the same period.
• The number of test takers decreased slightly,
from a record-high in 2012 of 110,180 to
109,841 in 2013.
• The 41,877 Texas Hispanic/Latino students
reported in the Class of 2013 represents
38 percent of the total tested population.
Nationally, Hispanic/Latino students represent
14 percent of the ACT-tested population.
• The 41,877 Texas Hispanic/Latino students
reported in the Class of 2013 represents an
increase in participation that is greater than
85 percent over the last five years.
• The 2013 composite score for Hispanic/Latino
students in Texas is at an all-time high of
18.8, equal to their national counterparts.
• The 2013 composite score for African-
American students in Texas is at an all-time
high of 17.6, which is .7 higher than their
national counterparts (16.9).
• The 2013 composite score for white students
in Texas is at an all-time high of 23.3, which
is 1.1 higher than their national counterparts
(22.2).Twenty percent of students (22,148)
plan on careers in health sciences and
technologies, while business and engineering
careers are tied for second at 11 percent.
Fourteen percent were undecided.
The top 10 Texas universities, in descending
order, receiving scores from Texas ACT test-takers
were: Texas A&M University; University of Texas
at Austin; Texas Tech University; Texas State
University; Baylor University; University of Texas at
San Antonio; University of Texas - Pan American;
University of North Texas; University of Houston;
and Sam Houston State University.
The entire ACT report - complete with national and
state-by-state results - can be viewed at
www.act.org/readiness/2013.
0 comments:
Post a Comment