Hawaii ACT scores remain steady
Staff and news reports
Hawaii scores on the ACT college entrance exam showed no improvement over last year but still remained above nationwide averages despite the biggest national increase in 20 years.
Students who graduated from Hawaii high schools in spring got an average composite score of 21.9 on the test out of 36 possible points, the same as the Class of 2005.
Only 17 percent of Hawaii's graduating seniors, or 2,260 students, took the test in 2006. That's a slightly higher share than the 16 percent that took the exam the year before.
Hawaii's ACT English scores rose slightly to 21.2 from 21.0 the year before. Hawaii's ACT mathematics and reading scores were flat, while its science scores fell slightly.
Hawaii students applying to college are more likely to take the SAT exam. Most colleges accept either the SAT or ACT when considering an application. SAT results for the Class of 2006 will be released later this month.
Nationally, the ACT scores of 2006 graduates showed their biggest jump in 20 years, pushing scores to their highest level since 1991.
The average score nationally for the 2006 graduating class was 21.1, up from 20.9 in both 2005 and 2004, and 20.8 in the two previous years, according to the annual report of ACT.
Officials at the independent, nonprofit ACT said an increase of 0.2 points is significant when considered across a record 1.2 million test-takers nationwide, or 40 percent of graduating seniors.
The Associated Press and the New York Times contributed to this report.