Adair County students are making improvements in all subject areas but still have some work to do to reach the benchmark for college readiness.
Of the 45,379 students tested in Kentucky for the ACT, 174 were 11th grade Adair County students with balanced grades in every subject. According to Adair’s ACT Profile Report, the Kentucky average is 19.5 while Adair County’s is 18.8. The highest composite score one can get is a 36.
“We are very pleased that this year’s ACT scores are up in all areas–English, math, reading, and science–and the overall composite score also improved from the previous year,” stated Academic Dean Phyllis Curry.
This year’s score for Adair was a slight increase from last year’s average of 18.1. Average ACT scores showed English scores of 18.2 for Adair and 19 in Kentucky, mathematics scores were 18.4 for Adair and 19 in Kentucky, reading scores were 18.7 in Adair and 19.9 in Kentucky, and science scores were 19.4 in Adair and 19.8 in Kentucky.
“English scores are the highest in five years and science scores improved the most from the previous year. There have been lots of instructional changes made across the district in the past couple of years and we are starting to see the results of those changes,” said Curry.
With these instructional changes, half of Adair students tested met college benchmarks for English. The percentages were lower in other fields.
With 55 percent reaching the benchmark in English, 18 percent in mathematics, 26 percent in reading and 24 percent in science, only nine percent of them reached the benchmark that declared them as college ready.
“It is important to note reports from ACT are based on ACT benchmarks and not the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education benchmarks used by (Kentucky Department of Education) for accountability purposes,” Curry said. “The ACT is only one measure of accountability for Kentucky’s schools.”
Curry said all of Adair County schools have a clear focus on not only getting students prepared for college, but also careers after they leave high school.
