Students from the West Bend School District class of 2016 outperformed the state and national average on the ACT, according to information released from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The WBSD composite score for the class of 2016 was 21.0.

This is a historical year for ACT results in Wisconsin, as it’s the first time that 100 percent of its graduates took the ACT; Wisconsin joined 19 other states that administer the college admissions exam to all public school graduates.  Of the 527 WBSD students from the class of 2016, 56 percent scored above the state average of 20.5, and 7.3 percent earned a score above 30; the highest score earned by a WBSD student from the class of 2016 was 35. The national average ACT score is 20.8.

“With all students now taking the ACT, the information obtained from the assessment will be utilized by staff and students to prepare all students for college and career success,” said Erik Olson, Superintendent of the West Bend School District.

The ACT consists of curriculum-based tests of educational development in English, mathematics, reading, and science designed to measure the skills needed for success in the first year of college coursework.

“ACT results for our 2016 graduates represent the most comprehensive look at college and career readiness we have ever seen,” said Tony Evers, State Superintendent of Schools. “By testing all public school students we are opening the doors to opportunities for college and careers.”

Since 2015, the ACT has been a component of the Wisconsin State Assessment System (WSAS). As such, the  ACT is now administered to all students during their junior year of high school with the exception of students identified with significant cognitive disabilities.  These students are assessed with Dynamic Learning Maps, an alternate assessment.

Table 1: Four-Year Trend of ACT Scores