by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Once again, Sartell students out-performed their national and state peers in the last round of American College Testing scores. The latest scores on the tests, taken last school year, were not only good news for Sartell-St. Stephen but also for the state.
The ACT consists of exams in English, reading, math and science, and test results are often used as determinants of a student’s readiness for college work. They can also help students gain access to various kinds of financial aid, including grants, scholarships and loans.
The students in Sartell had an average score of 24.4, compared to a statewide average of 22.9 and a national average of 21.0. The students exceeded averages for all four benchmark categories: English, reading, math and science.
The highest ACT score possible is 36.
Not only did students in the Sartell-St. Stephen School District outperform averages of the state and national test-takers, they also had a higher-than-average number of students taking the ACT.
Since 2006, Minnesota has had the highest national ACT average.
“The students from the Sartell-St. Stephen School District continue to perform well above the state average, which shows the dedication of our students, families, staff and community have toward college and career readiness,” said Sartell-St. Stephen School District Superintendent Jeff Schwiebert in a press release. “Statewide, 39 percent of students met all four benchmarks, the highest in the nation. Within the Sartell-St. Stephen School District, 49 percent of the students who took the exam met all four benchmarks.”
Schwiebert noted in the coming school years, all juniors in Minnesota will take the ACT during regular school hours because new state legislation has strengthened a renewed focus on the importance of college and post-high-school readiness.
