The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama recently published a study showing that Alabama public high school students’ ACT scores went down slightly in 2018, with a 19.1 average score on a 36-point scale.
This decrease is minimal. In 2017, Alabama students average a 19.2 score on a 36-point scale.
According to the study, Alabama ACT scores have remained steady over the past four years, only slightly going up and down. The lowest of those years was in 2016, where the average was an 18.8 score.
Alabama is one of 17 states that gives the ACT to all public high school students, regardless on their intent to apply for college. The state had a higher percentage of enrolled seniors and students of color take the test in 2018 compared to previous years.
Out of the 17 states that require students to take the ACT, Alabama ranks 13th on scores, tying with North Carolina.
The studied also showed that 85 out of 137 school systems in Alabama have raised their average test scores since 2015.
