For Immediate Release
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Contact:Heidi Guarino 781-338-3106 or JC Considine 781-338-3112

Massachusetts Graduates Outscore Nation on 2010 ACT

MALDEN - Massachusetts students in the class of 2010 outscored the nation on a nationally recognized college readiness assessment, the Patrick-Murray Administration announced today. According to results of the 2010 ACT exam the state's students scored an average composite score of 24.0 out of a possible 36, up slightly from last year's average of 23.9 and higher than the national average of 21. On the four subject area tests, the state scored first in the nation on English (24.0), Mathematics (24.3), and Reading (24.2), and tied for first in Science with New York (23.1). "Our students once again make me proud," said Governor Deval Patrick. "Today's news is more confirmation of the great things our students and educators can achieve." "Our students' performance on the ACT demonstrates that Massachusetts again leads the nation when it comes to achievement and preparing students for success in postsecondary education," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. While the ACT is traditionally used more widely elsewhere in the country for college admission purposes, participation continues to grow in the East Coast. In Massachusetts, 14,736 graduates (21 percent) in the class of 2010 took the ACT, up from 18 percent last year for the class of 2009. Conversely, 72 percent of students in the class of 2009 took the SAT. "The ACT is a predictor of success in college, and I am pleased to see that Massachusetts students continue to score high in comparison to their peers nationally," said Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester. "At the same time, we recognize that too many students are still caught in the achievement gap. We are committed to providing the necessary educational program so that all students, regardless of their background, are ready for success after high school." The ACT sets its own college readiness benchmarks as a predictive measure of success in college and beyond. According to the 2010 results, 41 percent of Massachusetts graduates in the class of 2010 who took the exam met ACT's readiness benchmarks in all four subjects, up from 39 percent last year and 36 percent in 2008. Nationally, 24 percent of students met all four benchmarks. For more information about the ACT, visit www.act.org.



Last Updated: August 18, 2010



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