The ACT composite score for Guilford County Schools’ Class of 2014 improved slightly from the previous graduating class as reported in the ACT’s annual report released today. The GCS average composite score increased by 0.4 points, improving from 18.2 to 18.6.

While the Class of 2014 took the ACT as juniors, the composite score of 18.6 reflects scores for the graduating seniors who took the ACT at any point during high school. This data includes any student who elected to retake the ACT on their own. If a student took the test more than once in high school, only the last score is included in the report.

Final numbers of all Class of 2014 graduates (includes students who took the ACT again on their own as a senior):

North Carolina selected the ACT as its new college readiness measure for high schools because it is a curriculum-based achievement test consisting of four separate exams in English, reading, mathematics and science as well as an optional writing assessment. The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36 with 36 being the highest possible composite score.  

“Because it’s a curriculum-based test, teachers are able to embed preparation for the ACT in daily instruction, using questions and scenarios that align with this college-readiness exam,” said Dibrelle Tourret, executive director of academically gifted. “In addition, since students take the PLAN, a prep test similar to the ACT, as sophomores, teachers can use these data to target areas of strengths and weakness to better support students as they prepare for the ACT.”

Several high schools offer a full credit prep course for the ACT and all high schools offer one of several prep options for students. 

The Strategic Plan 2016: Achieving Educational Excellence: Personalizing Learning focuses on increasing ACT composite scores from 18.0 to 20.0 by 2016.