The Clinton County school district received some positive news recently, primarily at the high school, when last year’s ACT (American College Testing) scores were released.

The ACT, the standardized test that measures high school students’ readiness for higher education at the college level, was taken in 2011 by all juniors (this year’s seniors) at Clinton County High School, and the increase in scores in all subject areas showed a dramatic increase from prior years.

As a whole, local students’ composite average was 18.6, just two tenths of a percent lower than the state average of 18.8. However, more importantly, it was a 1.8 point increase from the 16.8 composite score the district posted in 2010.

Statewide, some 44,053 students were tested, with 107 of those being CCHS juniors.

In one of the four subject areas tested–English–local students scored a point higher than the state, at 18.1 with the state average in English being an even 18. Again, more importantly, the increase in reading skills on the scoring system was up by 2.5 points, from the 15.6 in reading the prior testing year.

Local students also increased efficiency in math by 1.5, going from a 16.7 composite in 2010 to 18.2 this past year, just three points under the 18.5 state average.

Gains in reading were also significant, with the past year’s composite in Clinton County standing at 18.6, 1.9 higher than 16.7 the previous year and just four points lower than the 19 state average.

Finally, in science, a 1.4 point gain was shown, from 17.5 to 18.9, just one tenth of a point below the 19 state composite average.

Clinton County Schools Instructional Supervisor Dr. Paula Little attributed the drastic improvement in the ACT composite scores to “hard work by the CCHS faculty, staff and students.” She added it was hard to get the ACT (scores) to move that much from one year to another.

“We are very encouraged by the scores,” stated Little, who added the ACT test was the better indicator of students’ readiness for success at the college level than any other test the district receives.