The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2018 - Pennsylvania

www.act.org/research1© 2018 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. MR00878The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2018Pennsylvania Key Findings Performance• In the 2018 Pennsylvania graduating class, 27,694 graduates (20 percent) took the ACT test with a Composite score average of 23.5. This compares to 27,136 (19 percent) with an average of 22.7 in 2014. Nationally, 55% of 2018 graduates took the ACT with an average Composite score of 20.8. ~ There were 2,473 African American graduates from Pennsylvania who took the ACT (9 percent) with an average Composite score of 17.8. This compares to 2,747 (9 percent) with an average of 18.0, and 2,800 (10 percent) with an average of 17.0, for the 2017 and 2014 graduating classes, respectively. ~ There were 19,645 White graduates from Pennsylvania who took the ACT (71 percent) with an average Composite score of 24.2. This compares to 21,971 (71 percent) with an average of 24.4, and 19,517 (72 percent) with an average of 23.5, for the 2017 and 2014 graduating classes, respectively. ~ There were 1,394 Hispanic graduates from Pennsylvania who took the ACT (5 percent) with an average Composite score of 21.6. This compares to 1,469 (5 percent) with an average of 21.8, and 1,227 (5 percent) with an average of 20.3, for the 2017 and 2014 graduating classes, respectively. ~ There were 1,551 Asian graduates from Pennsylvania who took the ACT (6 percent) with an average Composite score of 25.8. This compares to 1,782 (6 percent) with an average of 25.4, and 1,332 (5 percent) with an average of 23.6, for the 2017 and 2014 graduating classes, respectively.• The 2018 Pennsylvania graduating class average English score was 23.3. This compares to 23.4 and 22.1 in 2017 and 2014, respectively.• The 2018 Pennsylvania graduating class average math score was 23.2. This compares to 23.4 and 22.8 in 2017 and 2014, respectively.• The 2018 Pennsylvania graduating class average reading score was 24.0. This compares to 24.2 and 23.0 in 2017 and 2014, respectively.• The 2018 Pennsylvania graduating class average science score was 23.1. This compares to 23.3 and 22.2 in 2017 and 2014, respectively.• In 2018, 43 percent of Pennsylvania graduates met all four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. This compares to 45 and 38 percent of 2017 and 2014 graduates, respectively. ~ In 2018, 16 percent of Pennsylvania graduates met zero ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. This compares to 15 and 20 percent of 2017 and 2014 graduates, respectively. ~ In 2018, 80 percent of Pennsylvania graduates met the ACT English College Readiness Benchmark. This compares to 80 and 75 percent of 2017 and 2014 graduates, respectively.• 2018 Pennsylvania graduates taking more advanced English coursework demonstrated markedly higher average English scores than those who did not. In fact, 80 percent of Pennsylvania 2018 graduates taking four or more years of English met the ACT English College Readiness Benchmark. This compares to 61 percent of students taking less than four years of English meeting the benchmark. www.act.org/research2 Pennsylvania The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2018 ~ In 2018, 60 percent of Pennsylvania graduates met the ACT Math College Readiness Benchmark. This compares to 62 and 59 percent of 2017 and 2014 graduates, respectively.• 2018 Pennsylvania graduates taking more advanced math coursework demonstrated markedly higher average math scores than those who did not. In fact, 61 percent of Pennsylvania 2018 graduates taking three or more years of math met the ACT Math College Readiness Benchmark. This compares to 14 percent of students taking less than three years of math meeting the benchmark. ~ In 2018, 64 percent of Pennsylvania graduates met the ACT Reading College Readiness Benchmark. This compares to 66 and 55 percent of 2017 and 2014 graduates, respectively.• 2018 Pennsylvania graduates taking more advanced social studies coursework demonstrated markedly higher average reading scores than those who did not. In fact, 64 percent of Pennsylvania 2018 graduates taking three or more years of social studies met the ACT Reading College Readiness Benchmark. This compares to 62 percent of students taking less than three years of social studies meeting the benchmark. ~ In 2018, 55 percent of Pennsylvania graduates met the ACT Science College Readiness Benchmark. This compares to 55 and 49 percent of 2017 and 2014 graduates, respectively.• 2018 Pennsylvania graduates taking more advanced science coursework demonstrated markedly higher average science scores than those who did not. In fact, 56 percent of Pennsylvania 2018 graduates taking three or more years of science met the ACT Science College Readiness Benchmark. This compares to 27 percent of students taking less than three years of science meeting the benchmark.• In 2018, 16,235 (59 percent) of Pennsylvania graduates met three or four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. This compares to 18,511 and 14,445 (60 and 53 percent) out of 2017