State High School Students Take ACT Today

JACKSON, Miss. – For the first time, Mississippi public schools are administering the ACT test to all 11th graders to help students determine whether they are equipped to succeed in college. High school juniors across the state are taking the ACT today, with a make-up day scheduled for March 17.

The statewide test administration is possible thanks to the Mississippi Legislature, which during the 2014 Legislative Session provided for the cost of administering the test. The $1.3 million appropriation will pay the cost of testing 35,000 students.

“The ACT is the most widely used test for college admissions. Funding the ACT for all high school juniors will increase their access to higher education,” said Rep. John Moore, chair of the House Education Committee and author of the bill to fund the test administration.

Across the nation, a growing number of states are paying for the ACT college-entrance exam for 11th graders. Mississippi juniors are being tested in four subjects: English, Reading, Mathematics and Science. ACT scores show whether students have gained the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in credit-bearing, first-year college courses at a postsecondary institution without the need for remediation.

Many students take the ACT multiple times, most starting in their junior year. Beginning in 2015-2016, state accountability grades will include students’ highest ACT scores in the calculation.

“The ACT is the best predictor of success in college. We want our high school students to know where they stand so they will continue to work hard and be able to make informed decisions about the future,” said Sen. Gray Tollison, chairman of the Senate Education Committee. “This statewide test administration will also provide us with valuable data to make future policy decisions about education.”