SSHS scores above state average on ACT

Siloam Springs High School's ACT scores are higher than the state average and have stayed steady over the past year, Kelly Svebek reported to the school board on Tuesday evening.

Svebek is the district's director of assessment and accountability. In 2017, Siloam Springs graduates scored an average of 20.5 on the college readiness test, compared to a state average of 19.4 and a national average of 21. Siloam Springs students also scored an average of 20.5 the previous year.

The ACT has four sections, covering the areas of English, math, reading and science, and is scored on a scale of 1 through 36.

The test scores Svebek presented represent the most recent test the graduating seniors took, not necessarily their best test scores, she explained. Some students take the test multiple times, while others only take it once.

Arkansas began paying for all students to take the test in 2016 to open opportunities to all students. However, the state experienced a drop in scores since all students are taking the test instead of just college bound students. The drop in scores is typical among states that have transitioned to offer the test to all students, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.

The Siloam Springs School District saw a similar drop in scores when the district began paying for all juniors to take the test at least once in 2015, Svebek said.

Only 18 states test 100 percent of students. Nationally, about 60 percent of graduating seniors (2 million students) took the test.

Svebek said the good news is that the number of Hispanic students tested nationwide continues to grow, which increases access and opportunities for those students, Svebek said. However, 55 percent of 2017 graduates across the country took the test only once. Taking the test more than once has been shown to improve scores. Svebek said she didn't have any data showing how many Siloam Springs students take the test more than once.