2019 ACT high school graduating class profiles released

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, ACT released the nationwide class of 2019 high school graduating profiles. These profiles take the latest ACT scores from the graduating class of 2019 and averages them. 

The overall mean score released in the latest report for Lincoln Public Schools obscures the complex story of the scores at the building level. While the school district’s average score declined from 20.3 to 19.8, Southeast High School saw an increase over the previous year and East High School maintained the same average. All other LPS high schools dropped only slightly.

 LPS staff were made aware of the potentially lower scores in 2018, which is when the students in the class of 2019 took the required ACT exam as part of the state-wide assessments during their junior year. 

“Last year when we received our junior and graduating senior scores we immediately took action to ensure our curriculum was more tightly aligned with the ACT assessment,” said Matt Larson, associate superintendent of Instruction. “Early indications are that curriculum alignment efforts are making a difference and turning around the recent decline.”

For example, students from the graduating class of 2019 who completed algebra, geometry, advanced algebra and precalculus saw their mathematics ACT score improve compared to students from the 2018 graduating class who completed the same courses. LPS also found that students taking a mathematics and science course as a senior contributed to higher ACT scores.

“As a district, we continue to analyze our curricular alignment, student course taking patterns, our instructional practices, and make adjustments,” added Larson. “Our graduating senior ACT scores are not where we want them to be, and we will work tirelessly to meet student needs. We must and will do better.”

---