NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Education released the average results of the ACT exam for the 2022 graduating class on Tuesday.
They said that the participation rate for the test reached pre-pandemic levels, rising to 98% in the 2022 graduating class compared to 96% in the 2021 graduating class. They also said that the state average composite score was 19.1 — the same as the previous year.
They also said that the participation rate increased among three underserved student groups, but decreased by 2% among students with disabilities.
They said the participation rate among Black, Hispanic and Native American students increased by 4%, and economically disadvantaged students increased at the same rate. English-learner students also participated more in the ACT, with an increase of 7% in the participation rate.
They said there were 3,952 valid exams in Knox County, showing a 99% participation rate. The average composite score was 20.2, but fewer than half of all the tests scored higher than that. Students performed best on the reading section with an average score of 21.1, according to TDOE data.
Maryville City Schools performed among the best school systems in East Tennessee, according to data from the TDOE. They had 378 valid tests and an average of 22.7 for the composite score.
The TDOE said around 35% of all students who took the ACT met the college-ready benchmark in 2022, a little less than the number of students who met it in 2021.
Tennessee also offers an ACT Senior Retake program, giving public high school students a chance to take the ACT two times for free during normal school hours.