ACT Participation Reaches Record High in Falls

The combined composite ACT score for the Menomonee Falls High School Class of 2012 was slightly lower than last year’s class, but a higher percentage of students took the test in more than a decade.

The overall composite score for the class of 2012 was 22.9, which is still higher than the state average of 22.1. scored a composite score of 23.1. However, in 2012 more seniors took the test than had since 1996. A total of 286 students, or 73 percent of the graduating class, took the test.

Across the state, 71 percent of graduating seniors took the ACT. That ties Iowa for second place when it comes to overall participation, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Drawing comparisons between year-to-year ACT scores is somewhat like comparing apples to oranges, district leaders say. Each graduating class is composed of a completely different set of students – so numbers can vary. Administrators at MFHS are proud of the higher participation rate, however.

“It’s not atypical in a five-year track period to see fluctuations in the scores. We are focusing on increasing the participation,” said Falls Superintendent Patricia Greco. “You can’t really count year-to-year results as a trend because they are entirely different groups of kids.”

The ACT is a national assessment that serves as a strong predictor of college readiness and a gateway test for many universities in the Midwest. Over the past five years, a higher percentage of MFHS seniors have taken the ACT each year, which is a sign that more students plan to pursue higher education.

“Our students continue to perform well and score higher than the state average for college readiness,” said Dr. Gary Kiltz, Director of Curriculum and Learning. “This aligns with our strategic plan of preparing students for post-secondary life, whether that includes four-year and two-year universities or technical college.”

The vast majority of Falls students scored above ACT-established benchmark scores that indicate a 50 percent chance of earning a B or better in college and a 75 percent chance of earning a C.

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Eighty-three percent of Falls’ class of 2012 scored above the English benchmark of 18 and demonstrated readiness to succeed in English composition, and 68 percent met the reading benchmark, which indicated a readiness to excel in a college history course.

While the scores remain above state averages for the district, school officials realize improvements need be made to strengthen students’ readiness for college. The district is working on aligning the core content areas of math, English, social studies, and science with the College and Career Readiness standards - the standards on which the ACT assessment is based.

“Stronger connection between student learning in the classroom, assessments done in courses, and the depth of knowledge required to do well on the ACT will in the long term improve students’ ability to perform on this assessment and better position students in the Falls for the competitive nature of the college experience,” Kiltz said.

By The Numbers

The overall composite ACT score is just the surface of data about the class of 2012. In 2012, males at MFHS scored a higher composite score than females. MFHS boys scored a composite score of 23.2, and females scored 22.7.

When composite scores were divided by race at for the class of 2012 at MFHS white students scored a 23.5; Hispanic and Latino students scored a 21; Asian students scored a 20.2; and African American students scored an 18.7.

Here's a look at how the composite score at MFHS compares to other schools in the area: