ACT scores for Alabama’s high school class of 2021 were down slightly, from 18.61 to 18.58 according to the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. This is the fourth year in a row that scores have declined from a high of 19.2 in 2017.
PARCA called the slight decline a “victory” given the challenges students and schools faced during the COVID pandemic.
National ACT data, which includes public, private and homeschooled students, declined from 20.6 for the class of 2020 to 20.3 for the class of 2021. The number of students tested nationally dropped from 1.7 million in the class of 2020 to 1.3 million in the class of 2021, likely due to test cancellations due to the pandemic.
In Alabama, all public school students take the ACT in the 11th grade. If a graduating student took the ACT more than once, the most recent score obtained is the score included in ACT reporting. PARCA included only Alabama public school scores in its analysis.
PARCA noted scores for white students declined in all subjects and in the overall composite. Black students’ composite and science scores remained the same, while English and math scores declined. Black students’ reading scores increased from 16.39 to 16.41.
Hispanic students’ composite, science and English scores rose, while scores in math and reading declined.
Here are ACT composite scores for the class of 2021 as reported by PARCA, broken down by race and ethnicity of each student group:
- Asian – 23.95, down from 24.06 last year
- White – 19.96, down from 20.13 last year
- Two or more races – 19.44, up from 19.4 last year
- American Indian/Alaska Native – 19.36, up from 19.07 last year
- Hispanic/Latino – 16.88, up from 16.83 last year
- Black of African American – 16.01, the same score as last year