Historically underserved students see improvement on the ACT

State Education
Written By Sky Arnold

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) says historically underserved students made significant progress on the ACT test in seven school districts this year.Each of those districts reported growth in the percentage of historically underserved students scoring at least a 21 on the test. Under Tennessee’s accountability systems, meeting the 21 ACT score benchmark is one of four pathways that indicate a student is prepared for career and postsecondary education.Those seven school districts reported the following increase in student groups meeting the 21 ACT score benchmark.

  • Cleveland City Schools: Black/African American students increased 14.3 percent, rising from 5.7 percent in 2022 to 20.0 percent in 2023.
  • Collierville Schools: Hispanic students increased 26.6 percent, rising from 28.0 percent in 2022 to 54.5 percent in 2023.
  • Hamilton County Schools: American Indian/Alaska Native students increased 14.7 percent, rising from 40.6 percent in 2022 to 55.3 percent in 2023.
  • Clarksville - Montgomery County Schools: English Learners increased 7.8 percent, rising from 1.8 percent in 2022 to 9.6 percent in 2023.
  • Oak Ridge Schools: Students with disabilities increased 15.8 percent, rising from 3.1 percent in 2022 to 18.9 percent in 2023.
  • Warren County Schools: Economically disadvantaged students increased 18.8 percent, rising from 8.7 percent in 2022 to 27.5 percent in 2023.
  • Williamson County Schools: English Learners increased 13 percent, rising from 22 percent in 2022 to 35 percent in 2023.

Statewide 35.4 percent of graduates scored at least a 21 on the test. Williamson County Schools had the highest percentage of all students meeting the 21-score ACT benchmark with 75 percent, followed by Germantown Municipal Schools at 70 percent, and Collierville Schools at 66.6 percent.The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions and provides important measures to understand students’ college and career readiness.The state offers Tennessee public high school students the opportunity to take the test two times for free during normal school hours. Statewide, 99 percent of the 2023 graduating class took the ACT, with 64,422 graduates tested.“In Tennessee, we are dedicated to supporting all students in preparing for graduation and future success no matter their chosen college or career path,” said Commissioner of Education, Lizzette Reynolds. “The ACT assessment is crucial for postsecondary opportunities and scholarships, and I am extremely proud of the statewide 99 percent participation rate that is thanks to the hard work of Tennessee districts, teachers, and students.”The overall ACT score remained mostly consistent this year with Tennessee students averaging a slight .1 score decrease from 19.1 in 2022 to an even 19 for 2023.

Sky Arnold

Sky serves as the Managing Editor of the Tennessee Fireflly. He’s a veteran television journalist with two decades of experience covering news in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Tennessee where he covered government for Fox 17 News in Nashville and WBBJ in Jackson. He’s a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a big supporter of the Oklahoma Sooners.

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