The results of the 2010/11 American College Test (ACT) have been released and they show participation of Lee County students in ACT testing has nearly doubled in the past five years and more students are taking the test than ever before, said Joe Donzelli, director of communications with the Lee County school system.

In 2010/11, approximately 360 more seniors participated in ACT testing than did the previous year (3073 students in 2010/11 vs. 2,706 in 2009/10), an increase of 13.5 % as compared to the statewide increase of less than four percent.

“We continue to work to provide students with various educational opportunities, and I am glad to see ACT participation increasing,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Burke.

The local composite (or average) score declined slightly from 19.0 to 18.9. Two years ago the District implemented a plan to register all seniors for ACT testing who had not successfully completed the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT.)

State graduation requirements allow students to use passing ACT scores to graduate in place of FCAT scores. This initiative has enabled hundreds of students to take the ACT and graduate who otherwise would not have qualified. Consequently, the District’s graduation rate has continued to rise while ACT scores have declined slightly, Donzelli said.

The ACT is a voluntary assessment that measures student abilities in the academic areas traditionally identified with college preparatory high school programs: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. ACT scores are reported on a scale ranging from 1 to 36. Students planning on attending college must take either the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) for entrance into most state and national colleges.