The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has released ACT results for the spring 2022 statewide administration of the ACT to all public high school juniors.

The average score for juniors increased from 17.3 in 2021 to 17.4 in 2022. The percentage of juniors meeting the benchmark scores for all four tested ACT subjects increased from 8.9 percent in 2021 to 9.3 percent  in 2022.

South Panola High School juniors decreased slightly with an average ACT composite score of  16.4, compared to 16.5 a year ago.

South Panola test takers did best in science with an average of 17.3, followed by math (16.8), reading (16.1), and English (15.1).

North Panola High School juniors showed an increase from the junior class of 2021, with an average score of 14.3 compared to 13.5.

North Panola students scored best in math (15.0), followed by science (14.7), reading (13.9), and English (12.9).

Composite scores from high schools around Panola include those from Senatobia (17.9), Grenada (17.4), Water Valley (17.1), Oxford (21.0), Lafayette (19.8), and Marks (14.0).

Mississippi is one of 15 states that administers the ACT to all high school juniors.

Scores for Mississippi public school students who graduated in 2022 decreased from 17.8 to 17.5, though the average composite superscore was 20.7. Superscores are generated when students take the ACT multiple times and the student’s best scores from each of the four tested ACT subjects are combined.

The national average ACT score for all public-school students in the class of 2022 was 19.3, down from 19.9 in 2021. ACT scores nationwide have dropped in recent years as the population of students taking the test has broadened.

The ACT is designed to predict how well students will perform in college, and colleges use standardized tests like the ACT to compare students across schools and states. ACT research shows students who take four or more years of English and three or more years each of math, social studies and natural science typically outperform their peers who report taking fewer courses in these subjects.

The MDE provides districts with training related to analyzing ACT data, evaluating course taking patterns and designing ACT preparation courses. In addition, school districts offer two specialized classes, the Essentials for College Literacy and the Essentials for College Math, as an option to help seniors who need to improve their ACT scores to qualify for early release. Students who earn a grade of 80% or higher in these courses are entitled to enter credit-bearing college courses, without remediation, at all Mississippi public universities and most community colleges.