ACT Results Improve for MCPS Students

August 21, 2013

MCPS graduates outperform peers in state, nation

The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Class of 2013 outperformed their peers in Maryland and the nation on all sections of the ACT college admissions exam.

More than 3,000 students from the Class of 2013 took the ACT, earning an average composite score of 23.5, an increase from 2012, and significantly higher than the state average of 22.3 and the national average of 20.9.

“Our 2013 graduates demonstrated strong readiness for college on the ACT and are better prepared for success after graduation,” said MCPS Superintendent Joshua P. Starr. “We should be proud that our students are outperforming their peers across the state and the nation, but we also know there is work left to be done to make sure all students are ready to thrive and succeed in the future.”

The Class of 2013 also showed strong participation on the ACT, with more than 3,000 students—nearly 30 percent of the graduating class— taking the exam. While participation dropped slightly in 2013, the number of MCPS graduates taking the ACT has increased about 21 percent over the past five years.

Some of the most dramatic increases in participation have been among Hispanic and African American students. Over the past five years, the number of Hispanic MCPS graduates taking the ACT has grown about 60 percent, from 258 students in 2009 to 415 students in 2013, according to ACT data. The number of African American MCPS graduates taking the ACT has grown by 25 percent in that time, from 488 students in 2009 to 609 students in 2013.

The ACT exam includes four sections—English, Mathematics, Reading and Science—and is scored on a scale from 0 to 36. MCPS students scored a 23.1 on the English portion of the ACT (up 0.3 from 2012); 23.6 on the mathematics portion (up 0.1); 23.8 on the reading portion (up 0.4); and a 23.1 on the science portion (up 0.2).

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