Nevada students score higher than national average on ACT

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 1999 | 9:52 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- High school seniors in Nevada are posting higher scores in the American College Testing Program.

But only a small percentage of those going to college intend to become schoolteachers, a field in short supply both in Nevada and the nation.

The state Department of Education Tuesday reported the 5,395 seniors who took the ACT test this year averaged 21.5 on the examination, the best mark in at least the last eight years and higher than the national average of 21. The results were up slightly from the 1998 score of 21.4

This is the third consecutive year there's been a rise in the test scores in Nevada. The national average remained at 21 for the third straight year.

"That Nevada seniors score higher than national scores overall and in each subject area is not unusual," state Superintendent Mary Peterson said.

However, she said only 41 percent of the graduating class in Nevada intend to go to college, down from 43 percent in the prior year. Nevada has one of the lowest percentages in the nation of students going on to higher education.

A major effort is being made to attract more Nevada high school graduates to go on to college. Part of that is the Millennium Scholarships program that starts next year offering aid to any Nevada student with a "B" average.

Of the seniors who took the ACT, only 10 percent plan education as their college major. Peterson said this was typical nationwide and it won't solve the severe shortage of schoolteachers.

"There really must be something done to attract quality students into the field of education. Few other professions will impact as many of our children in the future," Peterson said.

The department said 2,310 of the students taking the examination preferred to go to the University of Nevada, Reno and 1,937 favored UNLV. Of those selecting Reno, 39 percent had scores in the higher 23-27 and 28-36 range. Of those who preferred UNLV, 30 percent had scores in the two high categories.

Other schools favored by the students were Brigham Young University in Prove, Utah, and Community College of Southern Nevada. Each received more than 100 votes as the top choice of the students.

The department said there is a relationship between the test results and family income. Seniors from families with less than $18,000 annual income posted an average score of 19.7. Those from families between $18,000 and $35,999 averaged 20.6 and students from families with a higher than $36,000 income averaged 22.

The results showed Nevada seniors averaged 20.7 in English, 21.3 in math, 22.1 in reading and 21.4 in science. The national averages were 20.5 in English, 20.7 in math, 21.4 in reading and 21.0 in science.

Students who took core high school courses to prepare for college registered average scores of 22.3. For students with less than core course work, the average was 19.9.