St. MIchael-Albertville Students Match State Average on ACT

The St. Michael-Albertville School District is working from the administration to classroom to improve education excellence, and it's starting to show signs of paying off.

For the fifth straight year, St. Michael-Albertville High School students who took the ACT college entrance exam scored higher than the year before. And in 2011, three out of every four seniors took the exam.

As a result, STMA saw its composite score match the state average of 22.9 on a scale of 36. The national average score was 21.1.

Minnesota was second in the nation with that average composite score, acording to the state's department of education.

St. Michael-Albertville students were above the state average in two areas politicians and education leaders are emphasizing these days–science and math.

STMA scored an average of 24 on math, a full point higher than the state average and nearly three points higher than the national average of 21.1

In science, local students scored 23.1, while the state average was 22.8 and the national average was more than two full points lower.

said he expects those scores to continue to improve, thanks to curriculum changes that will start at the high school level and work its way down.

"We're undertaking three major initiatives to continue to improve college readiness," Behle stated in a release to St. Michael Patch last week. "ACT college readiness standards will be aligned with STMA courses for a more rigorous curriclum. Second, all ninth grade studetns will be required to take physics, biology and chemistry as graduation requirements. Finally, the district will administore EXPLORE to eighth grade students, a pre-ACT test." 

The district already issues the PLAN (another preparatory test) in 10th grade. Juniors and seniors may take the ACT.

"The district will be able to closely monitor student readiness, adjust instruction to best mee the learning needs of students, and keep students and parents informed of academic progress," Behle concluded.

The district was below the state average in English, with a 21.8 average. The state was a half-point higher at 22.3, but the national score was just 30.6. STMA also lagged behind a bit in reading comprehension, earning a 22.2, behind Minnesota's 22.9. The national average, again, was back at 21.3.

Minnesota students historically test higher in English and Reading categories.

"It's the product of a lot of hard work and dedication," Behle said. " make it possible for us to provide an outstanding education for our students."

The ACT group offers a complete look at the state's results, and how Minnesota stacks up against the national average.