Lemont’s Class of 2016 Posts Record-setting Effort on the ACT

LEMONT, IL — Over the past 15 years, Lemont High School students consistently have scored above the state average on the ACT, and the Class of 2016 was no exception. However, the Class of 2016 was indeed exceptional, setting a school record for the highest average composite score on the ACT with an average of 23.3.

The Class of 2016’s average composite score was 2.5 points better than the state average (20.8). For the fourth straight year, ACT included the scores of all students - including those who were provided special accommodations - in the averages for schools across the state.

The Class of 2016’s average composite score of 23.3 not only was the best in the last four years, it is the school’s best since the State of Illinois began requiring that all students classified as juniors take the ACT. The previous best average composite score was the 23.0 posted the Class of 2011. However, students with special accommodations were not included in the totals for that class.

The ACT includes four subtests - Mathematics, Reading, English and Science. Despite the fact that all students’ scores were included in the reporting, the Class of 2016’s average composite scores in all four of those subtests – English (23.2), Mathematics (23.1), Reading (23.2) and Science (23.0) – established new school benchmarks.

The average composite ACT score reflects graduating students’ most recent scores from an ACT national testing date or state testing, and includes scores of all students, regardless of ability or familiarity with the English language. While all students in the Class of 2016 were required by the State of Illinois to take the ACT once as juniors, most took the ACT multiple times in an effort to improve their scores.

ACT has established college readiness benchmark scores in four areas: English Composition (18), College Algebra (22), Social Science (22) and College Biology (23). Students who score at the designated level are considered to be college ready in that subject area. The Class of 2016 had 41 percent of its students who met the benchmarks in all four subtests, which also is a school record. In individual subtests, 80 percent of students met the benchmark in English Composition; 62 percent did so in both College Algebra and Social Science; and 52 percent reached the benchmark in College Biology.

The Class of 2018 will be Lemont High School’s first class that will be required by the State of Illinois to take the SAT.