Catholic students hit five-year high on college readiness test

By Ambria Hammel | Sept. 17, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

Many high school seniors in the diocese spent hours taking a national curriculum-based test last week to determine their readiness for college.

If the last five years are any indication, they have reason to be excited.

Last year’s graduating class marked the fifth straight year that seniors throughout the diocese have excelled on the ACT, a four-hour multiple-choice exam testing English, math, reading and science skills.

Local Catholic school students scored higher than the state average in all four areas with the class of 2009 hitting a five-year high for the diocese.

While the top score on the ACT is 36, the diocese averaged 24.5, easily besting Arizona’s average of 21.9. The differences were consistently larger nationally. The ACT composite score indicates a student’s likelihood of success in a corresponding credit-bearing college course.

“The ACT test scores affirms the quality of Catholic education and expectations,” said MaryBeth Mueller, superintendent for the diocese’s Catholic schools.

Students take more English, math and science classes than the state standard with many enrolling in honors, Advanced Placement or dual enrollment courses.

“Our schools are doing a great job preparing our students for college,” Mueller said.

Some 742 of last year’s 1,137 seniors took the ACT. The biggest difference between the diocesan scores and other Arizona schools was in the English portion of the ACT.

Test scores revealed some 91 percent of diocesan seniors were ready to excel at college-level work before finishing high school. Another 80 percent were projected to do well in social science with 42 percent prepared for success in four core academic areas.