S.C. students show slight gain on college entrance exam scores
By The Associated Press Wednesday, August 13, 2008COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina’s graduating seniors showed a slight gain on the ACT college exam for the fifth-consecutive year but still fall behind the national average, according to data released Wednesday.
The average score for South Carolina’s Class of 2008 was 19.9 on a 36-point scale, up from 19.6 in 2007, 19.5 in 2006, 19.4 in 2005 and 19.3 in 2004. The national average declined a tenth of a point to 21.1.
Although achievement is improving, with half of the state’s five-year gain coming this year, it’s still not happening fast enough, said state schools Superintendent Jim Rex.
T&D Region
The number of students who took the ACT and the average score in each district:
| District | Number | Average Score |
| Bamberg 1 | 59 | 16.9 |
| Bamberg 2 | 31 | 15.7 |
| Barnwell 19 | 20 | 16.5 |
| Calhoun | 47 | 16 |
| Dorchester 4 | 65 | 16.1 |
| Lexington 4 | 51 | 18.6 |
| Orangeburg 3 | 111 | 15.9 |
| Orangeburg 4 | 75 | 18.2 |
| Orangeburg 5 | 191 | 15.7 |
More than 16,500 students, or 44 percent of students who graduated in the spring, took the ACT. That’s about 200 fewer students than last year. The percentage of seniors taking the test nationwide range from 9 percent to 100 percent.
Both the ACT and SAT are accepted by most colleges, but the SAT remains more popular in South Carolina. However, ACT participation has grown by nearly 25 percent here since 2004.
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