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State Representative Joe Atkins

583 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4192

For more information contact: Christina Gosack 651-296-5524

Posted: 2005-09-26 00:00:00
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Minnesota Students Top The Nation In ACT Scores: Local Students Score Even Better

State Representative Joe Atkins congratulated Minnesota students for ranking first in the nation this year in ACT scores among states where the majority of students take the test. The ACT is taken by most high school students in Minnesota planning to go to college.
"We knew Minnesota students were bright, but this is fantastic news," Rep. Atkins commented. "The key, though, is to not be satisfied, to not let it go to our heads. Our students are still capable of even more, and the future will demand it."
Minnesota achieved the top ranking for the first time in over ten years, besting neighboring states Wisconsin and Iowa. The national average score was 20.9 this year out of a highest possible score of 36. The average score for Minnesota students taking the ACT this year was 22.3.
Local students performed even better than the state average, Atkins noted. "These results speak volumes about the quality of the teachers and schools in our state as well as locally," Atkins said. "They have consistently encouraged our kids to work hard and strive for excellence, and it's paid off." Atkins said it is also critical that parents continue to play a key role in the education of their children, by being involved at school and doing things like reading to their kids at home.
A growing percentage of Minnesota students are taking the test, up from 66% in 2004 to 68% in 2005.
The ACT is a curriculum-based test that focuses on knowledge considered important for a first-year college student to possess. The test is broken into four sections: English, reading, science and math, with an optional writing test. The ACT is the primary college entrance exam in 25 states, including Minnesota.

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