CAPE reports that Eighty-five percent of 2015 graduates of religious and independent schools who took the ACT met or exceeded the test’s college readiness benchmark score in English, compared to 61 percent of graduates from public schools. The share of students who met or surpassed the benchmark scores in other subjects was also higher in private schools (reading – 66 percent vs. 44 percent; math – 60 vs. 40; science – 55 vs. 36).
Percent of ACT-Tested Graduates Ready for College-Level Work, 2015
| Subject | Public | Private |
|---|---|---|
| English | 61% | 85% |
| Reading | 44% | 66% |
| Mathematics | 40% | 60% |
| Science | 36% | 55% |
More importantly than these statistics are the number for minority students which often represent “at-risk” populations:
Average ACT Composite Scores Class of 2015
| Public | Private | |
|---|---|---|
| All Students | 20.7 | 23.8 |
| Black/African American | 16.9 | 19.6 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 18.6 | 22.3 |
[button size=”medium” type=”normal” style=”square” color=”primary” icon=”” new_window=”yes” link=”http://www.capenet.org/pdf/Outlook409.pdf”]Read the Article[/button]