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Texas Students Show Low College Test Scores

A majority of Texas high school students who took the ACT college preparation exam were not ready for college classes according to a report.
Photo by KUT News
A majority of Texas high school students who took the ACT college preparation exam were not ready for college classes according to a report.

The majority of Texas students who took the ACT college entrance exam this year don't have the necessary skills for college.

According to a report done on the class of 2011, many Texas students tested below the national average in reading, English and science. 101,569 graduates in Texas, or about 36% of the class of 2011, took the ACT.

Texans were slightly above the national average in mathematics, which is 45 percent of students passing, with 48 percent.

In contrast with last years results, Texas students' scores were down slightly in English and science, up in math and unchanged in reading.

Minorities fared especially poorly on the test. Only nine percent of African Americans that took the ACT met the standard for college science classes, compared to 43 percent of whites. Hispanics followed African Americans, with 13 percent.

Kelsey Johnson is a summer intern with KUT news. She is a recent graduate from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications with an emphasis in electronic media.