By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Vandegrift High School’s composite scores on the ACT college-entrance exam continue to be higher than Leander ISD and the state and national averages.

For 2015, the average ACT composite score (scale of 1 – 36) for a VHS graduate was 26 and for a LISD graduate, it was 23.9. These scores were higher compared to the state and national average composite scores of 20.9 and 21 respectively.

LISD Superintendent Bret Champion announced that these scores were achieved even amid a 21 percent increase in the number of ACT exams given across the district.

“Vandegrift had a 37 percent growth in ACT testers from 2014  largely due to the ACT School Day testing. This was a huge undertaking for Leander ISD, but very worth it for kids. More students opted in and they truly performed well,” said Christa Thompson Martin, VHS dean of instruction.

The ACT reports the percentage of students ready for college course-work in English composition, algebra, social science and biology. Forty-eight percent of LISD ACT test-takers achieved the college readiness standard in all four subjects, as compared with 27 percent meeting that standard at the state and 28 percent at the national levels.

“LISD is proud to see that our students’ ACT scores are continuing to outpace the state and national averages. These scores indicate that our college- and career-readiness efforts are on the right track to successfully position our students for post-secondary opportunities,” said Champion.

Three LISD students earned perfect scores on the ACT, Emily Tallman and Brendan Hollaway, students at VHS, and Travis Schwartz, a student at Cedar Park High School. Of the 1.8 million students who will take the ACT, only one-tenth of one percent will ace it.

“We offer Emily, Brendan and Travis our sincerest congratulations on this most prestigious accomplishment. They are now among an elite group of students nationwide. We are very proud of them and know that they will continue to reach for excellence in all of their pursuits,” Champion said.

For the second year, LISD is offering an official ACT test for all interested juniors during the school day. This school year it will be April 19. ACT registration information will be available on campus homepages by the end of September. Additional ACT and college-readiness information and resources are available on the district’s college- and career-readiness webpage.