Graduating Class Data

Glossary of Terms

Student Characteristics/Group Definitions

Student Characteristic/Group	Definition
Gender	Male, female, or other responses (including another gender, prefer not to respond, and no response)
Race/Ethnicity	Race/Ethnicity, including two or more races, prefer not to respond, and no response
Minority Status	African American, American Indian, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander
Family Income	Annual family income self-reported by students
Low Income Status	Annual family income at or below $36,000
Highest Parental Education Level	Highest education level attained by parents/caregivers
First Generation Status	No parental college education attained for either parent or guardian
Post-Secondary Aspirations	Post-secondary education level to which students aspire
Most Recent Test Timing	Indicator of whether the students most recently tested during the school year in which they graduated or during a previous school year
Most Recent Test Type	Indicator of whether the students most recently tested on a state or district test date or on a national test date
Number of Times Tested	Indicator of whether students tested once or on multiple occasions
English Courses Taken/Planned	Common English courses that students took or planned to take
Math Courses Taken/Planned	Common mathematics courses that students took or planned to take
Social Science Courses Taken/Planned	Common social science courses that students took or planned to take
Natural Science Courses Taken/Planned	Common natural science courses that students took or planned to take
College Preparatory Core Coursework	Students took or planned to take at least 4 years of English courses and 3 years each of mathematics, social science, and natural science courses
Met English-Specific Core	Students took or planned to take at least 4 years of English courses
Met Math-Specific Core	Students took or planned to take at least 3 years of mathematics courses
Met Social Science-Specific Core	Students took or planned to take at least 3 years of social science courses
Met Natural Science-Specific Core	Students took or planned to take at least 3 years of natural science courses

College Readiness Measures

College Readiness Measure	Definition
ACT English score	The ACT English test measures a student’s understanding of the conventions of standard written English (grammar, usage, and mechanics), production of writing (topic development, organization, unity, and cohesion), and knowledge of language (word choice, style, and tone). The ACT English test score is reported on the ACT English scale, which ranges from 1 to 36. Score ranges align with the ACT College Readiness Standards for English.
ACT Mathematics score	The ACT Mathematics test measures the whole of a student’s mathematical development up through topics typically taught at the beginning of Grade 12, including but not limited to areas such as algebra, functions, geometry, and statistics and probability. The ACT Mathematics test score is reported on the ACT Mathematics scale, which ranges from 1 to 36. Score ranges align with the ACT College Readiness Standards for Mathematics.
ACT Reading score	The ACT Reading test measures a student’s ability to read closely, reason about texts using evidence, and integrate information from multiple sources. Students determine main ideas; locate and interpret significant details; understand sequences of events; make comparisons; comprehend cause-effect relationships; determine the meaning of context-dependent words, phrases, and statements; draw generalizations; analyze the author’s or narrator’s voice or method; analyze claims and evidence in arguments; and integrate information from multiple related texts and from different formats (e.g., graphs, diagrams, tables). The ACT Reading test score is reported on the ACT Reading scale, which ranges from 1 to 36. Score ranges align with the ACT College Readiness Standards for Reading.
ACT Science score	The ACT Science test measures the interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills required in the natural sciences. The test assesses and reports on science knowledge, skills, and practices across three domains: Interpretation of Data; Scientific Investigation; and Evaluation of Models, Inferences & Experimental Results. The ACT Science test score is reported on the ACT Science scale, which ranges from 1 to 36. Score ranges align with the ACT College Readiness Standards for Science.
ACT Composite score	The ACT Composite score is the average of the four content test scale scores rounded to the nearest whole number (fractions of 0.5 or greater round up). The minimum ACT Composite score is 1 and the maximum is 36.
ACT Writing score	The ACT Writing test is an optional test that measures students’ writing skills specifically those skills emphasized in high school English classes and entry-level college composition courses. Scores from the writing test indicate students’ ability to think critically about an issue, consider different perspectives on it, and compose an effective argumentative essay. The ACT Writing score is reported on the ACT writing scale, which ranges from 2 to 12. Due to a writing test design enhancement, data only go back to 2016.
ACT STEM score	The ACT Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) score is calculated as the average of the 1-to-36 Mathematics and Science scale scores rounded to the nearest integer (fractions of 0.5 or greater round up). Only students who receive scores on the Mathematics and Science tests receive an ACT STEM score.
ACT ELA score	The ACT English Language Arts (ELA) score is the rounded average of the English score, the Reading score, and the Writing scale score. Only students who take all three of these tests can receive an ELA score. For the calculation of ELA scores, the sum of the Writing domain scores is converted to a scale of 1 to 36. Due to a writing test design enhancement, data only go back to 2016.
English Benchmark	An English scale score at or above 18. The benchmark represents the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher in English Composition I.
Mathematics Benchmark	A Mathematics scale score at or above 22. The benchmark represents the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher in College Algebra.
Reading Benchmark	A Reading scale score at or above 22. The benchmark represents the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher in general education college courses such as American History, Other History, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics.
Science Benchmark	A Science scale score at or above 23. The benchmark represents the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher in college Biology.
Total Benchmarks Met	The tally of the number of ACT Benchmarks met across English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science, ranging from 0 to 4.
STEM Benchmark	A STEM scale score at or above 26. The benchmark represents the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher in courses such as Calculus, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Engineering.
ELA Benchmark	An ELA scale score at or above 20. The benchmark represents the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher in courses such as English Composition I, American History, Other History, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, and Economics. Due to a writing test design enhancement, trends only go back to 2016.