Several school districts with relatively high graduation
rates in 2011 have experienced declining rates over recent
years. Trenton Special School District and Sequatchie County Schools’
graduation rates, for example, have declined by double digits from five years ago.
In these and other districts with declining rates of students completing high school, focused
efforts are needed to ensure more students earn the diplomas they need in order to pursue work or a
postsecondary credential.
When students complete high school, they also need to have the skills to succeed in college-level coursework.
In Tennessee, the ACT serves as an important indicator of college readiness across the state, as all eleventhgraders take the entrance exam. To qualify for the state’s lottery scholarship program, students must earn a
composite score of 21 or higher on the ACT’s 36-point scale. Overall, the state average score has increased from
19.5 to 19.8 from 2011 to 2015. The national average over this period has fluctuated slightly between a low of 20.9
and high of 21.1. Several districts in Tennessee, however, have posted gains in ACT scores well above the state’s
average increase.
Districts with Highest ACT Composite Scores, 2015
2015 ACT Composite Score
65
2015 ACT Composite Score
Germantown Municipal
24.1
Alcoa City
22.0
Collierville
24.0
Johnson City
21.8
Williamson County
23.8
Dyersburg City
21.7
Oak Ridge City
23.1
Elizabethton City
21.4
Maryville City
23.0
Bristol City
21.3
Tullahoma City
22.4
Dyer County
21.3
Kingsport City
22.2
Greeneville City
21.3