COLLIERVILLE, Tennessee (December 20, 2023) – The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has released statewide ACT results and participation rates for the 2023 graduating class. Collierville Schools ranks third among 130 Tennessee school districts for both average composite score and highest percentage of students meeting the overall ACT composite benchmark.

Williamson County had the highest average composite score (24.7) and highest percent of students meeting the overall benchmark score of 21 (75%), followed by Germantown (23.9 and 70%) and Collierville (23.7 and 66.6%).

“Performance on the ACT is largely indicative of the cumulative educational experience provided to students throughout their educational career to the point the test is taken,” said Dr. Gary Lilly, Director of Schools. “Utilizing targeted support for all students through a variety of intentional ACT preparations, our students are provided with training for all sections of the ACT during their regular school day. This, in turn, is showing a direct impact on the success of each of our students on this important test.  We are blessed to have tremendous educators, involved families, and conscientious students who understand the importance of the assessment and focus on preparing for it.”

The ACT provides important measures to understand students’ college and career readiness and how Tennessee prepares the next generation to transition to postsecondary opportunities. Through Tennessee’s award-winning ACT Senior Retake program, the state offers public high school students the opportunity to take the ACT two times for free during normal school hours.  

Each fall, the department releases statewide ACT results for the most recent graduating class representing each student’s highest ACT score. The 2022-23 graduating class’s ACT results are available on the department’s Data Downloads webpage.

“In Tennessee, we are dedicated to supporting all students in preparing for graduation and future success no matter their chosen college or career path,” said Commissioner of Education, Lizzette Reynolds. “The ACT assessment is crucial for postsecondary opportunities and scholarships, and I am extremely proud of the statewide 99 percent participation rate that is thanks to the hard work of Tennessee districts, teachers, and students.”

ACT results serve as a nationally-normed measure to indicate college and career readiness. Under Tennessee’s accountability model, earning a 21 on the ACT is one of the four ways students can demonstrate that they are prepared for life after high school and a seamless entry into postsecondary education, the workplace, and the military. The ACT remains an element in the state’s Ready Graduate calculations to benefit students who were able to test and meet the ACT threshold for Ready Graduate classification.