Following state and national trends, Lincoln Public Schools' senior ACT scores dipped last year, while other area schools showed robust results on the national college entrance exam.
That's according to a recent Journal Star survey of high schools in Lancaster County following the release of data last fall that revealed dramatic declines by the class of 2022 on the test.
Nationally, the ACT composite score for last year's seniors was 19.8, the first time it's dropped below 20 since 1991. Statewide, that number was 19.4, down from 20.0 in 2021.
The trend is replicated at LPS, which saw its scores dip below 20 for the first time in three years. Last year's high school seniors on average got 19.5 on the test, down more than a full point from 2021.
The declines are not surprising to Matt Larson, associate superintendent of instruction.
"I think that's clearly an impact of the pandemic," he said. "That senior class had three disrupted years of education."
All six high schools saw some kind of drop, most noticeably at Lincoln High and North Star, which dipped by 1.8 and 1.3 points on the composite respectively.
Most schools across the country, however, do not test as many students as either LPS or Nebraska.
Nebraska tests all juniors in public schools as part of yearly state assessments. Seniors can retake the test and submit a new score to colleges or can report their junior score.
Approximately 1.3 million U.S. high school seniors took the ACT last year, including 94% of Nebraska graduates and 93% of LPS grads. Out of the 14 states that test more than 90% of graduates, only Utah had a better composite score.
The ACT contains English, reading, math and science sections, as well as an optional essay. The highest score is 36.
At other high schools in Lincoln and Lancaster County, scores remained well above the state average. Lincoln Christian School led the pack with a composite score of 24.7, followed by Lincoln Pius X (24) and Norris (23.7).
Zach Kassebaum, superintendent of Lincoln Christian, credited his staff and administrators and their response to the challenges of the past three years.
"We took a strong stance that we needed to provide as normal a learning environment as possible," he said Wednesday. "And I believe that not only helped the students academically but also helped their social-emotional health."
The scores of other area schools that responded to the Journal Star's survey include Lincoln Lutheran, 22.8; Malcolm, 21.9; Raymond Central, 19.6; and Waverly, 20.
Students at nonpublic schools like Pius X are not required to take the test, but many have high participation rates. Out of the 264 seniors who graduated from Pius X in 2022, for example, 233 took the test.
Many colleges have moved away from using entrance exams like the ACT as a prerequisite for admission. The number of students taking the ACT has declined 30% since 2018 as graduates increasingly forgo college and because some universities are no longer requiring admissions tests, The Associated Press reported in October when scores were unveiled.
Such tests have faced criticism for putting minority and low-income students at a disadvantage to their peers who have better access to expensive test prep or advanced courses, according to the AP.
Over the past semester, the impact of the pandemic on students has come into greater focus. Last month, the state released assessments results from last spring that showed a drastic pandemic slide for many.
LPS also released scores from this fall's Measure of Academic Progress in November, which revealed declines in students' reading and math skills, but not to the level of their peers nationally.
Larson said the district's junior ACT scores are more encouraging, with the composite score remaining steady at 19.2, with some high schools even seeing improvements.
LPS' on-time graduation rate also improved at every high school last year, a sign, officials say, that investments of federal pandemic relief are keeping students on track.