SACRAMENTO — ACT reports today that California's graduating public and private high school seniors in 2004 earned an average composite score of 21.6 on the ACT college admissions test, up from 21.5 in 2003, and 21.4 in 2002. California's average this year is significantly higher than the national ACT average score of 20.9, with a top score of 36. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued this statement today about California's average score rising for the second straight year:

"I want to congratulate students who helped raise the average ACT college admissions test score to 21.6, the highest score ever for California students," said O'Connell. "This provides further evidence that when you have high expectations and increase rigor, our students succeed. Scores like this are why I introduced my high school initiative and why I will continue to fight to see it enacted.

"The increase in test scores is especially encouraging because the number of California students taking the ACT test is also increasing. More than 50,000 graduates in 2004 took the exam, up 36 percent from five years ago, and up 3 percent from last year in the state. Now we need to focus on ensuring that all California students achieve similar success."

ACT is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides assessment, research, information, and program-management services in education, planning, career planning, and workforce development. For more information, please visit ACT: Resources for Education and Workplace Success [http://www.act.org/] (Outside Source).