The Manhattan High School ACT composite score continues to exceed state and national averages. The 2017 
composite score for Manhattan High School is 23.2. The state average is 21.7 and the national average is 20.8 Last year’s MHS composite score was 24.0 and the state composite score was 21.9. The percentage of 2017 Manhattan High School ACT participants that met all four college readiness benchmarks was 43%. Nationally, the rate was 29%.
Below is a graph of the 2017 Scores for USD 383/State of KS:
# of students testing English Math Reading Science Composite
281/24,741 22.4 / 21.1 22.9 / 21.3 23.7 / 22.3 23.2 / 21.7 23.2/21.7
“Manhattan High School continues to outperform the state and the nation on this important college and career readiness measure. The performance of 2017 seniors is a credit to the seniors, their parents, and educators at all levels in USD 383. Today, more than ever before, it is imperative that students exit our building prepared for post-secondary studies or direct entry into the workforce,” states MHS Principal Greg Hoyt.
“For us to improve as a district, it is imperative that we be as transparent with our relative shortcomings as we are with our successes. With 2017 ACT scores, 43% of exam takers meet all four college readiness benchmarks, which is down from 48% the prior year (nationally the 2017 rate was 29%, down from 31%). The two test administrations involve different sets of students, yet the reality is we want significantly higher percentages of our students to leave USD 383 ready to be successful lifelong learners, earners and citizens,” comments Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade. “Improvement over time rarely follows a straight trajectory. Just as we did when ACT scores went up in 2016, we are reviewing the 2017 ACT Profile report for data that, when combined with other indicators of student preparation, will help us make informed decisions about how best to improve the college and career readiness of our students. I am proud of our students, teachers and parents, and look forward to the many successes we’ll celebrate together in the future.”
The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam designed to measure the academic skills that are taught in schools and deemed important for success in first-year college courses. ACT scores are accepted at all four-year colleges and universities across the country. ACT scores are also used to make appropriate course placement decisions by the majority of four-year schools in the U.S. The ACT is administered in all 50 states and is taken by the majority of high school graduates in 26 states.