The 2019 ACT results for Mississippi juniors were released Friday by the Mississippi Department of Education. Pearl River County, Poplarville and Picayune school districts all scored higher than the state average score of 17.6.

However the statewide average for graduating seniors was a bit below the national average.

Statewide, public school graduating seniors in 2019 had an average ACT score of 18.1, while nationwide 2019 graduating students had an average score of 20.7, according to a Mississippi Department of Education press release.

The ACT college entrance exam is given to all Mississippi juniors to evaluate student learning and ensure they have the skills needed for college or a career when they graduate high school, according to the MDE site.

The percentage of juniors meeting the benchmark scores in all four ACT subjects remained at 9 percent in 2018 and 2019, the release states.

Pearl River Central High School

The composite ACT score for juniors at Pearl River Central was 19.3 based on 250 students who took the test. In 2018, 216 students took the test and those results led to a score of 19.2.

The school’s 2019 average reading score was 19.8, the average science score was 19.6, the English average was 19.1, and the average math score was 18.4.

Picayune Memorial High School

The composite ACT score for juniors attending Picayune Memorial High School was 18.2 and 198 students took the test. In 2018, the composite score was 19.1 and 184 students took the test.

The school’s 2019 reading average was 18.4, the average science score was 18.4, the average score in English was 18.2 and the average math score was 17.4.

Poplarville High School

Poplarville High School’s junior composite ACT score was 18.8 and 148 students took the exam. In 2018, 143 students took the test, which resulted in a composite score of 18.7.

The school’s 2019 average reading score was 19.5, the average science score was 18.9, the English average was 18.2 and the average math score was 18.1.

Statewide

Across the state of Mississippi, 29,817 high school juniors took the test in 2019, resulting in a composite score of 17.6. In 2018, 30,682 students took the exam with a composite score of 17.8.

In 2019, the average science score was 17.9, the average reading score was 17.8, the average math score was 17.4 and the average English score was 16.8.

In 2019, 39 percent of Mississippi juniors met the benchmark score for college English composition, 24 percent met the college social science benchmark, 18 percent met the college biology benchmark and 15 percent met the benchmark for college algebra.