WASHINGTON -- Many high school graduates who took the ACT college-admissions exam are unprepared for the math and science classes they will face in college, according to a report released Tuesday.
Only about 25 percent of students in the Class of 2003 who took the ACT are likely to earn at least a C in a first-year college biology class, and only about 4 in 10 are likely to get at least a C in college algebra.
By comparison, 67 percent of graduates appeared ready for college English classes, according to the American College Testing Assessment report.
"We've heard a lot of talk recently about the inadequacy of students' writing skills," said Richard Ferguson, ACT's chief executive officer. "However, it appears that the more critical problems are in science and math."
Overall, ACT scores remained flat, a trend test officials say is linked to the growing number of students taking the test.
The average composite score was 20.8, the same as last year. The highest possible score is 36.