The 2016 ACT report released recently showed that Coweta County School System students outscored state and national averages for the college entrance exam.

The school system’s average composite ACT score rose to 21.5 in 2016, compared to a Georgia composite score of 21.1 on the exam and a national composite score of 20.8.

All three Coweta County high schools outperformed state and national ACT averages, and the Coweta County School System’s overall results place the district in the top 10 percent of Georgia school districts, said school system spokesman Dean Jackson.

The ACT is a national college admissions examination that measures what students learn in high school to determine their academic readiness for college. The ACT composite is the exam’s overall score, which combines the ACT’s four subject tests (English, mathematics, reading and science). ACT results are accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the U.S.

Composite scores for Coweta’s three high schools showed a score of 21.4 for East Coweta, 21.2 for Newnan High and 22.1 for Northgate High, resulting in a system score of 21.5

“It is encouraging to see the positive gains that have occurred on this national assessment,” said Superintendent Steve Barker. “While it is important to note that our school system’s vision of ensuring the success of each student can’t be measured with a single number, student achievement data such as the ACT results do provide us with valuable feedback on our instructional strategies and on our overall instructional program.

“These positive results reflect the strong alignment of our efforts as a school system and as a community. The hard work of our teachers and students and the support of our parents and community stakeholders are appreciated,” said Barker.

Overall student performance on the ACT placed the Coweta County School System in the top 10 percent of 167 Georgia districts reported.

In total, 909 students, approximately 60 percent, of Coweta County’s 2016 graduates took the ACT exam. That is a 5 percent increase from the 863 students who took the exam in the 2015 graduating class, Jackson said.

The Coweta County School System’s average scores in the ACT exams’ four subject areas have also reflected positive trends in recent years. In 2016, Coweta students outscored state and national averages on three of the four test sections (English, reading and science) and scored the same on one (math).