Tomorrow – Wednesday, Oct. 17 – ACT will release 2018 results for the nation and states. Note that as in years past, the scores ACT will release tomorrow are NOT the official 2018 Tennessee public school results.
The data ACT will release tomorrow is based on the scores from students’ most recent ACT exam, which is not necessarily their best ACT score if they took the ACT more than one time. At the department, we use students’ highest score in our accountability system and public reporting because that is the number that is used when a student is being considered for postsecondary admission, course placement, or scholarship qualification, and we want to recognize their best attempt.
We feel this is particularly important given that Tennessee is the only state in the country that pays for students to take the ACT twice—once in the spring as a junior and a retake opportunity in the fall of their senior year. We are working with our districts and finalizing ACT data now, and we expect to release the official 2018 Tennessee public school ACT results the week of Oct. 29.
While you certainly may report on the “most recent” ACT results tomorrow, which will include a mixture of public and private school scores, the department will not release ACT data nor any additional context until we finalize the “best of” ACT results. Additionally, any data school districts have about their “best of” scores is embargoed until the state release. Again, the “best of” results will be the scores we share publicly, include on the state report card, and use in our accountability systems. That number will be different than the number that is released tomorrow.
Be aware that you may cause your readers and viewers confusion in reporting tomorrow’s number and then sharing a second 2018 number in a couple weeks, and we would appreciate your diligence in ensuring clarity.