Illinois students inch up ACT scores, but still below the national average

Illinois' Class of 2011 posted the highest average ACT score in a decade — 20.9 — but the performance fell below the national average and most graduates left high school unprepared for key college classes.
This year, Illinois students inched up their scores on three tests, moving from 20.3 to 20.6 in English, 20.7 to 20.9 in math and 20.5 to 20.7 in science. The reading score remained unchanged, at 20.8. The overall score of 20.9 lagged the national average of 21.1.The highest possible score is 36.