CONYERS - Rockdale County Public Schools' newly released ACT test scores remained steady despite a larger number of students taking the test compared to last year.

The ACT is a national college admissions exam which measures achievement in English, mathematics, reading and science with an optional writing component.

RCPS had an overall ACT composite score of 19.2, which is the same as last year's score and is just below the state and nation at 21. There were a total of 655 students who took the ACT, which is up from 594 students last year. Scores tend to go down as more students take the test.

"Our results remained steady with a larger number of students taking the test," says Superintendent Richard Autry. "Overall, we still have work to do; however, we are pleased to see that our Black, White, and Hispanic disaggregated results show each group is outperforming their peers at the national level. We must continue to focus on preparing our students through exposure to rigorous coursework and targeted test preparation. It is great to see that so many of our students aspire to go to college. We advise our students and parents to follow our planning guidelines and take advantage of our free test preparation during the school year, summer break and through Rockdale Virtual Campus."

RCPS created academic rigor maps as basic guides for students and parents to choose the best pathway for college and career readiness. Each middle and high school has the brochures available which can also be found on the RCPS College and Career Readiness page on www.rockdale.k12.ga.us under the Student section. For more information about the ACT and test preparation, please visit www.act.org.