Moore County ACT results surge in 2025

9:17 a.m. Dec. 11, 2025

Moore County ACT results surge in 2025

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Moore County students posted one of the most significant gains in Tennessee on the ACT this year, with the percentage of graduates meeting the college-readiness benchmark jumping more than 20 points, according to results released Wednesday, Dec. 10, by the Tennessee Department of Education.

Moore County Schools saw the share of students scoring at least a 21 on the ACT rise from 29.8% in 2024 to 50.0% in 2025 – a 20.2% increase that ranked among the largest improvements statewide. The state uses a benchmark score of 21 as one indicator of college and career readiness.

The local gains come as Tennessee reported near-universal participation in ACT testing for the graduating class of 2025. Statewide, 99% of seniors took the ACT, and the average composite score held steady at 19.3%, unchanged from the previous year.

The ACT is administered statewide through Tennessee’s ACT Senior Retake program, which allows public high school students to take the exam twice at no cost during the school day. State officials say the program has helped ensure broad participation and more accurate measures of student readiness.

Across the state, 129 of Tennessee’s 130 school districts met or exceeded the state’s 95% ACT participation requirement in 2025. More than 114 districts posted participation rates of 99% or higher.

While the overall statewide composite score remained flat, the department reported modest gains among several student groups. Economically disadvantaged students saw their average score increase from 16.6 to 16.7, students with disabilities from 14.9 to 15.0, and English learners posted the largest increase, rising from 13.6 to 14.6.

Public charter schools also improved, with their average composite score rising from 17.1 in 2024 to 17.6 in 2025. Participation among charter school students exceeded 99% statewide.

Statewide, 37.2 percent of the graduating class of 2025 met the ACT benchmark, an increase for several student populations. The percentage of economically disadvantaged students meeting the benchmark rose from 17.7% to 18.3%, students with disabilities from 8.6% to 9.2%, and English learners from 2.3% to 6.3%.

Under Tennessee’s accountability system, earning a 21 on the ACT or a 1060 on the SAT is one of four pathways that demonstrate readiness for postsecondary education or the workforce.