"It was an absolutely great year for MHS in the ACT test," high school counselor Fred Gleason told school board members at their monthly meeting Monday evening.

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MHS students scored an average of 23.0 in English, math, reading and science, a score above the state average of 22.1 and the national average of 21.1. Gleason was impressed, calling the score "astounding" and "fantastic."

A total of 103 students (out of the class of 124) took the test, which is the most in past five years, the time frame for which scores are available from ACT. "And they still raised their scores by more than one point," Gleason said. "That's a fantastic gain."

Gleason beamed, saying that he can't wait to go to counselors' conferences, where the subject of ACT scores always comes up.

Gleason told board members he can't explain the increase. In a one-time preparation, teachers retaught some of the core subjects in a one-time preparation, he said, but added, "I'm extremely happy, but at a loss to explain the gain. We did nothing special -- they're just a great bunch of hard-working kids."

The group of students taking the test included some juniors, board member Diane Lyons pointed out.

Comparing McCook's scores from the past five years, this latest group of test-takers scored the highest scores in each of the core subjects: English, 22.3 points (the previous high was 21.8 in 2006); math, 22.4 ( the previous high was 22.3 in 2006); reading, 23.6, (the previous high was 22.7 in 2006); science, 22.9 (the previous high was 22.3 in 2006); composite, 23.0 (the previous high was 22.4 in 2006). Seventy-one students took the ACT test in 2006.

ACT scores also indicate a student's preparedness for college course work. The organization's "college readiness benchmark scores" are: English composition, 18 on the ACT English test; algebra, 22 on the ACT math test; social science, 21 on the ACT reading test; and biology, 24 on the ACT science test.

A benchmark score is the minimum score needed on an ACT subject-area test to indicate a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher grade, or about a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses. McCook's scores indicate that 83 percent of ACT-tested students are ready for college English (compared to 77 percent state-wide); 53 percent are ready for college algebra (compared to 49 percent state-wide); 67 percent are ready for college social science (compared to 60 percent state-wide); and 43 percent are ready for college biology (compared to 35 percent state-wide). AT MHS, 35 percent of the ACT-tested student are ready for all four, compared to 27 percent state-wide.

Superintendent Dave Schley was impressed with the ACT scores and very proud of his students. "I'm very, very excited about these scores," he told board members. "We need to make a concerted effort to toot our horns."

Across the state, 72 percent of high school seniors take the ACT. Nebraska students' composite score of 22.1 (on the ACT's 36-point scale) ranks Nebraska fourth nationally among the 23 states with at least 60 percent of their graduates taking the ACT. Nebraska trails only Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

John Moon, assessment coordinator with the Nebraska Department of Education, told the Omaha World-Herald that Nebraska schools are doing "an excellent job" preparing students to be successful in college.