Although more students are taking the American College Test in the Lee County School District, their score averages still fall below those at the state and national levels.

Last year 3,073 students took the ACT compared to 2,706 students during the 2009-2010 school year. The 13.5 percent increase was more than the state’s increase of 3.6 percent for test takers. During the 2010-2011 school year, a total of 117,575 students took the ACT test statewide.

In Lee County, students received an average score of 18.0 for English, 19.0 for math, 19.7 for reading and 18.5 for science. Overall, the composite score was 18.9 compared to last year’s score of 19.0.

The scores of the ACT test reported on a scale ranging from 1 to 36 points.

“We continue to work to provide students with various educational opportunities and I am glad to see ACT participation increasing,” Superintendent Dr. Joseph Burke said in a prepared statement.

The school district implemented a plan two years ago that registers all seniors for the ACT who did not successfully complete the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Since the state graduation requirements allow students to use their passing ACT scores to graduate, it has increased the number of students taking the test, as well as graduation rates.

In Florida, the average ACT composite score was 19.6 by 66 percent of the graduates. The score for English was 18.8, math was 19.9, reading was 20.2 and science was 19.1.

In addition to Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky received the lowest ACT scores.

The average score in Mississippi was 18.7 by 100 percent of the graduates tested; Tennessee was 19.5 by 100 percent of the graduates tested and Kentucky was 19.6 by 100 percent of the graduates.

The highest ACT composite scores were earned in Massachusetts with 24.2 by 22 percent of the graduates; Connecticut with 23.9 by 26 percent of the graduates; New Hampshire with 23.7 by 18 percent of the graduates; New York with 23.4 by 28 percent of the graduates and Maine with 23.3 by 9 percent of the graduates.