Arkansas students' ACT scores take a hit

Why it matters: The scores are the latest indication of COVID-19's impact on education, with academic performance and test scores declining at all levels, Axios' April Rubin writes. The 2023 cohort was in its first year of high school when the pandemic began.

How it works: Composite scores are an average of a test taker's math, science, reading and English scores. A perfect score is 36.

Details: Arkansas' average composite score this year was 18.6, down from 18.8 a year ago and 20.4 in 2014. The national average this year was 19.5.

Zoom out: The University of Arkansas allows applicants with a GPA of at least 3.2 to be considered regardless of ACT score. University leadership called GPA a better predictor of student success.