Hawai'i's high school graduating class of 2005 scored higher overall than students did a year ago on the national ACT college placement test, and did better than the national average for the fifth year in a row.

Public and private high school students inched forward in every one of the four subjects over graduating seniors a year ago, and exceeded the national average in every subject as well as the composite score.

The average Hawai'i score was 21.9 out of a possible 36. The national average was 20.9.

A year ago Hawai'i students had a composite of 21.7, with the national average last year also at 20.9.

"Hawai'i's students have consistently performed well on the ACT," state schools superintendent Pat Hamamoto said. "These results reflect the combined scores of public and private school students who all deserve our congratulations for a job well done."

"It's wonderful to hear," said Robert McClelland, director of the Planning and Evaluation Office for the Department of Education. "There's more and more focus on really preparing kids for what they need to do after high school and preparing them to be lifelong learners."

But the results also make it clear that thousands of students across the country are struggling with key life skills. Almost half of the 2005 high school graduates nationally lacked adequate reading comprehension to succeed in college, while a majority lacked the skills for college success in math and science.

However, there were several encouraging trends, including a surge in the number of minority students taking the test, suggesting that more underrepresented students are considering college.

Of all groups taking the test, Asian-American students scored the highest.

Since 2001 the number of minority students taking the test has risen from 24 percent that year to 27 percent this year.

Mike Baker, president of the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools, who also is president of Maryknoll School, said of the encouraging Hawai'i results: "Our kids will have a better chance of acceptance at Mainland schools. Whether they choose those or not is not what's important, but whether they have the opportunities."

The DOE's McClelland also was encouraged.

"We need to look at our schools with multiple measures," said McClelland, who noted that this is one more way to measure student achievement, just as the Hawai'i State Assessment levels released a week ago, is a measure. Those scores showed mixed results, with students in the lower grades improving and students in the upper grades gaining little.

McClelland said the rising scores are beginning to show the value of the standards-based curriculum being implemented in the public schools.

Richard L. Ferguson, ACT’s chief executive officer, said he believes the new statistics reflect “the many recent state and national policies and initiatives designed to increase student achievement so that more students are ready for college and work after high school.”

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.