Illinois has highest-performing students on ACTs

Standardized testing is one way to measure the achievements of a school based on how well their students perform.

Following the release of the ACTs, Illinois was ranked number one in the country for highest score, according to the Journal-Standard. The average score for students in the state was 20.7, which is up from 20.5 in 2006.

The Illinois State Board of Education announced that it was the highest among eight states that tested 90 percent or more of their students with the ACTs. Schools across the country were asked to choose a form of assessment to demonstrate No Child Left Behind and Illinois chose the ACTs.

"It's a great college admissions test ... whether it's useful for No Child Left Behind - I think the state really overestimated its usefulness for all populations," Jennifer Kanosky, a guidance counselor at Freeport High School, told the news provider. "It's not necessarily useful for students in all populations to be measured on a college readiness exam."

According to the Washington Post, the ACTs are typically used in the Midwest, southwest and mountain states.