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Should All KS Students Take The ACT?

Some state officials are wondering if all Kansas students should be required to take the ACT college readiness exam.

Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker says she talked to Gov. Sam Brownback recently about the topic. She told the Board of Education this week that there are some benefits to having more students take the test.

"Kids who may not have had the confidence to take it may go, 'Huh, I didn't do too bad. I'm glad I took that test because now maybe it opens a door for me,'" she says.

But DeBacker says some students have no desire to take the ACT and including them will likely bring down the state's composite score on the test. ACT scores in Kansas are down slightly this year but are still above the national average. The Kansas composite score went from 21.9 to 21.8.

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.