DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A new report shows little progress in the effort to increase the percentage of Iowa high school students who are ready for college-level courses. Iowa City testing company ACT Inc. says only 30 percent of the 23,000 test-takers scored well enough to be considered ready for college-level courses in English, reading, math and science.  The figure has remained stable over the past five years, despite Iowa’s better-than-average ACT scores.

State education leaders have cited the report as evidence that change is needed to prepare more Iowa students for success beyond high school. The results were compiled from 28 states where at least half of the Class of 2012 took the test. Iowa and Wisconsin tied with the second-highest overall composite scores. Minnesota ranked first.