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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1992)
State students beat national ACT/SAT scores High test scores may not ensure college success By Corey Russman * Staff Reporter Nebraska high school students tak ing the ACT scored above the na tional average for the third straight year, but that doesn’t guarantee they will perform better in college, a UNL official said. Nebraska’s average of 21.2 was above the national average of 20.6 on the American College Test, said Lisa Schmidt, director of high school and college relations at the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln. **> > The average ACT score for UNL’s incoming freshmen during the 1991 - 92 school year was 22.4. B ul Schm idl said ACT scores d idn ’ t predict success in college. Instead, the scores reflect how many college preparatory courses a student took in high school, she said. Students who take more college preparatory courses arc going to have higher ACT scores, Schmidt said. In that sense, students who have higher ACT scores may be belter pre pared for college, she said. By taking college preparatory classes, she said, students have the base of knowledge they need to get started on the right foot in college. But the rest of their success is up to them, Schmidt said. Nebraska, along with the rest of the Midwest, lends To have higher ACT scores because of the quality of its schools and students, Schmidt said. In the Midwest, there is a strong em phasis on education, she said. Stales such as Nebraska also have higher scores because of their low populations, Schmidtsaid. States with low populations don’t seem to have a mass of students at the bottom of the scoring scale, she said.v The ACT is based on a 36-point scale and tests students in the areas of English, math, reading and science reasoning. UNL admission standards now re quire students to obtain at Icasta20on the ACT, graduate in the top half of their class or complete a set of core courses. Most people requesting ad mission to UNL are able to get a 20 on their ACT, Schmidt said. If the proposed changes in admis sion standards arc passed at UNL, she said, students will be required to take Standardized testing /\ in Nebraska vs. nationr^ Nebraska Nation UNL Max. Freshmen 1991 Hi SATS 19921=3 H'..-m 1 ver^a* "5 Source SAT: AP, ACTHigh School & College math Relations Office Brian Shrtllto/DN more core courses before entering the university. Schmidt said that taking more core courses would help stu dents improve their test scores. But, she said, “being successful in college is the goal, not getting good ACT scores.” Jody Price/DN A group of about eight Lincoln residents and students protests a speech by former Drug Czar William Bennett at the Lied Center for Performing Arts Thursday. I Protesters challenge Bennett n.. l ■« .• . . . .. M • • uj ucicmy i iupauii/i\ Staff Reporter About eight people supporting the legalization of drugs protested Wil liam Bennett’s speech Thursday at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The protesters said they opposed' Bennett’s advocacy of strict measures to proscc utc drug users. Be nnett served as “drug czar” in the Bush administra tion between 1989 and 1990. Chas Baylor, a Lincoln resident and University of Ncbraska-Lincoln graduate, said the war on drugs was m.iiig um.u uy iiiu guvcr mucin luuuiiy people their rights. “I think the drug war is an excuse to impose a police state on the coun try, and they arc taking away our civil rights with it,” he said. Shawn Russell, a Lincoln resident, played the guitar and said marijuana use was not wrong. “I think marijuana should be legal ized,” Russell said. “It’s basically just a big scare tactic that it isn’t. “(Marijuana) is something created by this planet — whether it’s by your god or mine. “It’s there for a purpose, and the u.o. government pulling iimii.s on what you can do with mother earth is wrong,” Russell said. Bennett said in his speech that the legalization of drugs was “absolutely wrong.” “I know (marijuana) is not co caine, and it’s not heroin,” Bennett said. “I also know about half of the people who use marijuana move on to more serious drugs.” Bennett said drug use was not a victimless crime, contrary to the claims of legalization advocates. “This thing has real social conse quences,” he said. Fouraker Continued from Page 1 Last January, he was charged with first-degree assault and assault of a police officer. The charges were dis missed when intense psychological evaluation at St. Joseph’s Center for Mental Health in Omaha revealed that Baldwin suffered from menial illness. Nebraska ’ s alh lelic dcparlmcni had paid for Baldwin’s counseling and treatment from January until the shoot ing. Fourakcr said the athletic depart ment had paid $29,103 for Baldwin’s treatment since January—a figure he said probably would be final. Mary Vodicka, a spokeswoman for St. Joseph Medical Center in Omaha, said Baldwin was not covered by a health insurance plan and the source of payment for the thousands of dol lars in medical bills was unclear. Vodicka said she did not know what Baldwin’s total medical ex penses would be but added that the hospital would submit bills to theCity of Omaha in hopes of receiving pay ment for at least part of the cost. Declining scores actually may be a positive sign By Sarah Scalet Staff Reporter Declining SAT scores in Nebraska will not have a big impact and actu ally may be a good sign, a UNL official said. The decrease in SAT scores prob ably means more high school students arc taking it, said Lisa Schmidt, direc tor of high school and college rela tions at the University of Ncbraska Lincoln. This means more students arc con sidering college, Schmidt said, which would make thfc decline in test scores indirectly positive. Although scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test are rising nationwide, Nebraska students continue to score higher than national averages, she said, because Nebraska high schools graduate good students. Verbal scores in Nebraska fell from 481 in 1991 to478 in 1992, and math scores fell from 543 to 540,according to The Associated Press. The national average for verbal scores rose from 422 in 1991 to423 in 1992. Math scores rose from 474 to 476. The highest possible score for each section is 800. Schmidt said the drops probably did not represent a trend, partially because most Nebraska high school students look the American College Test, or ACT, instead of the SAT. If a proposal to tighten admission standards at UNL was passed, scores would increase, she said. The stricter admissions standards would require UNL applicants to lake more college preparatory courses. —— POLICE REPORT-1 ueginnmg miam^ni weanesaay 7:19a.m.—False llrcalarm, Mabel Lee Hall. 1:53 p.m. — Two-vehicle, non injury accident, 19th and U streets. 4:11 p.m. — Bicycle stolen, Nc oraska Union, SI 17. 5:00 p.m. — Man thrown from horse, EastCampus rodeo grounds, transported to Lincoln General Hospital, 23(X) S. 16th St. 11:47 p.m. — Window broken, Harper Residence Hall food ser vice, S90. dOerL SC Oddity Js | Homemade Premium Ice Cream In the Haymarket at 701 P Street Open til 11:00 p.m. weekdays, midnight on Friday and Saturday; i i 40 cents off a malt, sundae or mix-in with this coupon Coupon expires 10-31-92/One item per coupon Introductory Deli Special! 1/4 lb. Hamburger & French Fries $1.29 ll:30am-7:30pm Dine and shop in one stop! B & R IGA 17th & Washington __Sit down or Carey out f ~ ' ‘ \ HEATER Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery; University ol Nebraska Linco n ^^^^MM^^J2jh^RJ>jreets1Uncol[L_NE6g5a8:0302; Film Information Phone: 402/472-5353 . Screenings 7 & 9:30 p.m. Daily Matinees on Saturdays at 12:30 & 3 p.m. _and Sundays at 2 & 4:30 p.m. UNL STUDENTS WITH I.D. ONLY $4
