The ACT is a college entrance examine taken by graduating seniors. The test is based on high school curriculum and contains four parts — English, reading, mathematics and science. The test is scored on a scale of one to 36.

According to school system data, 1,053 12th-grade students took the test in 2011 — or about 49 percent of the senior class.

Cherokee County students saw slight increases in three of the four portions of the test, as well as the composite, or overall, scores.

The average composite score for Cherokee County in 2011 is 22.3, which is up from 22.2 last year.

The national average composite score is 21.1, while the state average is 20.6.

“This report reiterates the increasing progress made by [the school district] to provide our students not only with a competitive and rigorous curriculum, but also with guidance on the most appropriate assessment instruments for successful college admission,” Cherokee Schools Superintendent Frank Petruzielo said in a letter releasing the test results.

In the individual test segments, Cherokee students showed a 0.1 point increase in the average score in the English, math and reading segments — scoring 21.9, 22.3 and 22.7, respectfully.

The average score in the science portion stayed the same, at 21.9.

The neighboring Cobb County School District also saw increases in the average ACT composite score.

Cobb seniors scored an average 22.4 in 2011, up from 22.2 in 2010.

Of the Cherokee School District’s five regular program high schools, Etowah High School performed the best on the ACT.

The school’s composite score average in 2011 is 23.2. That score is down slightly from 23.6 in 2010.