With another school year right around the corner, here's something you probably already know, South Dakota is filled full of a bunch of smart cookies.

The proof was just released in a recent report that shows South Dakota students have been testing above the national average on their ACTs for the past few years.

The Department of Education released the numbers, showing the national average in 2015 for the college-readiness test is 21.

The average score here in South Dakota is 21.9.

The ACT is one of two commonly used college entrance exams. It includes four subject-area tests in English, math, reading and science. The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36.

ACT tests are not required to be taken by students in South Dakota, but 76 percent of the 2015 graduating class ended up taking the test anyway.

Students are able to choose the higher–education institutions they want their scores sent to says Melody Schopp, the Secretary of Education for the state of South Dakota.

According to Schopp, "The high ACT participation rate is an indicator that many of our students are considering pursuing some sort of postsecondary education."

Source: KEVN

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