LINCOLN - ACT scores released Wednesday reveal substantial gaps in readiness between ethnic and racial groups — with poverty correlating closely to lower test scores.

In Nebraska, 24,744 graduates took the ACT exam, which gauges college readiness in reading, English, math and science. Some 42% of white test-takers and 38% of Asians met three or all four of ACT’s college readiness benchmarks. Benchmarks are the target scores that the nonprofit organization uses to predict success on college coursework. Other Nebraska groups were substantially lower: 9% of black students, 14% of Hispanics, 9% of American Indians and 19% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.

Closing the gaps is a long-term project, Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said. “Addressing next year’s sophomores is probably not going to eliminate those gaps,” he said.

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