Washington
Washington students scored high on ACT — but few take the test – My Edmonds News

Washington high school students continue to test better on the ACT college admissions exam than their peers across the United States, according to data from the organization that administers the test.
This year’s nationwide average was 19.4, a 0.1 decrease from last year, making it the lowest average since 1991. In contrast, Washington’s average score was 24.5, the same as last year and up from 21 a decade ago.
However, only 5% of Washington’s class of 2024 took the ACT, making it tough to compare to the nationwide average. Across the country, 36% of students from the class of 2024 took the test — roughly 1.4 million.
The SAT is much more popular in Washington: 37% of the state’s high school students took the SAT last year, according to the College Board. SAT data for 2024 is not yet available.
There’s an “East Coast bias” to the ACT, said the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Washington’s bias toward the SAT may be because the National Merit Scholarship program is tied to the PSAT or preliminary SAT. The PreACT does not have a comparable scholarship program for the top 1% of exam takers.
“We are working to expand our state and district testing program in Washington,” said Catherine Hofmann, senior vice president of government and public affairs at ACT. “We are seeing more schools nationally reinstating test requirements for admission, which may increase participation in Washington.”
Washington’s public four-year universities do not require SAT or ACT scores for admission.
Hoffman also said ACT sees it as “promising” that there wasn’t a statistically significant difference from the 2023 ACT average score, considering that “a broader mix of students” are taking the test due to policy changes across the country expanding free access to the ACT during the school day.
When broken down by subject, average ACT scores in Washington were highest in reading, at 25.6, and lowest for math, at 23.7. More than 60% of Washington students who took the ACT met college readiness benchmark scores in math, reading and science, and 78% of Washington students met the English benchmark.
Nationwide, only 57% of students met one or more of the ACT’s college readiness benchmarks. Students who meet the benchmarks have about a 50% chance of earning a B or better in the corresponding first-year college courses and a roughly 75% chance of earning a C or better, according to ACT’s data.
Students who took the exam this year were freshmen during the first full year of COVID-19 learning disruptions; last year’s students were freshmen when lockdowns began.
Data from prior graduating classes shows that 84% of students who met all four benchmarks graduate with postsecondary degrees within six years. Only 38% of students who meet zero benchmarks and 56% of students meeting one benchmark graduate in that time.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misspelled Catherine Hofmann’s name as “Hoffman.”
— By Grace Deng, Washington State Standard
Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence.
Washington
Report: Arizona football to hire Washington’s Aaron Knotts as general manager
Arizona is closing in on its next general manager.
The UA is set to hire Aaron Knotts as GM, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Knotts has spent the last 12 years at Washington, where he most recently served as Director of Internal Operations and Football Strategy. Knotts previously worked as Chief of Staff and Associate Athletic Director at UW.
As general manager, Knotts will be tasked with managing Arizona’s roster through player retention, the transfer portal and high school recruiting.
Arizona’s front office is undergoing a shakeup after former GM Gaizka Crowley left for the same position at Arkansas. Crowley and Director of Scouting Fletcher Kelly played a big role in building Arizona’s roster in the first two years under Brent Brennan. Kelly is expected to follow Crowley to Arkansas, according to Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority.
Knotts began his coaching career as a tight ends coach at Division III Centre College (Ky.) before joining Chris Petersen’s staff at UW in the fall of 2014. Prior to working in operations and administration, Knotts served in various recruiting and personnel roles at UW.
Knotts was promoted to Associate Athletic Director/Chief of Staff in 2024. In his role as Associate Athletic Director, Knotts part of a three-person search committee for UW’s head football coach in 2024, which resulted in the Huskies hiring Jedd Fisch from Arizona.
Now Knotts in departing Fisch’s UW program to run Arizona’s front office.
Washington
Washington Capitals 2025-26 W Magazine Now Available | Washington Capitals
Arlington, Va. – W Magazine, a lifestyle publication produced by the Washington Capitals, is now available for purchase online at www.washcaps.com/wmagazine and at the Team Store at Capital One Arena and at the Team Store at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The fan-favorite magazine, which features content surrounding every Capitals player along with hundreds of personal, never-before-seen family photos, is available for $8 plus shipping. In addition, season ticket members will receive a complimentary issue, with copies for season ticket members available at the Planholder Hub on the 100-level concourse during Capitals home games.
The cover story, written by Capitals senior writer Mike Vogel, goes in-depth with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois. Vogel speaks with Dubois, his teammates and family members for an extensive feature on the phone call that changed Dubois’ life and shaped his future with the Capitals franchise. Spanning more than 200 pages, W offers exclusive photography of Capitals players and their families, along with lifestyle content and interviews with every member of the 2025-26 roster. Highlights include:
- John Carlson on fishing in Maryland with his sons
- Brandon Duhaime on spearfishing and his related YouTube channel
- Ryan Leonard on moving to D.C. and living with the Dubois family
- Charlie Lindgren on his first offseason as a dad
- Alex Ovechkin on celebrating back home after becoming the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer
- Logan Thompson on his love of dogs
- Trevor van Riemsdyk on pop-a-shot and pickleball
The magazine also features an in-depth look at the Capital One Arena transformation project, including exclusive photos, insights into future phases and Capitals player reactions to the new Capitals locker room complex. A special interview with Monumental Sports Network’s Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin reflects on the historic 50th anniversary season, while a day-in-the-life piece with Caps Radio’s John Walton and Katie Florio brings readers behind-the-scenes of a home game radio broadcast.
Additional features include a look at a regular day for former Capitals service dog in training Biscuit – now a facility dog at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – and a photographic recap of Alex Ovechkin’s historic 2024-25 season. A new “Beyond the Boards” section spotlights community stories, while the fan-favorite “Short Shifts” section returns with Capitals players sharing thoughts on topics such as the best singer on the team, funniest teammate, personal goals beyond hockey, what everyone should try at least once, their ideal entrance theme song and more.
The magazine also profiles members of the Capitals Black Hockey Committee and introduces fans to the team driving the organization’s youth hockey initiatives.
W design services were provided by Matt Ryan. Player photography was provided by Greg Powers with assistance from Damon Banks. The cover featuring Pierre-Luc Dubois was photographed on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., with the assistance of captains and crew from City Cruises. Players were photographed for the publication at Origin in Arlington, Va.
Washington
Ginger’s Journey: Walking from Washington State to Washington, D.C.
Imagine setting out, on foot, for a journey not knowing how long it would take. Now imagine doing it with two animals as traveling partners from Washington State to Washington, D.C.
“Now I’ve started this leg of the journey in Morton, Washington where I was spiritually requested to go to Washington, D.C. and sing the song ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon on the Capitol steps,” says Jacob Holiday.
Jacob Holiday is on his way across America so he can sing a song he says signifies peace in the hopes, he says, of ending violence everywhere.
“I want so much peace. Cops would no longer carry firearms. We’re going to send the militaries of every country, I don’t care which one you’re talking about but every country, home to go to sleep. I don’t care what they do. But I want all this violence, everything, all this violence to stop.”
He has two wagons and his traveling companions are a dog and a goat. Holiday started in Washington State in July and he’s not worried about how long his hike across America will take.
His multi-state trek has seen him encounter a lot along the way, including a run-in with a bear.
He carries food for himself and his dog and his goat on carts that he says weigh a couple hundred pounds. Besides necessities, Holiday has one thing he’d greatly appreciate receive being able to buy as he continues his mission.
Holiday says he knows his mission isn’t an easy one, and he uses it as a metaphor for life as a whole.
We caught up with Holiday in the early part of November on a 70-degree day in Cambridge, Nebraska then spoke to him again a few days later in the rain as he headed east on Highways 6 and 34, so no telling how far he’s gotten now.
After we met with Holiday, we did notify the local sheriff to perform a welfare check, but we’re told Holiday wanted to continue his walk with his Capitol Steps goal still ahead of him. We also offered him food for himself and his animals, which he declined saying he had enough food on his carts.
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