NEW ORLEANS- Louisiana still ranks below the national average - and near the bottom among all states - in average composite scores for students taking the ACT college readiness test.
    
However, state officials note that the state did move up in the latest national ACT data. And the state education department says the state's improvement from 19.2 to a 19.4 composite score is the most progress made by any of the 13 states that require all students to take the test.
    
Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina and Hawaii had lower scores in the figures released early Wednesday.
    
Louisiana had been second from the bottom.
    
Louisiana began requiring all students to take the ACT in 2013, regardless of whether they planned to enter college. Many states with higher average composite scores had lower participation.