SALEM, Ore. — The number of Oregon high schools graduates taking the ACT exam who show they are ready for college is up slightly for the class of 2012.

Results released Wednesday show 29 percent of the 12,462 graduates who took the exam this year met benchmarks for college readiness in all four subjects — English, reading, math and science.

That is up slightly from the 27 percent posted in 2011, and compares to 25 percent nationwide.

Rob Saxton, acting deputy state superintendent of education, says he is "keenly aware" that Oregon's performance is flat overall, and says the redesign of Oregon's education system should improve performance.

He adds he is particularly concerned that scores for black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and Native American students lag far behind scores for white and Asian students.