ACT study focuses on student readiness for college or careers

On December 6, ACT, Inc. released a new report aimed at assisting states as they begin implementing the Common Core State Standards. This first-of-its-kind research report, entitled a A First Look at the Common Core and College and Career Readiness, provides an estimate of current student performance on the Common Core State Standards using ACT college- and career-readiness data. The report also provides recommendations for local educators and state and federal policymakers that will be particularly helpful to the 44 states that are moving from adoption to implementation of the common standards.

States adopting the Common Core State Standards will have work to do to bring their students up to college- and career- readiness levels on the standards, according to the report’s findings. The report analyzed the test results of more than 250,000 11th-grade students in several states who were administered select forms of the ACT Plus Writing exam in spring 2010 as part of their states’ annual testing programs.

“The results of this study suggest that far too many of today’s students will graduate from high school unprepared for college-level work or career training programs without some type of remediation in English language arts or mathematics,” said ACT President and COO Cynthia B. Schmeiser. “The time is now for state, district, and school leaders to begin targeting those areas of the Common Core where performance is weakest so that all students are prepared for college and career opportunities.”

To access the full report, visit this page on the ACT website.