Dive Brief:
- A smaller share of ACT test-takers were considered college-ready at the end of the 2015-16 school year than the prior year, but the dip in scores was expected with the increase in the number of students taking the test.
- The Washington Post reports 64% of the 2016 graduating class took the test, compared to 59% of the previous class, and 38% were considered college-ready in at least three out of four subjects tested, down 2% from the prior year.
- A slightly larger share of the Class of 2016 failed to meet college readiness benchmarks in any subject, and Inside Higher Ed reports Asian students are the only ethnic group whose average scores have been rising — their average composite score is 24, compared to 22.2 for whites, 18.7 for Latinos, 18.6 for Native Hawaiians, 17.7 for Native Americans and 17 for black students.
Dive Insight:
More than 2 million students in the Class of 2016 took the ACT, helped along by statewide contracts that require students to take the assessment as part of state testing requirements. As the Every Student Succeeds Act creates more testing flexibility in the states, some education departments are re-thinking the emphasis on standardized testing more generally.
The Obama administration has urged state officials to cut down on the number of required tests each year. And seven states will be accepted into a pilot that lets them explore alternative assessments and develop ways to scale them. These alternatives might include portfolio assessments or capstone projects. While these assessments help get away from the downfalls of primarily multiple-choice exams, they have their own challenges and pilot states are in for a lot of work.
