How Educated Are We - American College Testing (act) Program

Before 1959, the only national college admissions test was the SAT. At the time, this test was used to identify the best students — mainly for elite colleges. Other college-bound students took entrance exams offered by individual colleges and universities. In the 1950s, large numbers of students were attending college. Colleges were growing. More and more students were receiving financial aid. To keep up with the growth and the need for new curricula, colleges needed more data about students than the SAT could provide. To answer this need, the American College Testing Program (ACT) was established in 1959. Colleges use the scores for admissions and course placement — also in academic advising and career counseling. Some scholarship and financial aid agencies also use ACT scores. In 2000, more than 1 million students took this exam (an increase of 250,000 since 1990).

The chart above shows the average English and mathematics ACT Assessment scores for college-bound seniors from 1967 to 2001. The English test scores during this period fell from 1967 to 1970, then increased slightly after 1970. The mathematics scores declined from 1967 to 1983 and then increased slightly. But what contributed to the higher test scores from 1990 onward, when a new version of the test was introduced²¹?

Before the late 1980s, ACT scores were adjusted for grade level. In 1970, a score of 18 was given to 11th graders if they answered 35 of the 75 questions correctly. Twelfth graders had to answer 37 or 38 questions to get a score of 18. Growth adjustments were eliminated in the new version of the test. In order to make the scoring equal for all students, the new scoring system may have lowered the minimum requirements for 12th graders. This could be one reason why the scores jumped in 1990.

Another reason (and the rise in scores from 1996 onward) could be improving academic preparedness of the students. Not surprisingly, those with a higher grade point average score higher. The grade point average of test takers has risen from 3.14 in 1996²² to 3.22 in 2001. The percentage of test takers who have completed core curriculum classes has also increased, from 48.4% in 1990 to 63.2% in 2000. The core curriculum includes at least four years of English and three years each of math (algebra and above), social sciences, and natural sciences. These students averaged a composite score of 21.9 in 2001, as opposed to an average composite score of 19.2 for students not completing the core curriculum. Nationally, the average composite score was 21.0.

In 2001, 28% of those who did not take the core curriculum had a composite score of 16 or below. Colleges with open admissions policies (the most lenient of all admissions standards) require a composite score of at least 17²³ for admission. According to the American College Testing Program, those scoring 16 or below are not ready for college-level courses. They do not comprehend the main ideas in a paragraph; they cannot solve one-step mathematics problems; they can't read tables and graphs. The core curriculum, however, is not a silver bullet. Overall, in 2001, 18% of test takers (nearly 200,000 students²⁴) had a score of 16 or below. This included both those who did and did not take the core curriculum. But, all those who take the ACT have aspirations of getting a college education.

What about those who do have scores of 17 or higher? Does this mean that they are ready for college level courses? The next panel discusses the relationship between test scores and performance in the college classroom and in the workforce.

Sources: Chart data: U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, 1992 and 2001 editions. ACT Newsroom: National Press Release, 15 and 17 August 2001. Online. Available: http://www.act.org. April 8, 2002. "ACT Average Composite Scores by State: 2001 ACT-Tested Graduates." Online. Available: http://www.act.org. April 25, 2002. "Facts About Scoring the ACT Assessment," "History of the ACT," and "How High Schools and Colleges Use ACT Results." Online. Available: http://www.act.org May 1, 2002.