Autumn 2007 Activity: National Center for Educational Accountability Joins ACT Family

In early August, ACT announced completion of an agreement with the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA) of Austin, Texas, under which NCEA will operate as an ACT-owned nonprofit organization. NCEA will continue providing Just for the Kids school improvement products and services and data-driven best practices research. ACT will provide funding, research, and other support that will allow NCEA to accelerate the delivery of improvement services to schools and districts throughout the country.

“The partnership between NCEA and ACT is a logical one,” said Richard L. Ferguson, ACT CEO and chairman of the board. “Both organizations are committed to providing high-quality, research-based services which, when used properly, promote student success in college and career.”

NCEA is a leader in the use of data and best-practice research to foster school improvement. NCEA supports the efforts of educators, policy makers, business leaders, and community leaders as they strive to raise academic expectations and promote practices that help more students enroll in and graduate from college and prepare well for their future careers. ACT is an international not-for-profit organization whose mission is helping people achieve education and workplace success.

“ACT and NCEA have complementary competencies for supporting continuous school improvement,” said Cynthia Schmeiser, president and chief operating officer, ACT education division. “NCEA’s focus has been predominately in K–12, while ACT’s has been in grade eight through college, with our EXPLORE, PLAN, ACT, and college outcomes assessments. ACT’s WorkKeys system is also used extensively by schools, colleges, and employers across the nation. Together, ACT and NCEA will cover the broad spectrum of K–16 education and workforce development, while providing world-class, comprehensive school improvement assistance.”

“We are thrilled,” said Michael Hudson, president of NCEA. “The more we’ve worked with ACT, the more we have come to admire the organization’s mission and research expertise. We’re currently outlining multi-year, complementary research and development agendas that we will be pursuing jointly and in tandem. Our goals and objectives are highly compatible and we are confident that the new relationship will benefit children and schools throughout the country.”

For more information about NCEA, visit www.just4kids.org.