Alliance Takes ACT Tools to Students Worldwide

Campus Group offers a pre-university studies program to students at more than 50 teaching centers worldwide. When students earn a Global Assessment Certificate from Campus Group, English-language postsecondary institutions know they are ready to embark on a college-level course of study, no matter what their earlier education was. About 70 postsecondary institutions in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, China, and Fiji recognize the certificate.

Earning the certificate includes verification of skills using the ACT Assessment and COMPASS/ESL®. Students are evaluated in such content areas as writing, reading, science, mathematics, and English as a second language. The assessments allow students to demonstrate they have the skills needed to succeed in an English-language university degree program.

"The ACT Assessment provides an entree to English-language institutions," said Wes Habley, the director of ACT's Office of Educational Practices.

In establishing the unique testing arrangement, ACT had two concerns. The first was security. In the United States, all ACT programs are administered according to strict security protocol. The ACT Assessment, for example, is taken on set days nationwide. The Campus Group programs require the ability to administer the test more often and to smaller groups or to individuals.  

"Security was an issue, but it was resolved to our satisfaction," Habley said. "We were considerably impressed with the Campus Group's quality assurance measures."

The second concern was ensuring that the ACT Assessment aligns with the standards that drive Campus Group's curriculum. ACT was reassured by the results of a standards-match study.

"The standards match is overwhelming in its parallelism. It is an excellent standards match," Habley said. "In those few areas where there was not a direct standards match, the Campus Group either modified course content or changed certificate requirements.

"Once we were able to assure the security and were comfortable that the ACT Assessment measures what these students are learning, we were on our way."

More than 6,000 students have earned Global Assessment Certificates.

For more information on Campus Group, go to www.globalassessment.com.