More Students Must Be Prepared to Succeed

Today, a high school diploma simply isn't sufficient. In 2000, high school graduates' mean annual earnings were only about half of what those with baccalaureate degrees earned.

Students understand they need education beyond high school. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says about two-thirds of high school graduates now go directly on to college and three out of every four students enroll in some type of college within two years of high school graduation. Many high schools do a fine job of preparing their students, but recent studies, including new research from ACT, show that too many graduates still don't have the skills they need to succeed in postsecondary programs.

Education reform is far from done. We must continue to improve American education at all levels. Primary and secondary schools must continue to systematically assess and improve their programs. All high school students must be prepared for and enroll in courses that will prepare them for postsecondary education and today's workforce. High schools and postsecondary programs must work together to set common standards for students. Students must better understand the skills they will need to succeed after high school. Only then will America's students be prepared for the choices they face.

Results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) indicate that U.S. efforts need to focus particularly on improving students' math and science skills. The National Research Council (1999) reported that in both mathematics and science, U.S. seniors scored near the bottom compared to other participating nations. Among students who had studied advanced mathematics and physics, no nation scored significantly lower than the United States on corresponding assessments. High school students from other countries receive more mathematics and science instruction, on average, than do U.S. students. And the United States is unique in the high percentage of students not enrolled in science or math courses through the last year of high school. Other countries teach fewer content areas in any given year and do so in greater depth. U.S. students cover more topics, more quickly, but without high levels of understanding. For example, exercises requiring reasoning skills were evident in 53 percent of eighth grade mathematics lessons in Japan, in 20 percent of the lessons in Germany, but in none of the lessons in the United States.

Recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress paint a similar picture, especially for minority students. Among African American students, 54 percent achieved basic proficiency in reading, 39 percent in writing, 31 percent in mathematics, and 22 percent in science. Among Hispanic students, 61 percent demonstrated basic proficiency in reading, 64 percent in writing, 44 percent in mathematics, and 30 percent in science.

Last spring ACT embarked on a study to identify college readiness benchmarks—ACT Assessment® scores associated with successful performance in first-year courses at four-year colleges.

More than two-thirds of all ACT-tested students in 2003 met the benchmark for English composition, but less than half of them met the benchmarks for college algebra or biology.

Students taking college preparatory courses were better prepared for college-level work, although the results indicated there is more work to do with this group as well, especially among minority students. Higher percentages of African American, Mexican American, and Hispanic students who took college prep courses did not meet the readiness benchmarks.

While this research focused on preparation needed to succeed in entry-level courses at four-year colleges, most educators argue that similar skill levels are needed for two-year colleges, certificate programs, and in the workforce.

ACT's college preparatory core curriculum is defined as four years of English and three years each of math, science, and social studies classes.

Expressed in years, however, the core curriculum doesn't convey enough information about the actual courses students take to complete requirements. 

In an effort to better understand how to prepare students to the college-ready standard,  ACT examined student performance by the specific courses students took, rather than by the numbers of years they took courses in a particular content area. The results show that the key to success lies, at least in part, in the content of the courses. Taking more advanced courses increases the likelihood that a student is prepared.

Between 66 percent and 70 percent of students who had taken English 9-11 by the time they took the ACT Assessment reached the readiness benchmark for college English composition. Studying a foreign language improved English Test scores even more than did taking additional English courses. Students who studied at least one foreign language increased their odds of meeting the benchmark for success in college English composition by more than 8 percent.

Among students taking the traditional three-course sequence in mathematics—Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry— 25 percent met the benchmark for college algebra. Of students who also took trigonometry, 56 percent met the benchmark for college algebra. Those who added a calculus class to their high school transcript were even more likely to meet the benchmark for college algebra. For college biology, among students taking biology, chemistry, and physics, 40 percent met the readiness benchmark.

The bottom line is that even with all the work high schools have done, students still graduate from high school underprepared to succeed in college. The trend is especially problematic in math and science. Why?

Two reasons: High school graduation requirements are not always aligned with college admission requirements and students have misconceptions about what they need to know and be able to do to be successful in college.

High school graduation standards in most states are inconsistent with college admissions requirements. High school and college expectations of students are not aligned, that is, the knowledge and skill sets required for graduation by secondary educators are not the same as the knowledge and skill sets expected of incoming students by postsecondary educators. Less than 1 percent of states have full alignment between higher education and high school for English, mathematics, and science, according to the report "Aligning K-12 and Postsecondary Expectations: State Policy in Transition," from the National Association of System Heads (2002). In social studies, 26 percent of states have full alignment. No state has achieved alignment in foreign languages, despite the fact that about half of all higher education systems require high school coursework in foreign languages. Most higher education systems require at least one lab science course for admission, but only a few states require one for high school graduation.

Students have many misconceptions about the demands of college-level work and the need to prepare for college, according to "Betraying the Dream: How Disconnected K-12 and Postsecondary Education Systems Undermine Student Aspirations," by A. Venezia, M. W. Kirst, and A. L. Antonio (2003). High schoolers often believe that meeting high school graduation requirements will prepare them for college and that getting into college is the hardest part.

At some U.S. high schools, this is true. But, as ACT's research shows, at many high schools, even students who take college prep courses may not be prepared for college-level work.

There is much to celebrate in the educational reforms of the last 20 years. The vast majority of high school students now recognize the value of a postsecondary education and indicate they want to go to college. Researchers and educators are working together as never before. This is progress. Now it's time to take the next steps. To help more students succeed, elementary and secondary schools must work together to systematically assess performance and address deficits. High schools must teach all students at a higher level, especially in science and mathematics. Postsecondary programs must cooperate with high schools to align standards. And students must be more realistic about what it takes for them to be ready for their postsecondary options. Only then will American students be prepared for the choices they face.