North Dakota Joins States Connecting Academic Achievement to Education Opportunities

Principal Michael Heilman looks forward to the positive changes a new high school testing mandate and scholarship program are likely to bring to his state.

“We’re excited about the possibility that more students will go to college and stay in North Dakota to pursue their careers,” said Heilman of Century High School in Bismarck. “Our legislature is to be commended for offering all students the opportunity to become eligible for college and to earn scholarships that could help keep them in their home state.”

Approximately 7,500 students at all North Dakota public and nonpublic schools will take either the ACT^® test or WorkKeys^® assessments in April. The state will administer three WorkKeys exams: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information. Any North Dakota student who is considered a junior—including home-schooled students—can take either the ACT or WorkKeys.

Students at Century High School work together on a lab assignment.

North Dakota has joined the growing list of states that have incorporated ACT’s college and career readiness assessments into their state testing programs. Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wyoming also fund ACT testing. In addition, Alaska, Illinois, Michigan, and Wyoming offer some or all eleventh-grade students the opportunity to test with WorkKeys. Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming fund EXPLORE^® and/or PLAN^® testing for eighth-grade and tenth-grade students.

States are responding to the increasing emphasis on college and career readiness among educators and policymakers throughout the country. Tests that focus on college and career readiness standards and skills are a key component of statewide initiatives designed to increase the educational levels of a state’s citizenry. An educated population generally yields increased community philanthropy and volunteerism, lower crime rates, and less dependence on social welfare systems.

A Bismarck high school student completes a project in shop class.

Like a few other states, North Dakota is tying performance on the exams and other academic achievements to scholarships. This year’s seniors can quality for the scholarships if they achieve a 24 or above out of a highest possible score of 36 on the ACT or scores of at least a level 5 on each of the three WorkKeys assessments. Scores of at least a level 5 on the three WorkKeys exams indicate that a person has the necessary foundational skills for 90 percent of the jobs in ACT’s WorkKeys database. Those who score at least a level 5 on the three exams are eligible to receive a gold National Career Readiness Certificate.

In addition to attaining these scores, this year’s juniors must also take certain courses and earn at least a C in each one, maintain a specific GPA, and receive a North Dakota high school diploma to be eligible for the scholarships. Home-schooled students also can apply for the scholarships if they achieve the qualifying scores on one of the exams and meet other criteria.

The scholarships are good at any of North Dakota’s 21 community colleges, public universities, and private colleges. The state legislature has set aside $3 million this year to fund the scholarship program. The state will award up to $750 per semester for a total of $6,000 per student. Those receiving the scholarships must use them within six years of graduation and can pursue any program of study toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

North Dakota officials are expecting students to take advantage of the scholarship program. “Last year alone, more than 1,500 North Dakota students earned a 24 or higher on the ACT. Add in WorkKeys, and we anticipate having more than 2,000 students qualify for the scholarships this first year,” said Connie Kudrna, assistant director of standards and achievement at the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

State officials will monitor the scholarship recipients’ academic progress at the college level. “Our universities will work with us to track students’ academic progress, so we can be sure we are meeting the state’s goal to improve the rigor of education in North Dakota and to ensure we are teaching our students what they need to know to be successful in college, the workplace, and life,” she said.