ACT’s annual meeting was dominated by discussion of global changes in education and business that affect us all—from a teacher in a neighborhood school to the CEO of an international corporation. Everyone is looking for the opportunities available in this environment of unprecedented changes. As Euripides said, “There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change.”

Profound changes—some positive, some not—are creating opportunities to do things differently throughout education. Forward-looking education and business leaders want to take advantage of those opportunities.

The ever-growing importance of postsecondary training for everyone has prompted leaders in several states—so far Michigan, Illinois, and Colorado—to adopt assessments that their students can use to meet state requirements and apply to colleges or jobs. And the intense demand for English language skills in international business has created the opportunity for ACT to offer its English WorkKeys assessment to France and Italy, as well as Spain, with additional expansion planned. The increasingly global economy means students in Korea are taking the ACT.

Even the most challenging times provide fertile ground for growth. In August, when Hurricane Katrina became one of this country’s worst natural disasters, our Louisiana representative, Kathy Plante, who is the registrar at the University of New Orleans, was ready for the storm. But she was not ready for its aftermath. As thousands of displaced UNO students scattered across the country and requested transcripts to enroll at other institutions, she became inspired.

“To send a transcript, you have to print it out and mail it to another university. Then someone there has to evaluate it and re-enter the information. I realized there has to be a better way.” And so, among all her many hurricane recovery challenges, she is instituting procedures to bring regular electronic transcript transfers to her institution. She’s picking up the pieces, yes, but also looking forward. She’s taking advantage of an opportunity to improve.