Winter 2007 Activity: ACT National Curriculum Survey Shows Variance in Expectations at High School, Postsecondary Levels

Every three to five years, ACT conducts a national curriculum survey to determine what skills and knowledge are currently being taught and which are considered important for success at each grade level for college readiness. We conduct this study to collect content validity evidence to guide our test development to ensure that our EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT tests are measuring the important skills and knowledge for success in each content area.

We sent out the ACT National Curriculum Survey 2005-2006 to a nationally representative sample of more than 35,000 educators at the junior high/middle school, high school, and postsecondary levels. Some of the results include:

ACT's EPAS (Educational Planning and Assessment System) measures content and skills that educators identify as important for success.
While most secondary instructors across subject areas believe that meeting their state's standards prepares students well for college-level work, most postsecondary instructors disagree.
What postsecondary instructors expect entering college students to know is more targeted and specific than what high school teachers view as important.
High school teachers believe that today's high school graduates are less prepared for postsecondary education and work than graduates in previous years, while postsecondary instructors perceive no difference.
There are still gaps and some disagreement in what secondary and postsecondary instructors believe is important for students to know across all content areas.