College Readiness Crisis Spurs Call for Change by ACT in Nation's Core High School Curriculum

October 14, 2004

IOWA CITY, Iowa—Even with a diploma in hand, many high school graduates do not have all of the skills to succeed in college-level coursework or workforce training. This is the conclusion of a new report from ACT, titled Crisis at the Core: Preparing All Students for College and Work. Among the findings, only 22 percent of the 1.2 million high school graduates who took the ACT Assessment in 2004 achieved scores that would deem them ready for college in all three basic academic areas—English, math, and science.

Visit ACT's Information for Policymakers to download the full report or sections from it in PDF.

Among the class of 2004, only 26 percent of ACT-tested high school graduates had scores indicating that they are ready to earn a "C" or higher in their first college Biology course, and only 40 percent had scores indicating that they are ready to earn a "C" or higher in their first college Algebra course. In addition, results from ACT's assessments for eighth and tenth graders—EXPLORE and PLAN, respectively—have suggested that students who graduate from high school in 2006 and 2008 will be no better prepared for college than this year's graduates.

Since the 1983 U.S. Department of Education report, A Nation At Risk, was released, ACT has advocated a "core" curriculum that specifies the number of courses a student should take. This core includes four years of English and three years each of math, natural sciences and social studies. ACT's report argues that "core" is no longer enough to ensure success in college or the workplace.

"Far too many of the seniors in the class of 2004 aren't ready for college or for workforce training," said Richard L. Ferguson, ACT's chief executive officer. "This is a problem that can't be solved overnight. However, we can begin addressing key issues right now."

The report urges schools to strengthen the high school core curriculum to help improve students' readiness for college and the workforce. Students in K-8 who are not learning the foundational skills for rigorous high school coursework should be identified earlier and provided with supportive interventions, thus preparing them for higher level math and science courses such as trigonometry, pre-calculus, chemistry, and physics.

ACT's research shows that certain courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics, and advanced math courses beyond Algebra II have a strong impact on student performance and college readiness. ACT refers to these as Courses for Success.

"Our study clearly shows that not only is the number of courses important, but the quality and intensity of these classes will determine if a high school student is ready for college and work," said Ferguson.

The benefit of taking these courses can be seen in the ACT test scores for the national class of 2004. Students who took trigonometry in addition to the math core—Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry—scored 2.6 points higher on the ACT Mathematics Test. Similar gains were seen on the ACT Science Test for students who took physics in addition to the science core—biology and chemistry.

Those who took trigonometry and another advanced math course scored even higher, as much as 4.4 points higher over those who took the math core. Score increases were seen for both genders and all racial/ethnic groups. The ACT Assessment is scored on a 1 to 36 point scale.

"The news is encouraging," said Ferguson. "Our research shows that students don't have to take honors or advanced placement courses to be ready for college. If we can ensure that both the core courses and the Courses for Success focus on rigorous skills in all high schools, then students will have an opportunity to be better prepared for college and the workplace."

The report suggests that these conclusions are also applicable to students who have no intention of going to college. It points to recent research which indicates that the skills required for workforce training beyond high school are the same as those expected of a first-year college student. In addition, it has been estimated that 85 percent of all jobs are now classified as "skilled," meaning that they require some education beyond high school.

"Increasingly, a high school graduate who is not prepared for college is also not prepared for many jobs available to those without a college degree," said Ferguson.

Some critics might argue that not all high school students are capable of learning advanced subjects such as trigonometry and physics. However, research has shown that students at all levels of achievement can benefit from taking rigorous courses. Of particular concern, however, are those students who lack the fundamental skills on which higher-level skills can be based.

"Too often, students who struggle with foundational skills are not diagnosed early enough to correct the problems," said Ferguson. "When they reach high school, they are too far behind to catch up. They need to be identified and assisted much earlier."

To increase the number of students ready for college and work, ACT is launching "Ready to Succeed," a national demonstration project that will focus on course quality and rigor. Selected school districts will work with a team of specialists to evaluate the rigor of their courses, to provide the resources and training necessary to improve them, and to measure improvements in student achievement.

The report suggests that educators alone cannot be responsible for making the changes. Policymakers, business and community leaders, parents, and students themselves must also be involved in the process.

"We'll need to all work together to correct this problem," said Ferguson. "Our nation simply can't afford to keep producing high school graduates who are ill-prepared to succeed in college and the workforce if we want to maintain our economic competitiveness throughout the world."