The Condition of STEM 2014

ACT has been a leader in measuring college and career readiness trends since 1959. Each August, we release The Condition of College & Career Readiness, our annual report on the progress of the ACT-tested graduating class relative to college readiness. Nationally, 57% of the 2014 graduating class took the ACT® college readiness assessment. The continued increase of test takers enhances the breadth and depth of our data pool, providing a comprehensive picture of the current college readiness levels of the graduating class as well as offering a glimpse of the emerging national educational and STEM pipeline. It also allows us to review various aspects of the ACT-tested 2014 graduating class.

This report reviews the graduating class in the context of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)-related fields. ACT is uniquely positioned to deliver this report for two key reasons. First is our commitment to science by the inclusion of subject-level science tests in our assessments. Second is our research-based measure of interests, the ACT Interest Inventory, which is delivered with the ACT and determines inherent interest in occupations and majors. With the inventory, we can determine student interest levels in specific STEM fields and, more importantly, readiness in math and science among students interested in STEM careers. The report breaks the graduating class into three STEM-related cohorts:

1. Students who have an expressed and measured interest in STEM.
2. Students who have an expressed interest only—those who chose a major or occupation (out of the 294 listed in the Standard Profile Section of the ACT) that corresponds with STEM fields.
3. Students who have a measured interest only—those who indicated STEM interest on the ACT Interest Inventory.

Refining the Definition of STEM

As we’ve continued our STEM research, we’ve renewed our focus on the inconsistency of STEM definitions across the country.In order to maintain consistency and offer states the opportunity to use this report as a baseline for state-level STEM initiatives, we created areas within our STEM fields in 2013. This list describes how ACT chose to categorize them, based on the occupations and majors listed on the ACT. We determined four key areas: Science, Computer Science and Mathematics, Medical and Health, and Engineering and Technology. This report will show achievement levels in each of these areas on a national level. In addition, the actual number and percentage of students interested in specific majors and occupations are provided. We include this so that STEM councils and other state officials can more accurately assess the numbers of students in specific major/occupational pipelines. The report will assist officials in documenting success of STEM initiatives that focus on generating interest in specific STEM fields.

ACT’s Commitment to STEM

ACT recently launched ACT Aspire™, an assessment system focused on grades 3–10. ACT Aspire covers the same subjects as the ACT: English, reading, math, science, and writing. Based on the ACT College and Career Readiness Standards and aligned to the Common Core State Standards, ACT Aspire will provide an early indicator as well as a longitudinal overview of statewide and national college and career readiness. To complement the information in this report, ACT created a STEM score within the ACT Aspire reporting format and will make STEM scores an integral part of the ACT college readiness assessment reporting format in 2015. These steps will give educators and STEM leaders an early and ongoing view of the STEM pipeline within their states.

Upcoming projects at ACT include the development of ACT College and Career Readiness Benchmarks focused on the skills and knowledge students will need to be successful in STEM majors and occupations. In addition, we continue to provide additional research and data on the importance of developing a more holistic view of college and career readiness. Our goal is to help educators, parents, and STEM councils and organizations broaden STEM opportunities for students at all levels. We must work together to get more students prepared to succeed in STEM careers. This is a critical step if the United States is to remain a world leader, and ACT is committed to research and assessment practices that make enhanced STEM opportunities for students a reality.

Please note that reporting achievement by combinations of student characteristics may give rise to small N counts. As a result, outcomes in this report should be interpreted with caution.