Reading Between the Lines of the Latest ACT Results

New ACT results were released today, indicating a slight drop in scores for the 2008 graduating class (details of the results can be found here). But ACT officials were quick to point out that a record number of students took the test this year. They argue that, while the proportion of test-takers who demonstrated college readiness may have stayed the same, the actual number who are prepared for college increased in 2008. Still, the numbers themselves are undeniably grim, with just 22 percent meeting a benchmark score for college readiness in all the four subjects: English, math, reading and science. In math, 43 percent met the ACT's benchmark in college readiness, and just 28 percent met the benchmark in science.

Our research has shown that different parties have widely differing perspectives on the issue of college preparedness. A majority of parents (69 percent) in our Reality Check report said they believe their child will have the skills needed to succeed in college. But most parents also think that their child's education is not only better (61 percent) but that the material they are learning is harder (65 percent) than in their own experience. Some of our earlier research, however, showed jarring discrepancies between college professors and public school teachers. Nearly seven in 10 college professors said a high school dlploma is not a guarantee that a student has learned the basics, compared to 22 percent of public school teachers.