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LUCKBOX LEANS IN WITH
AMERICAN COLLEGE TESTING CEO JANET GODWIN ––
by Elizabeth Owens-Schiele
Many colleges and universities went “test optional” in their admissions process during the pandemic, but the ACT remains a determining factor for scholarships, courses and admissions
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s it still important to take the ACT and submit a test score to the college or university where you’re applying?
ACT scores are still beneficial for students and valuable to colleges. For students, beyond just helping them “get in,” a test score tells them where they are academically prepared for college and where they might need more help. Taking the test can also help students qualify for meritbased financial aid. We know that even as colleges continue to extend their temporary test-optional admissions policies, they are still using test scores when awarding scholarships.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ACT
What was ACT’s reaction to University of California schools, and other universities and colleges, going test optional this last year?
We have made clear that we stand by institutions in their efforts to best support the students we all serve. It’s no surprise to see colleges adapting their practices in response to market and competitive pressures. What did ACT witness as a result of that decision?
It will take time to fully understand the ramifications of test-optional policies. While some institutions have reported an increase in the application or enroll-
ment of diverse students, for example, it’s still unclear whether these gains are being offset elsewhere. We do know that institutions are having a harder time recruiting students, including those from underserved backgrounds.
important discrepancies in GPA. But in general, if you compare two students with the same high school GPA, the one with the higher ACT score is more likely to earn at least a 3.0 GPA as a college freshman. We also know that high school grade inflation is an increasingly widespread, systemic issue that is weakening the value of student transcripts as a single measure of academic success.
The number of students taking the ACT has declined in the last couple of years. What’s the financial impact on your organization?
ACT is financially healthy and well-positioned for the future. We finished fiscal year 2021 with positive operating income of $10 million. Today, the total number of test takers is well ahead of 2020. That’s, in part, thanks to unprecedented demand for our state and district programs, through which record-high numbers of students are taking the ACT test during the school day at no cost to them.
ACT CEO Janet Godwin
1,835 U.S. colleges and universities did not require ACT or SAT scores from applicants for 2022 admissions.
How do you respond to criticism that standardized tests discriminate on the basis of income and race and that they favor the wealthy who can provide test-prep tutoring?
ACT test doesn’t create America’s education inequities—it helps reveal –National Center for them. To solve these probFair & Open Testing (FairTest) lems, we need to address Many argue that high the root causes, not school grades predict dismiss the tools that help college academic success us understand them. When OF ALL U.S. BACHELOR’S more accurately than it comes to the correlation DEGREE-GRANTING testing. What’s the ACT’s between income and test INSTITUTIONS NOW position? scores, most of this is due PRACTICE TESTto inequities in high school ACT has long argued OPTIONAL OR TESTcoursework and grades, that the best predictor of BLIND ADMISSIONS, school characteristics college success is neither AN ALL-TIME HIGH THAT and noncognitive student high school GPA nor test MAY CONTINUE. characteristics, such as scores, but a combination –National Center for study habits. of the two. For one in four Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) ACT is committed students, their ACT score is to an equitable testing not what would be expected process that is accessible based on their high school to all students. More than one in five who GPA—it’s either higher or lower. That register for the national ACT test use a fee means an ACT score—which is an objecwaiver. Not only do these students not pay tive, research-based measure of what to take the test, they are also eligible for students should have had the opportufree test prep through ACT. nity to learn in high school—can reveal
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