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ERIC ED573955: The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2016: Virginia Key Findings PDF

2016·0.69 MB·English
by  ERIC
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The Condition The Condition of College of College and & Career Readiness 2016 Career Readiness This report looks at the progress of the 2016 ACT®-tested Virginia Key Findings graduating class relative to college and career readiness. This year’s report shows that Performance 64% of students in the 2016 US • A total of 25,866 students in the 2016 Virginia graduating class took the ACT (compared to graduating class took the ACT 25,038 in 2015). test, up from 59% in 2015 and ~ Asian student participation on the ACT increased from 5.7% in 2012 to 7.4% in 2016. 49% in 2011. The increased ~ African American students comprised 17% (4,329) of the ACT-tested population, compared number of test takers over the to 16% (4,011) in 2015. Their ACT Composite score (18.4) outpaced their national past several years enhances the counterparts’ Composite score (17.0). breadth and depth of the data ~ Hispanic/Latino students made up 7% (1,935) of the ACT-tested population, compared to pool, providing a comprehensive 8% (1,937) in 2015. However, their ACT Composite score (22.4) also exceeded their picture of the current graduating national counterparts’ Composite score (18.7). class in the context of college ~ White students comprised 57% (14,629) of the ACT-tested population, comparable to 57% readiness, as well as offering a (14,379) in 2015. Their ACT Composite score (24.4) rose while their national counterparts’ glimpse at the emerging Composite score (22.2) dropped. educational pipeline. • Virginia’s 2016 ACT Composite increased 0.2 to 23.3, while the national Composite score As a research-based nonprofit declined from 21.1 to 20.8. organization, ACT is committed to • Virginia’s ACT English, mathematics, reading, and science scores increased. providing information and • ACT College Readiness Benchmarks solutions to support the following: ~ The lower percentages of Benchmark attainment may point to an opportunity for access • Holistic view of readiness. and exposure for underserved students. For instance, 55.5% of African American students The 2014 ACT report, take their first and only test as a senior. Broadening the Definition of ~ English—78% of Virginia 2016 graduates are ready for college English composition. College and Career ~ Mathematics—59% of Virginia 2016 graduates are ready for college algebra. Readiness: A Holistic ~ Reading—63% of Virginia 2016 graduates are ready for college social sciences. Approach, shows academic ~ Science—53% of Virginia 2016 graduates are ready for college biology. readiness is only one of four STEM critical domains in determining an individual’s readiness for • Virginia students are encouraged to take more rigorous courses. However, some report taking success in college and career. the minimum math and science courses. Cross-cutting capabilities, ~ 87% of Virginia test-takers are taking more than three years of math compared to 71% behavioral skills, and the nationally. ability to navigate future ~ 5% of Virginia students report taking fewer than three years of natural science courses. Their pathways are also important average ACT Science score is 18.1, 4.9 points below the ACT science Benchmark of 23. factors to measure and ~ 65% of Virginia students reported taking high school science courses that include biology, address. Together, these chemistry, and physics. Their average ACT science score ranges between a 24.1 and 26.2, elements define a clear exceeding the ACT science Benchmark of 23. picture of student readiness • STEM Benchmark Attainment: 34% of the 2016 Virginia ACT-tested graduating class met the ACT STEM Benchmark—14% higher than the national average—and the average score was for postsecondary education. 2.3 points higher than the national average. • Providing meaningful data for better decisions. ACT is Career Readiness focused on providing better • This year, for the first time, ACT has provided an indicator of career readiness based on ACT data to students, parents, composite scores. Table 3.4 in the state ACT Profile Report details how ACT-tested Virginia schools, districts, and states graduates are progressing toward the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate™ (ACT so that all can make more NCRC®). informed decisions to improve • Progress toward career readiness is based on research linking ACT Composite scores to ACT outcomes. We accomplish this NCRC levels. The ACT Composite cut score for each ACT NCRC level corresponds to a 50% goal by taking a holistic view chance of obtaining that level. If a student’s ACT Composite score surpassed the cut score for and using consistent and an ACT NCRC level, they are categorized as making progress towards the next higher ACT reliable historical information NCRC level. Attainment of ACT NCRC levels indicates workplace employability skills that are so that individuals and critical to job success. institutions have a better • In Virginia, 83% of ACT tested graduates are considered making progress towards at least a context to make critical gold ACT NCRC level. This compares to 68% nationally. decisions about the journey they have undertaken. www.act.org/research © 2016 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. 6319 Virginia The Condition of College & Career Readiness Behaviors that Impact Access and Pipeline Opportunity • Only 4% of ACT-tested Virginia graduates expressed an interest • Testing patterns in pursuing education as a major or career. Those students earned an average ACT Composite score of 21.4, lower than ~ 66.6% of Virginia graduates took the ACT only once— the state average of 23.3. In comparison, 16% expressed an substantially higher than the national average of 55%. interest in Health Sciences and Technologies. ~ 37.1% of white students and 43.9% of Hispanic/Latino students took their first and only test as a senior. • Aspirations matter. Students in Virginia who aspire to a higher • Below are the top five colleges and universities to which 2016 level of postsecondary education achieve higher ACT Composite scores: Virginia (ACT-tested) graduates sent their scores: 1. Virginia Tech ~ Graduates who aspire to a graduate degree earn an average 2. James Madison University Composite score of 24.6. 3. University of Virginia ~ Graduates who aspire to a bachelor’s degree earn an average Composite score of 21.4. 4. Virginia Commonwealth University ~ Graduates who aspire to an associate’s degree earn an 5. George Mason University average Composite score of 16.7. • ACT’s Educational Opportunity Service (EOS) is a free service that allows students to learn about educational, scholarship, ACT Footprint career, and financial aid opportunities from colleges, universities, ACT Aspire® ACT Aspire ACT ACT ACT financial aid and scholarship agencies, and other organizations Summative Periodic Engage® QualityCore® PreACT™ WorkKeys® that offer educational programs. The national rate for opting into 3,975 536 494 – 104* 41,207 this service is 73.1%. For Virginia, the EOS opt-in rate was * PreACT refers to preorders for FY17. 65.9%. These are the number of each of these assessments delivered in the • The “Get Your Name is the Game” campaign provides students state and not reflective of the 2016 ACT-tested graduating class. an opportunity to find colleges that would be a good fit and 2016 ACT College and Career helps students who were not thinking about postsecondary education to realize that college is a possibility. Virginia colleges Readiness Campaign honorees and universities have accessed 109,934 student names using • Patrick Henry Community College this initiative. • John Champe High School • Fee Waiver Usage • Ahmed Woodson, Thomas Jefferson High School ~ In Virginia, there were 5,389 fee waivers issued and 3,778 of those were used. This equates to a 70.1% usage rate. The national rate was 74.5%. ~ 58.6%, or 944, of unused fee waivers were issued to African American students. ~ ACT provides students fee waivers to provide more access and opportunity for students. Your State College and Career Readiness Attainment, Participation, and Opportunity Virginia Percent of 2016 ACT-Tested High School Graduates Meeting Percent of 2012–2016 ACT-Tested High School Graduates ACT College Readiness Benchmarks by Subject Meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks* 100 100 80 78 80 76 76 76 77 78 61 63 59 63 57 58 61 63 Percent 4600 44 41 53 36 43 Percent 4600 5368 57 47 57 49 58 53 5593 41 43 26 37 38 33 20 20 0 0 English Reading Mathematics Science All Four 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Subjects Virginia Nation English Reading Mathematics Science All Four Subjects Note: Percents in this report may not sum to 100% due to rounding. * ACT College Readiness Benchmarks in reading and science were revised in 2013. Student Student Condition Data Interest Trends: 2012–2016, State vs. Nation Data Trends Outcome Cohort 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Virginia 25% 26% 28% 30% 31% Percent Tested • Between 2012 and Nation 52% 54% 57% 59% 64% 2016, the number of Virginia 21,647 22,165 22,977 25,038 25,866 N Tested students taking the Nation 1,666,017 1,799,243 1,845,787 1,924,436 2,090,342 ACT in Virginia Average English Virginia 22.1 22.3 22.4 22.8 22.9 increased by 19.5%. Score Nation 20.5 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.1 Average Reading Virginia 22.7 23.1 23.4 23.6 24 Score Nation 21.3 21.1 21.3 21.4 21.3 Average Mathematics Virginia 22.3 22.5 22.7 22.8 22.9 Score Nation 21.1 20.9 20.9 20.8 20.6 Average Science Virginia 21.9 22.2 22.4 22.8 23.1 Score Nation 20.9 20.7 20.8 20.9 20.8 Average Composite Virginia 22.4 22.6 22.8 23.1 23.3 Score Nation 21.1 20.9 21 21 20.8 www.act.org/research © 2016 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. 6319 Virginia Your State College and Career Readiness Attainment, Participation, and Opportunity Percent of 2016 ACT-Tested High School Graduates by Trends in Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates by ACT College Readiness Benchmark Attainment and Subject Number of ACT College Readiness Benchmarks (CRBs) Attained 100 100 15 26 80 8 34 33 80 11 ent 60 8 14 Bbye l3o+w PBoeinnctsh mark ercent 60 erc Within 2 Points P 40 P 40 78 of Benchmark 63 59 Met Benchmark 20 53 20 0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 0 Graduation Year English Reading Mathematics Science Virginia Students Attaining 0 CRBs Virginia Students Attaining 3 or 4 CRBs National Students Attaining 0 CRBs National Students Attaining 3 or 4 CRBs Percent of 2012–2016 ACT-Tested High School Graduates by Percent of 2012–2016 ACT-Tested High School Graduates Race/Ethnicity Meeting Three or More Benchmarks by Race/Ethnicity 100 100 19 18 17 16 17 80 6 6 7 7 7 80 67 71 67 73 75 Percent 4600 568 578 577 587 577 HPAAAafmsisriciapecifinaraic nncA ia IcAmsn lma eInnreiddcrieiacarnan n Percent 4600 6601 4426 4644 956 2 473 9 6573 494 06 641 50 666056 White Two or More Races 20 20 No Response 15 15 17 20 19 0 4 4 5 5 5 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 6 6 6 6 6 0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 African American Asian Hispanic Pacific White American Indian American Islander Note: Values less than 0.5% will not appear. Percent of 2016 ACT-Tested High School Graduates by Educational Aspirations 100 There is good news in that 90% of Virginia’s 2016 ACT- tested graduates aspired to postsecondary education. 80 Interestingly enough, 88% of Virginia’s 2015 ACT-tested graduating class aspired to enroll in postsecondary nt 60 52 ce education, compared to 85% who actually did enroll. If we er P 40 37 fully closed the aspirational gap, an additional 760 of the 2015 ACT-tested graduates from Virginia would have 20 enrolled in postsecondary education. 10 1 0 Graduate/ Bachelor’s Associate’s/ Other/No Professional Degree Voc-tech Degree Response Degree What You Need to Know At ACT, we are inspired every day to make a positive difference. Here are a few ways we are making an impact each day in the lives of students, teachers, education, policy makers, and workforce leaders. • Enhancements to ACT Score Reports starting in • New Performance Level Descriptors coming in August 2016 September 2016 • More than 5 million ACT Aspire online assessments • Introduction of ACT Kaplan Online Prep Live in administered to US students since January 2016, a major September 2016 milestone for the program and up by more than 130% • New Score Reports compared to the previous year • New Score Reports • Affordable cost—$12 per student tested for schools, districts, and states • Helps schools face the challenge of preparing students for • Flexible administration—Schools, districts, and/or states may success after high school. Read the latest white paper, administer on any date between September 1, 2016 and Identifying Skills to Succeed in School, at Work, and in the June 1, 2017 “Real World.” • Structured test environment—Similar to what the student will • New Score Reports experience when taking the ACT test • Updated versions of the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (ACT NCRC) assessments and credential • A virtual classroom experience that delivers all the benefits of coming in summer 2017 ACT Online Prep, plus an interactive teaching experience • Fully updated ACT WorkKeys curriculum and test prep • Live learning experiences available at no cost to students who available in summer 2017 to support the updated register for the ACT using a fee waiver ACT NCRC assessments • Recorded sessions available on demand to provide maximum • Will include a new test delivery platform that will introduce flexibility to students features and functionality important to ACT WorkKeys customers www.act.org/condition2016 Virginia The Condition of College & Career Readiness Key ACT Research Recommendations The Condition of 1. Create an assessment model that measures a variety of skill domains and STEM 2016— competencies required for college and career success. Releasing Historically, college and career readiness assessments have focused only on November 2016 academic skills. ACT research has clearly established areas of competency This report provides important for college and career readiness success. While our research shows Tohf eS TCEoMnd 2it0io16n national and state that ACT solutions independently measure key components of college AND National data about the 2016 career readiness, we and others have begun to realize that no single solution can graduating class in measure the full breadth of this readiness, nor should it. Simply put, the ACT alone the context of STEM-related fields is not enough to measure the full breadth of career readiness. A more holistic (Science, Technology, Engineering, assessment model, incorporating multiple domains and specific skills associated Mathematics) to determine student interest with career clusters or occupations, will typically be most appropriate for levels in specific STEM fields and, more describing and evaluating student readiness for college and career. importantly, readiness in math and science 2. Optimize opportunities to influence awareness and engagement of of those interested in STEM careers. underserved learners. College Choice Initiatives designed to aid underserved learners are only as effective as they are Report 2015 visible. We must inform advocates and ALL underserved learners about the This report follows the available and effective programs designed for this purpose. For example, in the ACT-tested high 2015–2016 academic year, approximately 730,000 students registered to take school graduating the ACT using fee waivers valued at more than $36 million. Yet, not all eligible College Choice Report 2015 class of 2015, students took advantage of this offer. Similarly, institutions must use data to National focusing on specific inform intervention strategies if they are going to help underserved students be testing behaviors that prepared for postsecondary success. may expand college opportunities available 3. Take the guesswork out of STEM. to students. This is an important topic for It is critically important to align STEM initiatives to capitalize on performance, enrollment managers and admissions measured interest, and expressed interest. Essential to this effort is expanding officers to consider, as students’ and nurturing interest in STEM, which will impact the emerging pipeline of STEM participation in these testing behaviors majors, teachers, and workers. This requires capturing a wider range of students have implications for colleges’ chances to and employing concrete measures to inform intervention and programming. To do recruit, advise, and place these prospective so, states and districts must look for partnering opportunities from K–12 to students. postsecondary education to the workplace. 4. Focus on the implementation of fewer, higher, clearer, standards in K–12 classrooms to raise the bar for all students. No matter the adopted standards, proper implementation must focus on the most critical component for increasing readiness—effective, high-quality teaching. This requires investment in postsecondary teaching programs, professional development, and state-level collaboration among K–12 and higher education. 5. Don’t over test students. When states, schools, and districts build an assessment strategy that recognizes the limits and promise of test scores, they will reduce the likelihood of over testing. Used ethically and appropriately, assessments can inform decisions at individual and institutional levels. Misunderstood, misused, or abused, assessments cause confusion, can be perceived as punitive, or result in ill- conceived strategies. To quote ACT founder E.F. Lindquist, “Assessment is valuable to the extent it bridges teaching and learning.” *011748170* Rev 1

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