ACT, Inc.
October 2004
A new report from ACT finds that 78 percent of students taking its college entry test were not prepared for college-level classes in English, biology, or algebra and that students who took courses above and beyond those required for high school graduation are more likely to succeed in postsecondary education. This adds volume to the chorus of voices (e.g. American Diploma Project) calling for tougher requirements at the high school level - requirements that will actually prepare kids for success in college and the workforce. For the past 20 years, echoing the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, ACT has urged that a general core curriculum (four years of unspecified English, three years of unspecified math and science) would adequately prepare students for college level coursework. These new data, however, have forced the testing service to change its tune and call for schools to include advanced mathematics (above Algebra II) and advanced sciences (i.e. chemistry and physics) in their core requirements, and to recommend that students take more advanced courses prior to graduation. To read the complete report and recommendations, click here.