Yesterday, the ACT released its 2010 ?Condition of College and Career Readiness,? and the results are less-than-encouraging. According to the results, fewer than 1 in 4 students who took the exam is actually ready for college-level coursework. (This is particularly alarming given than only 47 percent of high school graduates?a majority of whom, one assumes, are college bound?took the test. )
In order to be considered ?college and career ready,? students must meet benchmarks in four areas: English, reading, math, and science. Alarmingly, more than a quarter (28 percent) of tested students didn't meet a single benchmark, and an additional 15 percent met only one.
Worse still, only 29 percent of tested students met the science benchmarks?meaning that barely one-quarter of college-bound students are prepared for college-level science?suggesting that we have a real crisis of science achievement on our hands.
Among the most interesting, if not altogether surprising, findings is the importance of following a core liberal arts curriculum to succeeding on the test itself. According to the ACT,
Students who took the recommended minimum core curriculum in high school?four years of English and three years each of mathematics, science and social studies?were much more likely than those who took less than the core requirements to meet or surpass the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks in each subject area. Students who took additional courses beyond the core curriculum were even more likely to achieve the benchmark scores.
These findings of course support the notion that it's more important than ever for all students to be exposed to a rigorous, content-rich curriculum that is grounded in high standards.
?Kathleen Porter-Magee
