Let’s stop kidding ourselves! New ACT Study: Only 26 Percent of American High School Students Prepared for College A new study by ACT confirms the sad reality that only 26 percent of American high school students are ready for college-level coursework. According to the Washington Post, “Just more than one-quarter of students who took the ACT college entrance exam this year scored high enough in math, reading, English and science to be considered ready for college or a career, data released Wednesday showed.” The Post goes to say, “Overall performance on the ACT has remained virtually unchanged since 2009, with the average score falling slightly this year, from 21.1 to 20.9 out of a possible 36 points. The stagnation raises questions about how well schools are preparing students for future success.” This latest study by ACT is one of numerous indicators that many American schools are not preparing students for the challenges of college or well-paying job in the workforce: On the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress – known as the Nation’s Report Card, only 35 percent of 8th graders performed at grade level or above in Math, while just 34 percent of both 4th and 8th graders scored at grade level or above in English. The U.S. students have fallen to 14th in the world in reading and 25th in math. States and students spend $3 billion annually to reteach high school classes to college kids. Thirty percent of high school graduates can’t pass the U.S. military entrance exam, which is focused just on basic reading and math skills. Recently, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, outlined his vision for a quality 21st century education system that will better prepare all students for college and the workforce. His recommendations include: Raising academic standards; Promoting literacy and ending social promotion; Harnessing technology to provide more digital learning options; Expanding parental choice in education; Strengthening accountability in schools; Maximizing taxpayers’ investment in education to improve student outcomes; and Recruiting, retaining and rewarding great teachers. To read a full transcript of Governor Bush’s remarks, please click here. To view video of the address, click here. Join the Reform Movement: Improving America’s education system is among the top priorities of our nation as we struggle to sharpen our competitiveness in the world. The education of our children greatly affects our economy, our national security and our promise to keep America the country in which the quest to rise in life is a right, not a privilege. The Foundation for Excellence in Education is dedicated to reforming the K-12 system, state by state. To learn more about our efforts, please visit excelined.org.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 13:34:47 +0000