ACT Newsroom & Blog

As the program chair of the 2019 Association of Test Publishers Innovations in Testing Conference, I might be a little biased about highlighting what we’ve accomplished as an industry.

In 2000, there were 100 attendees at the first ever Innovations conference. Fast forward twenty years, where we welcomed 1,300 people from more than 30 countries.

This year’s conference showcased examples of the powerful ways we’ve transformed the traditions of testing by challenging the status quo and innovating new methods of measurement.

Recent advances in machine learning, intelligent tutoring systems, and multimodal data collection are blurring the boundary between learning and assessment. Ideas that were once firmly in the realm of science fiction are now closer than ever to becoming reality.

One standout area is artificial intelligence. As Conference Chair Rory McCorkle observed in his panel discussion: 2019 is the year of AI.

“Many sessions, product demos, sponsors, and testing organizations discussed the impact of AI,” McCorkle noted. “There’s so much potential to revolutionize learning, and assessment creation and content delivery through AI applications.”

McCorkle also pointed out that startup funding for AI companies doubled from 2015 to 2018 and the number of job openings for AI research, development and deployment exploded from 2015 to 2017, increasing 3500%!

Conference Vice-Chair Jerry Gorham called out the trend towards integration and blending of learning and assessment.

Gorham talked about real-time outcomes, analytics tools, and educators’ dashboards that allow us to identify weaknesses earlier in the learning process. He said shorter assessments and micro-credentialing that are gaining ground in non-traditional learning paths and he noted that group learning and collaboration are also emerging as things we can actively and accurately measure.

While we can’t predict the future, it’s clear that education technology is not just growing for the sake of growth. It’s growing in ways that matter – to personalize learning and focus on improving outcomes.

At ACT, we are dedicated to helping people achieve their education and career goals while enabling them to navigate a changing world. We are excited to lead an industry at the cusp of a bold transformation.

The following press release is reprinted with permission from Kaplan. The original posting can be found here.

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @metsgroupsales, @KapTestNews, @KaplanSATACT, @ACTStudent

New York, NY (April 24, 2019) — To help high school students across the New York City area prepare for the college admissions process, the New York Mets will be hosting College Prep Day on Thursday, May 2 at Citi Field, partnering with Kaplan Test Prep and ACT, makers of the ACT® college admissions exam. Kaplan, which began partnering with the Mets for College Prep Day in 2018, will provide guidance and insights to thousands of students on the path to college and how to be strong applicants. ACT will be on hand to discuss why the exam that was taken by 1.9 million students last year might be the right one for them.

As part of College Prep Day, experts from Kaplan Test Prep and ACT will also offer guidance for college applicants navigating the admissions process on topics including how to decide which college admissions test is right for them and how to maximize their potential for scholarships. Also, students will enjoy video spots featuring Mets players describing their college experiences. Additionally, Kaplan and ACT will provide an opportunity to secure a scholarship for a test prep course, along with a fee waiver to take the ACT. Following the informative program, the event continues with exhibitors on the Mets’ Field Level Concourse where students can meet with admissions advisors who will answer questions and provide information about their colleges and universities. Attendees will then enjoy a day at the ballpark to watch the Mets take on the Cincinnati Reds.

“Kaplan is thrilled to again partner with the New York Mets to inspire New York-area students to bring their A game to the college admissions process and help them succeed. Last year’s College Prep event was a tremendous success and we are looking forward to another fantastic day,” said Jeff Thomas, executive director of admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “The Mets, Kaplan, and ACT all share decades of promoting educational programs and our goal with College Prep Day is to leave attendees feeling better informed, more prepared, and more confident than ever.”

While this is ACT’s first time participating in College Prep Day, for the past few years it has been partnering with Kaplan to offer free, live online prep to test takers who qualify for a test fee waiver.

“College Prep Day at Citi Field is an exciting way for students to learn how ACT can help them along their path to college and career success,” said Suzana Delanghe, ACT chief commercial officer. “We are so pleased to be joining the Mets and Kaplan for this special event, and we’re looking forward to expanding access to higher education and helping kids pursue their dreams.”

The event will commence at 11 AM with the on field presentation by Kaplan and ACT experts, followed by the college fair with exhibitors. If you are a NYC area student who’d like to attend, please contact your school’s guidance office to encourage them to participate. Schools that would like to participate can contact Mark Phillips at mphil@nymets.com or 718.565.4350.

ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 200 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Among those tests are the SAT®, PSAT®, ACT®, GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT®, MCAT®, NCLEX-RN® and bar exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

The following blog is reprinted with permission from Advance CTE. The original posting can be found here.

Success after high school looks different for everyone. Increasingly, however, that success rests on additional postsecondary education or training beyond a high school diploma. As we have heard many times before, students must be ready for both college and career after graduation. Yet, in order to get there, students need to be equipped with reliable information about their readiness for both– regardless of the post-high school path they choose to pursue. We also know that educators need that same information to address skills gaps, accurately measure student learning, and calibrate program improvements.

For 60 years, we at ACT have been studying what is most essential for education and workplace success. Recently we’ve looked more closely at our data for students who took both the ACT college admissions exam and ACT WorkKeys assessments—a set of foundational skill, work-based assessments that lead to the National Career Readiness Certificate. In comparing the research-based benchmarks for each assessment, we found that the foundational skills required for “college readiness” and “career readiness” are in fact equally rigorous and essential to student education and workplace success.

However, we also know that skills are used differently in educational settings compared to the world of work. For instance: on the ACT, we might assess a student’s ability to read and understand a passage from Shakespeare. Yet with our WorkKeys assessments, we are measuring something different—how a student makes use of that reading skill and applies it in order to solve a workplace problem. In other words, measures of career readiness must include not only essential academic skills but also how those skills are applied in the context of a work environment in order to truly measure the “career readiness” of students.

For anyone who has spent time inside a CTE classroom, this is not a revelation. What students learn in school should prepare them to succeed in further education, in career, and in life. The extensive research foundation for our assessment solutions, based on actual workplace and postsecondary outcome data, further underscore this important point.

As states endeavor to reexamine their CTE systems and implement new state and federal laws, it will be increasingly important to integrate college and career readiness benchmarks—like those found in the ACT and WorkKeys— to ensure that students are able to make successful transitions to life after high school. By leveraging the ACT work readiness system, students of all ages are able to certify their foundational skills and understand with confidence the relevance of those skills to a host of career pathways.

Through research like this and through making such benchmark data freely available to practitioners on our website, ACT is doing its best to support CTE leaders and practitioners in meeting the goal of providing high-quality CTE programs and ensuring that all students are on the pathway to college AND career success after high school.

For more information and the full ACT Readiness Framework, please visit:

http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/Ready-for-What-May-2018.pdf

ACT Career Pathway Benchmarks (published in 2015 and will be updated in fall 2019 for all 16 Career Clusters):https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/CareerReadinessinUS-2015.pdf

ACT Work Readiness Benchmarks by O*Net Occupational Codes:http://profiles.keytrain.com/profile_search/?_ga=2.117505802.2073588000.1554240283-1916235549.1532011683

---

Follow ACT

          

Earth Day—the world’s largest environmental movement— is about recognizing the impact we have on the planet, and putting a plan together to protect the earth, one small action at a time.

While ACT has grown from a small Iowa City downtown office on Washington Street since our founding in 1959 to a full-fledged four-building, 400-acre campus today, we remain a dedicated employer and a committed steward of the land we maintain.


Much like the care we place in helping people achieve education and workplace success, we care about supporting a sustainable environment for our community, our customers, and our team members. As one of Iowa City’s largest employers, we have a responsibility to take care of our own backyard. And we’re proud of the progress we’ve made to make a difference!

Our commitment to a sustainable Iowa includes several programs to achieve our goals of:

1. Minimizing the use of energy, water, and other natural resources.
2. Minimizing material sent to the landfill.
3. Providing our staff with a safe and healthy work environment.

ACT’s corporate sustainability policy, environmental management program, and land management plan drive our efforts and ensure accountability.

In the beginning, our efforts were humble. We reduced ACT’s energy consumption by replacing fluorescent lights with LEDs. From there, we constructed Iowa’s first LEED Platinum Data Center. Now, our ongoing work with vendors ensures we recycle paper, plastic, metal, and electronics. We have achieved Zero Landfill certifications for our paper products, and we are in the process of pursuing Zero Waste certification with the US Green Building Council.


We are humbled and proud to have our campus named a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP). With the dedication of our skilled grounds crew, ACT carefully maintains more than 400 acres of land containing two ponds, native grasses and wildflowers, meadows, and rented hay ground. As the weather warms, team members can enjoy our on-campus wilderness paths, with opportunities to spot deer, birds and different native species along the trails.


Our sustainable practices are small steps individually. Together, these steps continue to move us toward a healthier environment—one that includes a dedication to pursue environmental management practices and a commitment to the proper stewardship of our land.

This Earth Day, people in more than 193 countries share our joy and commitment to making our little blue planet a better, more beautiful and healthier place for all.

As one of Iowa City’s largest employers, we have a responsibility to take care of our own backyard. And we’re proud of the progress we’ve made! Take a look at our green initiatives and see what you can do to protect the planet for #EarthDay https://t.co/lUXnov4JDD pic.twitter.com/M62SaEEXpl

— ACT Careers (@ACTCareer) April 22, 2019

If you’re a local business looking to “go green,” we encourage you to connect with the Iowa Sustainable Business Forum. For certification, check out the U.S. Green Building Council. For tips on celebrating Earth Day as an individual, learn more from Earth Day Network.

---

Follow ACT

          

What do ACT CEO Marten Roorda, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Elmo the Muppet all have in common? They were all speakers at the 10th Annual ASU-GSV Summit, dubbed “the most impactful convening of leaders in education and talent technology.”

The event, held this month, convened discussions on an array of topics facing education and technology today, with equity and access driving much of the conversation.

Netflix and the Art of Letting Go of Control

Reed Hastings, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Netflix, and a Facebook board member, delivered an impactful keynote address. One of the most important things a leader can do, Hastings noted, is to set context for the team and then let go of control. This “leaning into freedom” is one of the key drivers of creativity and long-term success.

Hastings said markets always shift—nothing stays the same forever—and providing teams with the freedom to make mistakes and learn quickly is key.

“Let’s try not to manage but inspire,” he urged. (If you haven’t had an opportunity to check out the infamous Netflix “Culture Deck,” a manifesto for inspired leadership and company culture, you can find it here.)

Innovation is a Collaborative Journey

Alina von Davier, senior vice president of ACTNext, led an energetic panel discussion about accelerating innovation and transformation through strategic mergers, acquisitions and investments.

Panelists emphasized the importance of thoughtful integration for positive outcomes and shared insights into how ACT has successfully collaborated with other like-minded companies during the course of ACT’s transformation to a learning, measurement, and navigation organization. The ACT collaborations, von Davier said, serve as a model for other companies looking to accelerate their own innovation and transformation.

Human Potential Takes Center Stage

This year’s theme for the summit, “Bending the Arc of Human Potential,” emphasized honoring and cultivating the potential in all individuals. ACT’s Roorda joined fellow panelists to discuss human potential, measurement, and fairness.

Focusing on the panel’s central theme—whether or not assessment can support bending the arc of human potential for all—Marten explained that the marriage of learning and measurement is critical for societal benefit. Assessment and learning can bend the arc, which, in fact, is driving transformation at ACT.

“Captain Khan”—Star Trek meets AI

Saad Khan, director of Artificial Intelligence at ACTNext, combined humor and intellectualism in his so-called Star Trek session, a new type of forum at ASU-GSV this year recognizing 10 of the best and brightest innovators in the worlds of education and talent technology.

Saad showcased his work on Elevate, an AI-driven video practice platform designed to help every person develop breakthrough elevator pitch communication skills. After the presentation, Saad shared, “It was inspiring to see fellow Star Trek speakers channeling their life experiences, passions and entrepreneurial talents to address educational needs of underserved students. We have only just started harnessing AI for social good!"

It’s Elmo’s World and We’re Just Living in it

In celebration of Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary, Elmo and Sesame Workshop's President of Media & Education and COO Steve Youngwood, discussed Sesame Street's impact and the importance of early learning opportunities for all children. The Sesame Duo stressed that the letter “R” for early learners means: Relevance, Relationships and Readiness.

As the summit closed, innovators, educators, investors, philanthropists, and ed-tech watchers were encouraged by the Sesame Street mission to “grow smarter, stronger, and kinder” in the brave new world of education and talent technology.

---

Follow Mary Michael Pontzer

   

Follow ACT

          

Across the country, K-12 educators striving to enhance college and career readiness for their students are seeking to improve their skills and have questions.

My colleague Bryan Williams and I visit schools multiple times a month, listening to teachers and administrators as they discuss what they confront on a regular basis. We hear questions like these:

• How can I use test data and reports in meaningful ways to improve student learning?
• How can I help my students prepare in my classroom, in addition to preparing them by learning the content we are covering? 
• How might we implement instruction and assessment for better depth of knowledge and understanding? 
• How can we ensure our curriculum is comprehensive enough, and sequenced effectively, for the knowledge necessary for college? 
• How can classroom assessment inform and serve student learning, rather than just measure what students have learned? 
• What does genuinely rigorous teaching and learning really look like, in practice, and how is it different from more work and harder tests? 
• How might we ensure that social and emotional learning is supported and promoted in every classroom? 

Administrators understand the importance of quality professional development for their teams, and the evidence for this investment is strong. See Dylan Wiliam’s recent book on evidence-based improvement, Creating the Schools our Children Need: Why What We're Doing Now Won't Help Much (And What We Can Do Instead). Wiliam explains that in addition to “getting the curriculum right,” there is another factor: professional development. According to Wiliam, professional development “seems to have the greatest potential for improving student achievement.”

For decades, ACT researchers have analyzed the voluminous data on student achievement and preparation, helping us understand what qualities of curriculum and instruction are most beneficial.

ACT’s mission is to help people achieve education and workplace success. Given the evidence basis for professional development, it is incumbent upon us to leverage ACT research and advance this mission by doing more for educators in the field. By providing quality professional development, ACT can help teachers be better equipped to help their students achieve that success in school, college, and careers.

Professional learning and development is most effective when it supports teachers in: