ACT Newsroom & Blog

New Comprehensive Digital Solution Suite Allows Teachers to Focus on Teaching

“Educators, learners, and families are at the center of everything we do,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “As a nonprofit helping millions of learners realize education and workplace success each year, we’re uniquely prepared to apply our expertise in meaningful ways. Mosaic by ACT is the culmination of our strategic approach to transform into a learning organization. We're broadening our focus from measuring student progress (with assessments) to providing actionable solutions that improve learner outcomes.”

• Adaptive Academic Learning: An adaptive learning platform and extensive curriculum and real-time assessment resources to build student knowledge and skills in mathematics and English language arts. It includes a digital learning library with more than 80,000 curated and standards-aligned resources, as well as social and emotional learning.
• Social Emotional Learning: An evidence-based solution that drives tangible results using flexible, adaptable assessment, and curriculum and professional development to prepare all students for success.
• Learning and Professional Services: An extensive catalog of professional development services to help educators apply these resources to implement effective learning solutions.

“Our extensive research combined with a powerful mixture of academic and social and emotional learning solutions and services allow us to serve learners and educators right now,” said ACT President of Learning Jonell Sanchez. “Reflecting on my own personal experience as a young learner in ESL and remedial learning classes, in this time when we see a widening of opportunity and equity gaps, it’s critical to ensure that we are building solutions to close those gaps and working toward access and readiness for all learners. These solutions really meet students where they are and empower educators to adjust accordingly.”

“Mosaic by ACT is the next step in a long history of meeting learners where they are and supporting them at every stage,” said Sanchez.

Celebration More Important Than Ever This Application Season as Pandemic Disrupts College-Going Plans

Scores

Score Report

My Score Details – Get a detailed breakdown on your performance by subject area along with progress toward the National Career Readiness Certificate.

How do I Compare – Explore US and state rankings of recent graduates to see how your scores compare.

Am I Ready for College – Compare your scores with standards to meet college readiness benchmarks to predict success in the first year based on ACT scores. If your score is at or above the Benchmark, you have at least a 50% chance or obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in specific first year college courses in the corresponding subject area.

My Interests – If you completed the interest inventories, this tab will show you college majors that align with the interests you picked. More information can be found in the Plans tab on the MyACT home screen.

Superscores

The world—and life as we know it—has changed considerably since we announced our plans to introduce superscoring to ACT test-takers beginning with the September 2020 test date.

Superscores for September test-takers will be available in MyACT and reportable to colleges in the coming weeks. If a student would like to send a superscore, they will need to log into their MyACT account and indicate which institutions they would like the scores sent to. Students can still send scores from the full ACT test to colleges of their choice at any time.

Here is what a superscore will look like in MyACT:

Fee Waivers

Everyone has the potential to learn—and a student’s background or family income should not determine educational or career opportunities. This year, eligible students are receiving twice as many fee waivers to cover the cost of the ACT test, meaning they will have four opportunities to test for free. These students can send an unlimited number of score reports to colleges and universities. Additionally, students who test with a fee waiver receive free access to The Official ACT® Self-Paced Course, Powered by Kaplan® which includes on-demand tutorials, 2,000 ACT test questions, and five full-length ACT practice tests.

October Testing

Registration is open for our four national ACT test dates on Oct 10,17,24, 25. Students should check MyACT to find and register for a seat before the September 25 deadline.

For answers to questions about testing amid COVID-19, check out our landing page for students, parents, educators and advocates and consult our FAQs.

For higher education institutions seeking additional information about score delivery, please register to attend our upcoming live training session or receive the recording.

Scores

Score Report

ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning Offers Recommendations as U.S. Prepares for Somber Pandemic Milestone

Trying to Learn at Home but Offline

• 14 percent of students reported an unpredictable or terrible internet connection;
• 13 percent reported having access to only one device to complete schoolwork; students with only one device at home were more likely to be African American or Hispanic, in rural or urban areas, or first-generation college going students—students who are often already marginalized with limited educational resources; and
• 19 percent reported having access only to a smartphone at home to complete school-related work.

Most Harm to Those Dealing with Existing Challenges

• First-generation college-going students and Hispanic students were more likely to report that their parents had a reduction in employment hours or lost their jobs because of the coronavirus compared to students identifying as White or those whose parents attended college; and
• Four percent of students reported needing help accessing meals the week of March 26, and 18 percent of students worried that their food would run out before their family had received enough money to buy more.

“These are important findings that add to our body of knowledge about today’s high school students and the hurdles they face,” says Tina Gridiron, vice president of ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning. “We’re fortunate to be able to capture student perspectives in real time, as the COVID-19 national emergency was being declared. We urge policymakers and others to carefully review the results and our recommendations. We look forward to sharing future surveys that will continue to illuminate ACT’s desire to close gaps in equity, opportunity and achievement for populations that are facing the greatest disparities and needs.”

Students’ Experiences While Learning at Home

About ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning