ACT Newsroom & Blog

This year, ACT released a variety of significant research, courtesy of the strong subject matter expertise from our Research team. This expertise is invaluable to ACT and the field, producing insights that influence policy and help shape education and workplace success. Throughout the year, ACT research has been used and cited across the education and workforce ecosystem, allowing ACT to continue to build its reputation as a thought lea
der in the field.

High school students and their families are eager for more support and information about the college application process, including how to stand out from other applicants. Now, any family can view event presentations from our recent My Journey virtual college planning event to learn from experts about college and career navigation, as well as preparing for the ACT test, financial aid, and paying for college.

When historians author their account of the “pandemic years,” many will offer their version of how the pandemic shocked and even threatened the college testing industry and organizations like ACT. Though the shock was dramatic, so is the transformation that has occurred since. This can be seen clearly in ACT’s renewed commitments to engage and serve our stakeholders in higher education.

IOWA CITY, Iowa—The national average ACT Composite score for the high school class of 2022 was 19.8, the lowest average score in more than three decades, according to data released today by ACT, the nonprofit organization that administers the college readiness exam. It is the first time since 1991 that the average ACT Composite score was below 20.0. 

“This is the fifth consecutive year of declines in average scores, a worrisome trend that began long before the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has persisted,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “The magnitude of the declines this year is particularly alarming, as we see rapidly growing numbers of seniors leaving high school without meeting the college-readiness benchmark in any of the subjects we measure. These declines are not simply a byproduct of the pandemic. They are further evidence of longtime systemic failures that were exacerbated by the pandemic. A return to the pre-pandemic status quo would be insufficient and a disservice to students and educators. These systemic failures require sustained collective action and support for the academic recovery of high school students as an urgent national priority and imperative.”

Consistent with recent data on nine-year-old student achievement reported by the National Center for Education Statistics, ACT has found that scores have continued to decline during the pandemic, and that these declines have returned student achievement to levels last observed in the early 1990s. Understanding disrupted learning through assessment data plays a more critical role than ever to policymakers, school systems, state leaders, educators, and parents in supporting students who were affected by school-related closures and learning disruptions during the pandemic.

The proportion of seniors meeting none of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks also continued to rise. The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks demonstrate the minimum ACT scores required for students to have a higher probability of success in credit-bearing first-year college courses. ACT research continues to show that students meeting a benchmark on the ACT have approximately a 50% chance of earning a B or better and approximately a 75% chance of earning a C or better in the corresponding college course or courses. 

Among the 2022 graduating class, 22% of students met all four ACT Benchmarks, while 42% of students met none of these benchmarks. The percentage of students meeting all four benchmarks dropped three percentage points, from 25% of students in 2021 to 22% of students in 2022, whereas the percentage of students meeting no benchmarks increased by four percentage points, from 38% of students in 2021 to 42% of students in 2022. 

Other findings:

• The average Composite score declined by 0.5 points, from 20.3 in 2021 to 19.8 in 2022. It is the first time that the average Composite score has been below 20.0 since at least as far back as 1991.
• Between 2021 and 2022, average English scores declined 0.6 points (from 19.6 to 19.0), average mathematics scores declined 0.6 points (from 19.9 to 19.3), average reading scores declined 0.5 points (from 20.9 to 20.4), and average science scores declined by 0.5 points (from 20.4 to 19.9).
• Slightly less than one-third of ACT-tested graduates in the class of 2022 (32%) met at least three out of four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. More than 40% of ACT-tested graduates in the class of 2022 (42%) met none of the benchmarks. 
• Participation in the ACT State and District Testing program continued to grow in the 2021-2022 academic school year. This is a trend that has been increasing since 2015, when only 27 percent of ACT-tested graduates took the test as part of a statewide or districtwide administration. For the 2022 graduating class, 60 percent of students tested at least once through the program. The ACT State and District Testing program provides students the opportunity to earn college-reportable ACT scores by taking the test in their own classrooms during regular school hours on a weekday. School day testing availability expands access to education opportunity for all students, but especially for students from low-income families, those who would be the first in their families to go to college, and students in rural areas. 
• For the class of 2021, the college enrollment rate was 57 percent, down from 59 percent for the previous class. 

About the Data  

The data released include ACT score results from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including 16 states that required all students to take the ACT as part of their statewide testing programs, and another seven states that funded ACT testing on an optional basis.

View the data via the online dashboard.

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About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in more than 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research, and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career. Visit us at www.act.org.

Contact: ACT Media Relations; publicrelations@act.org

By: Dianne Henderson, vice president of Research at ACT 

In 1972, ACT and the American Educational Research Association (AERA) created the E.F. Lindquist Award to honor outstanding applied or theoretical researchers and practitioners in testing and measurement. The award is named after Dr. Lindquist, the legendary scholar, scientist, professor, and practitioner who co-founded ACT in 1959.  Lindquist believed in the importance of instruction and teaching for accurate measurement of the results and the Lindquist scholarship recipients continue to validate and expand on his findings.

“Awards shine a light on the work being done to solve the largest challenges facing our field and our country,” said Janet Godwin, ACT CEO. “To be able to simultaneously recognize the legacy of Dr. Lindquist and the contributions of today’s pioneering leaders in assessment and testing research is a true privilege.”

Lindquist’s effect on education research has helped develop a new generation of research scholars who are making a difference in discovering learning capabilities, best practices, and improved assessments. 

“Lindquist was prescient on a number of the most important research questions in education,” Dr. Dan Koretz, the 2022 Lindquist Award recipient, said. Lindquist focused his acclaimed assessments on achievement. Rather than having their fates sealed by inscrutable and immutable “aptitude,” Lindquist believed all students with access to rigorous curricula, strong instruction, and robust support systems could succeed if they applied their full talent to the task.

He also believed that assessment – or to be more precise, assessment’s role in encouraging students to master the material and practice the skills their tests were likely to cover – was essential to learning, a view that holds currency today.

“When the teacher says, ‘It’s going to be on the test,’ that influences student behavior before the test is ever given,” said Edward Haertel, a past Lindquist Award recipient. “That’s the way it’s supposed to work.”

When in balance, this scholastic symbiosis seems like a force for good. However, when the testing tail starts wagging the teaching dog, trouble can ensue.

“What’s happened is exactly what Lindquist said would happen if people become familiar with the sample used to build the test,” said Koretz. “Under low-stakes conditions they don’t have a lot of reason to worry about the sample. But when their jobs are on the line, they do, and they focus on the sample rather than the domain.”

Other scholarship recipients also observed that, as more research on education practices is conducted, education leaders and policymakers can help improve the inequities and gaps in learning in the education system. “Our goal is to help teachers use the technology to help students learn in a more effective way,” explained Hua-Hua Chang. And Eva Baker said that, “We’re now looking more at the integration of social and emotional skills…[the] whole part of what it means to be a person.” 

Lindquist noted that the need for evaluation and the need for direction of instruction through objective measurement is certainly not going to diminish and that the field of measurement presents enormous opportunities.  As the scholarship program celebrates its 50th year of excellence, the goal is to continue the mission of shining a spotlight on researchers in education making a difference with plans to continue to diversify the scholarship program to honor Lindquist’s legacy.  

“The 2022 E.F. Lindquist Award, for example, didn’t just mark a milestone in the career of Daniel M. Koretz,” said Godwin. “It also presented an opportunity to learn from Dr. Koretz’s transformative findings on score inflation, the assessment of students with disabilities, and other compelling issues in education assessment.”

“I think the group has been defined by talented, reflective, and accomplished individuals who seek to shift paradigms,” said Felice J. Levine, executive director of AERA. “Award winners are emblematic of where the field is, and where the field needs to be going.” 

Learn more about Lindquist’s legacy and the 50th anniversary of this award by exploring ACT’s new brief here. And nominate the next awardee on AERA’s website here. 

All Egyptian universities will accept ACT scores for admissions 

IOWA CITY, Iowa—For the next five years, Egypt’s students will be able to submit ACT scores as they apply to college following accreditation by the Minister of Education. The accreditation means that the ACT will be administered and used in Egypt as equivalent to the Egyptian National Exam.

“We are delighted with the relationship we’ve been able to build with the Ministry of Education, and look forward to continuing to work together to serve the students of Egypt,” said Andy Taylor, ACT vice president of Market Segments and Product Management. “There is extraordinary—and growing—demand for the ACT in Egypt, and our collaboration with the Minister demonstrates ACT’s commitment to serving international markets and helping them prepare students for success.”

Students in the region will have more choice and greater flexibility in testing and more opportunities to demonstrate their college readiness. Universities in Egypt now accept scores on the ACT test and the ACT International Subject Tests for admission, and international high schools in Egypt administer the ACT test and the ACT International Subject Tests to students for graduation purposes.

By selecting ACT, students can sit for all the exams they need from one provider, and be confident in the validity of their scores. Students who may wish to study at a U.S. university and would need the score for admissions, merit scholarships, and course placement can also take the ACT in Egypt and submit their scores to colleges and universities abroad. 

More than 50,000 students in Egypt have taken the ACT since 2020.

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About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in more than 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research, and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career. Visit us at www.act.org.

Contact: ACT Media Relations; publicrelations@act.org

IOWA CITY, Iowa—September 27— Today ACT, the nonprofit learning organization and provider of college and career readiness assessments, announced the appointment of three new board members who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience leading efforts to make education and training after high school more equitable, accessible, and successful for all students.

“The entire team at ACT is excited to welcome prominent leaders to our board who’ve been influential and meaningful leaders in the field,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “They each have dedicated their careers to actively pursuing the kinds of policies, practices, and mindsets that create more equitable opportunities for all students. Their work aligns with ACT’s mission to help all people achieve education and workplace success, and we are honored that they will advise us as we continue our efforts to support learners and their champions.”

The new board members will serve a three-year term. They are:

Shirley M. Collado, president and CEO of College Track and president emerita of Ithaca College, is nationally known for designing and implementing innovative approaches that expand student access and success. Dr. Collado has previously served as president of Ithaca College, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at Rutgers University-Newark, dean of the college and vice president of student affairs at Middlebury, and executive vice president of The Posse Foundation, where she scaled its operations nationally. A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Collado is the first Dominican-American in the U.S. to serve as president of a four-year institution.

Jamie Merisotis is the president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, the nation’s largest private foundation committed solely to enrolling and graduating more adult students of color from college. Before joining Lumina in 2008, Merisotis was the founding president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, an independent, nonpartisan organization regarded as one of the world’s premier education research and policy centers. Merisotis also served as executive director of the National Commission on Responsibilities for Financing Postsecondary Education, a bipartisan commission appointed by the U.S. president and congressional leaders. Jamie is also the author of two recent books: Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines and America Needs Talent.

Richard M. Rhodes is the chancellor of Austin Community College, where he has worked to improve pathways into higher education, strengthen awareness of the community college mission, and give students the tools to accomplish their educational, professional, and personal goals. He previously served as president of El Paso Community College. His professional associations include past chair of the American Association of Community Colleges; board member of the Texas Workforce Investment Council; and past chair of the Texas Association of Community Colleges.


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About ACT
ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in more than 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research, and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career. Visit us at https://www.act.org/.


Media Contact
publicrelations@act.org

 

As we mark Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s important to understand the Hispanic population in the U.S. in order to better serve them. Of the 49.4 million public school students enrolled in pre-K through grade 12 in fall 2020, 13.8 million were Hispanic students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Between fall 2020 and fall 2030, the percentages of public elementary and secondary students who are white and Black are projected to decrease (from 46% to 43% and 15% to 14%, respectively). In contrast, NCES also notes that the percentage of students who are Hispanic is projected to increase (from 28% to 30%).Ensuring access to information is critical to students and families when making college and career pathway decisions. Providing content and information in Spanish is one way ACT is making sure families have information in a format they are comfortable using. That’s why ACT has developed a library of digital resources for Spanish-speaking students and their families that is presented in a variety of formats, including articles, e-books, and short videos.

Information is vital for helping students make the best of their high school years, and to help students and their families find and understand information on topics like paying for college, the benefits of dual enrollment classes, and an overview of actions to take with a check list and the specifics on what do during each of the four years of high school. Providing information in multiple formats, including videos, is a practical way of sharing sound information that will help Spanish-speaking students and their families make solid decisions during the path to college and career. Moreover, having students access this information in Spanish can help them and their families more effectively access information they otherwise have not been able to use. Each video is less than five minutes in length and provides practical tips and information that can make planning for college less overwhelming.

These short videos get to the crux of what students and their families should think about and decide throughout the four years of high school, especially for students entering who may not know what to focus on for each year of school. Providing this information early on provides both the information and focus that empowers students to better make decisions and choices that will affect their readiness and their future upward mobility potential.

As we mark Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s celebrate the Latinx community and the many assets they bring to our country. Providing content to our Spanish-speaking community is one way ACT can demonstrate our commitment to helping them achieve education success. These resources (and ones we will continue to develop) help support our students and families keep the pathways of information, access, and support moving forward. We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and look forward to collaborating with the Latinx community and those stakeholders who serve them this month, next month, and every month, all year long.

Half a million students expected to participate in American College Application Campaign that expands access to college degrees

IOWA CITY, Iowa (September 16, 2022) — Today, ACT’s American College Application Campaign (ACAC) launched its annual #WhyApply campaign, which celebrates college application season and students who are beginning their college journeys by applying to college.

“#WhyApply is a signal to the Class of 2023 that they have a support network when applying to college,” said Lisa King, director of the ACAC, which runs #WhyApply. “We know the reasons that can stop a student from applying to college all too well: systemic barriers creating inequality in college access; doubts about whether a degree is worth the cost; fears about the application process; confusion about how to apply; or concerns they can’t afford a college application fee or the cost of college. #WhyApply gives students living proof that they are surrounded by adults who have dealt with the same issues and who are in their corner to help them succeed.”

The #WhyApply effort is sponsored by the American College Application Campaign, a major initiative of ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning, and works alongside thousands of high schools across the country each fall to host events supporting students through the college application process.

“The college application process can be confusing and daunting for students, and ACT will continue trying to reach each high school senior to help them with submitting at least one college application,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “#WhyApply is an annual call to action for all of us to work harder to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential.”

This year, 6,000 high schools are expected to host application completion events reaching nearly 500,000 students between September and December as part of the campaign, which will increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential.

“Showing students that others have already applied and completed college and that this does not need to be scary can go a long way toward removing barriers for many students,” said Erica Hampton, a school counselor at Liberty High School in West Virginia, at an event marking the launch of this year’s campaign. “And we all can help and play a role in removing barriers by creating an atmosphere where students feel comfortable being themselves; where they can ask questions and not feel like this is something they should already know.”

By removing the barriers that often prevent some students from applying to college, ACAC aims to ensure that all high school seniors complete at least one college application. Since the national campaign’s inception in 2005, nearly 4 million students have applied to college.

On #WhyApply Day:

Black students most optimistic about most life outcomes, including having a better life than their parents; family income found to be related to students’ levels of optimism about their futures

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Current high school students are optimistic about their chances of experiencing 17 future life outcomes, including having a well-paying career, owning a home, and having good health, according to a new report from ACT, the nonprofit organization that administers the ACT college readiness exam. The report also suggests that students believe they have many positive things to look forward to despite the challenges and stress of the pandemic.

“The study shows that members of Generation Z are, on average, optimistic about their own futures, convinced that they will have financial stability, happy families, and positive social connections,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “Today’s high school students are hopeful of achieving the kinds of outcomes that define a successful life.”

High school students were generally optimistic about the future, with an average rating of 4.01 on a 1-5 scale, aligned with the scale’s “high” chances category, and more than 80 percent of students reporting high levels of optimism that their lives would turn out well overall.

The study, High School Students’ Perspectives on Their Futures, examined students’ perspectives on their futures and how students’ backgrounds, such as family income and race/ethnicity, affected their outlooks. A random sample of students was surveyed in February 2022 and asked about their chances of experiencing future outcomes, such as having an enjoyable career, being able to own a home, and being in good health. Students were also asked if their chances of experiencing these outcomes would have been different (more positive or less positive) if they had been asked about them two years ago, before the pandemic began.

“We found that the pandemic had little effect on optimism for most students. It did not affect most students’ outlooks on important events, like having a fulfilling career and being able to save, invest, and retire, and this was consistent across racial and ethnic groups and family income category,” said ACT lead research scientist Jeff Schiel, who conducted the study. “However, 19% of students reported that their outlooks would have been somewhat more positive before the pandemic began, and 9% percent reported that their outlooks would have been a lot more positive, suggesting that for nearly one-third of students, the pandemic might have had a negative influence.”

The study found racial/ethnic differences in student optimism. Black students had higher estimated chances of experiencing 15 of the 17 future outcomes, on average, than did students in other racial/ethnic groups. And irrespective of family income category, Black students reported the highest estimates, on average, of the chances of having a better life than their parents had or of their children having a better life than they have had. In comparison, white students reported the lowest estimates, on average, of experiencing these outcomes. For all future outcomes, Black students in the low-income category had higher average estimates of the chances of each outcome happening than did students of other races/ethnicities in that same income category. Asian students across all family income categories reported noticeably lower estimated chances of having careers that they enjoy and happy family lives, on average, than did students of other races/ethnicities.

Student optimism was found to vary based on family income, a measure of socioeconomic status. For example, students with low reported family income indicated that they only had about a 50-50 chance of having adequate financial resources to complete college, on average, while students with high reported family income indicated that their average chances were high. The study found that family income is related to student optimism, irrespective of race/ethnicity, and that family income was a statistically significant, although not particularly strong, predictor of students’ estimated chances for 13 of the 17 future outcomes. Family income was not a statistically significant predictor for having steady employment throughout your career, having a happy family life, having hobbies you enjoy, and life turning out well overall.

Key findings:

• High school students in this study were generally optimistic about the future. Means for the 17 future outcomes ranged from 3.68 (chances of having adequate financial resources to complete college) to 4.32 (chances of having enjoyable hobbies) on a five-point scale. The typical mean across all outcomes was 4.01, which aligned with the scale’s “high” chances category.
• Consistent with previous research, student optimism was found to vary based on a measure of socioeconomic status, family income. For example, students’ estimates of the chances that they would have adequate financial resources to complete college varied considerably across reported family income category.
• For some students in this study, the future seemed somewhat less promising. A notable proportion of students (28 percent) reported that their estimates of the chances of future outcomes would have been somewhat or a lot more positive if they had made their estimates before the COVID-19 pandemic began. For 15 of the outcomes, these students’ estimates were significantly lower than those of students who reported that their estimates would have been about the same if made before the pandemic began. These formerly positive students might have had very different experiences and/or more challenges during the pandemic than did their peers, which in turn could have led to their noticeably different perspectives on the future.
• Analyses by race/ethnicity revealed that, for nine of the future outcomes (career that pays well, career you enjoy, steady employment during career, live wherever you want to in the country, hobbies you enjoy, financial resources to retire comfortably, better life than parents had, children will have a better life, and life turns out well overall), Black students had statistically significantly higher estimates, on average, of experiencing each outcome than did students of other races/ethnicities.
• When the data were examined by race/ethnicity and family income, a remarkable finding was observed among low-income students: Black students in the low-income category were more optimistic about their futures than were students of other races/ethnicities in that same income category.

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About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in more than 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies and employers in the US and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career. Visit us at www.act.org.

Contact: ACT Media Relations; publicrelations@act.org

 

Studies, including ACT’s pandemic-related research, have documented the pandemic-era declines in student achievement, with pronounced losses in math and milder losses in reading. Measuring trends in ACT test scores helps to understand the depth of the disrupted learning that students have experienced as the pandemic’s effects have lingered across multiple school years. It’s also our hope that this information will help provide insights across the education ecosystem and ensure that student learning continues to rebound.While observing trends we found signs of a slight rebound in academic achievement for 11th graders of 2022, relative to 11th graders of 2021. Despite the slight improvement, ACT Composite scores were still lower for the 2022 11th grade students, compared to pre-pandemic students. The 2022 score rebounds were not observed for all racial/ethnic groups: Scores rebounded slightly for students who are Black or white students but decreased slightly for students who are Hispanic, Native American, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.

 By: John Clark, senior director for ACT state government relations

ACT has collaborated with the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) to support the inaugural year of the NLGA Lieutenant Governors’ STEM Scholarship Program. The collaboration aligns with ACT’s commitment to help people achieve education and workplace success and parallels our long-standing belief that all students should have access to rigorous course-taking, including the opportunity to learn valuable skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to be competitive in college and career. In addition to math, the ACT has always provided a dedicated science test measuring STEM-associated skills like analysis, reasoning, and problem-solving, which indicate a student’s readiness for postsecondary STEM majors. ACT’s more than 30 years of workforce research also confirms that being able to apply these types of skills is essential for success in a vast and growing number of jobs across the U.S. economy.

Ensuring that students are prepared to be successful in college and career means that all students have access to a STEM education; however, access continues to be a barrier for many Black and Latinx students, as well as the 6.5 million students living in rural areas. Yet, STEM occupations are projected to grow more than two times faster than the total for all occupations in the next decade. In funding the NLGA STEM scholarship, ACT is hoping to make STEM programs a little more accessible to students, regardless of their postsecondary path, providing states and school districts more opportunities to deliver hands-on STEM learning. In 2022, the collective scholarships allowed the NLGA to provide direct STEM education to more than 3,000 students from pre-K-12, in a vast array of programming in STEM education including robotics, aquaponics, aviation, and agriculture, among others. 

Leading with purpose and living our mission is important to ACT as a national leader in education and workforce. We, like NLGA, know that championing bipartisanship issues, like access to STEM learning, can positively affect outcomes for students, districts, and states that are critical to our country’s future success. In ACT’s collaboration with NLGA, there is an even greater opportunity to share insights to ensure that public policy will positively effect student career success and academic achievement. Working together with NLGA to solve problems and improve the lives of students helps ACT deepen relationships and expand education and career opportunities for all. 

By: Isabelle Keever, strategic communications intern

First editor and chapter authors highlight ACT research in one of the first books dedicated to social and emotional learning measurement

School counselor Erica Hampton, dressed as a veterinarian, and student Brooklyn Scarbro, dressed as an EMT, strike a pose after Brooklyn completed her FAFSA during their school's College Theme Week. (Credit: Liberty High School)

As we begin this Pride Month of June, ACT stands alongside our LGBTQI+ team members, family, educators, students, and community to celebrate and affirm their importance, identity, and continuing contributions. Now more than ever, as we see challenges that could undermine and harm our community, we believe it’s important to stand firm in our conviction that everyone deserves a safe and welcoming place to learn and work and grow. 

We believe that Pride isn’t simply one month, but a year-round commitment to ensuring that members of the LGBTQI+ community are celebrated and supported. And so, in the spirit of trailblazer Harvey Milk, who said, “We will not win our rights by staying quietly in our closets,” we at ACT:

• come together with the LGTBQI+ community as allies, advocates, and champions; 
• affirm the goals and aspirations of students, educators, and others whose voices must be heard and amplified in our education system — we see you and you matter; and
• celebrate our LGBTQI+ team members who work tirelessly in service to ACT’s mission of education and workplace success for all.

This month is time to stand up, show up, and speak up — we at ACT commit to that in celebration of Pride. Happy Pride Month!

By: Edgar Sanchez, lead research scientist, ACT

IOWA CITY, Iowa — ACT, the nonprofit learning organization and provider of college and career readiness assessments, has appointed Ranjit Sidhu as the organization’s inaugural Chief Strategy Officer.

“I look forward to Ranjit rejoining ACT and its leadership team to execute ACT’s global strategy for supporting education and workplace success,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “He is a dynamic leader with a proven record of enhancing social impact and organizational growth and a passionate fighter for fairness in education.”

“Since its founding, ACT has opened doors for many students who never imagined themselves on a college campus and supported generations of young people as they navigated life’s transitions by ensuring they had the knowledge and skills they needed to succeed,” Sidhu said. “I am excited and honored to rejoin ACT’s leadership team and expand the organization’s strategy for helping future generations achieve education and workplace success.”

As CSO, Sidhu will lead development of ACT’s inclusive strategic plan and strategy by collaborating with the leadership team, board, and CEO; drive the cross-functional creation and implementation of ACT’s strategy based on market trends; ensure alignment of long-term trends and short-term needs; and maintain business model innovation. He will report to ACT CEO Janet Godwin.

Sidhu is a widely respected nonprofit leader who has focused his career on creating strategies for improving student success, particularly for students from low-income communities and underserved populations.

Most recently, Sidhu was ASCD's CEO and Executive Director. Prior to ASCD, Sidhu served as president and CEO of the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP), the national organization for the GEAR UP program. He also served as Senior Vice President at both the College Board and ACT, where he focused in the areas of K-12 and postsecondary education, and workforce development.

Early in his career, Sidhu was a high school social studies teacher in the Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Md., public school districts. He holds master's degrees from The George Washington University and the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor's degree from the University of Mary Washington.

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About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is trusted as a national leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality assessments grounded in over 60 years of research. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions designed to provide personalized insights that help individuals succeed from elementary school through career. Visit us at www.act.org.

Media Contact

Allie Ciaramella
allie.ciaramella@act.org