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From Kindergarten to College and Career: Nashville’s ACT Prep Revolution

Reimagining K–12 Learning Through ACT Integration In today’s educational landscape, preparing students for success means more than just teac...

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young students in class raising hands

Reimagining K–12 Learning Through ACT Integration

In today’s educational landscape, preparing students for success means more than just teaching content — it’s about equipping them with lifelong skills. A pioneering partnership between Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and ACT is doing just that by embedding ACT preparation into the K–12 curriculum. This initiative is reshaping how students engage with standardized testing and how educators approach instruction, offering tools and strategies that support academic growth from the earliest grades.

Leadership Driving Change

At the forefront of this transformation is Dr. Meri Kock, ACT Coordinator for MNPS. Her leadership has been instrumental in developing a comprehensive framework that weaves ACT prep into core subjects, ensuring students are not only test-ready but also academically confident.

Empowering Educators: The ACT Educator Academy

Recognizing that every educator plays a role in student success, MNPS launched the ACT Educator Academy, which is now evolving into the College and Career Readiness Academy. This program recruits faculty from all disciplines, including teachers, counselors, speech pathologists, social workers, and staff supporting students experiencing homelessness.

“In our first cohort, I invited anyone who wanted to support students,” Dr. Kock recalls. “Now, in our fourth year, applications have more than doubled as educators see the value in connecting curriculum, careers, and college readiness.”

Participants receive ongoing professional development through ACT Instructional Mastery in English, math, reading, and science, attend ACT State Organization Conferences, and engage in informal gatherings to share resources and strategies.

Why ACT Prep Belongs in the Curriculum

The ACT is more than a college entrance exam — it’s a measure of academic readiness that applies across postsecondary pathways. Whether students pursue college, technical training, military service, or enter the workforce, the skills assessed by the ACT are universally valuable.

“ACT prep, just like education in general, is about developing our students’ ability to communicate, think analytically, read critically, and interpret data,” says Dr. Kock. “These skills serve students well, no matter where life takes them. ACT prep isn’t about teaching to the test — it’s about preparing for life.”

To support this vision, when training or creating classroom curriculum, MNPS integrates ACT Online Prep, Powered by MasteryPrep into daily instruction, providing an accessible and comprehensive platform that educators can easily adopt for daily use.

With ACT prep as part of a comprehensive curriculum ecosystem, MNPS students exceeded the state's achievement expectations across every testing category consistently over the last three years. This is a testament to the dedicated faculty, administration, professional development opportunities and  students' hard work.

Starting Early: ACT Skills from Kindergarten On

Rather than waiting until high school — or even middle school — MNPS begins building ACT-related skills as early as kindergarten. Through regular classroom activities in reading, math, writing, and science, students develop foundational competencies that align with ACT standards. This early integration creates a seamless, supportive pathway toward college and career readiness.

Importantly, this approach also addresses equity. For students from underserved communities, access to quality test prep can be limited. By embedding ACT preparation into everyday learning, MNPS ensures all students have the opportunity to succeed.

Community Engagement and Feedback

A key strength of this initiative is its collaborative spirit. MNPS and ACT researchers actively involve parents, educators, and community members through workshops and outreach programs. These efforts help families understand the role of the ACT and how to support their children’s academic journey.

Teacher feedback is also central to the program’s evolution. By creating a feedback loop between educators, students, and researchers, MNPS ensures the curriculum remains responsive to real-world classroom needs.

And the feedback from educators who participated in the ACT Educator Academy has been overwhelmingly positive when it comes to helping their students prepare for the ACT, learning valuable and relevant information about the ACT, and feeling more confident teaching it.

In addition to crucial academic skills, students are developing the critical thinking, communication, and analytical abilities that will serve them well in any postsecondary path.

Looking ahead

MNPS’s collaboration with ACT offers a model for districts nationwide. By transforming standardized testing from a high-stakes event into a meaningful academic milestone, this initiative empowers students to reach their full potential from the very beginning of their educational journey.


Building a Skilled Workforce Without Degrees: How States Are Using ACT WorkKeys and NCRC to Power Economic Growth

From the pandemic to recent federal government policies, the past five years have been challenging for state departments of education and em...

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students training and working in a manufacturing plant

From the pandemic to recent federal government policies, the past five years have been challenging for state departments of education and employers, especially those in technical trades and manufacturing industries. But the demand for middle-skilled workers in those roles continues to grow.


As the labor market and education systems evolve, many states are having to find creative ways to help bridge gaps between students not pursuing a four-year degree and employers struggling to fill essential roles. Creating alternative pathways for these students is key to expanding opportunity, meeting workforce demand, and boosting local economies.

Across the country, state leaders are rethinking what readiness looks like and how to help every learner demonstrate the skills employers value most. States like Alabama, Louisiana, and Vermont are leading the way by integrating ACT WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate into their education and workforce development strategies. These tools help students demonstrate job-ready skills and give employers confidence in hiring qualified candidates.

Alabama: universal access and strategic retesting

Alabama offers ACT WorkKeys to all high school seniors every fall, ensuring broad exposure to career readiness assessments. Students who do not achieve a Silver-level NCRC — a benchmark for workplace readiness — can retest in the spring, with access to the WorkKeys curriculum to help improve their scores and impress potential employers.

Since 2006, Alabama students and job seekers have earned over 438,000 NCRCs, with more than 186,000 Silver-level certificates and over 114,000 Gold and Platinum-level certificates.

“Employers in the region understand a job seeker’s potential and feel that they are getting a better qualified employee with the NCRC,” says Donny Jones, Chief Operating Officer at the Tuscaloosa Chamber of Commerce

This widespread adoption has helped bridge gaps between education and industry, with 655 Alabama employers actively supporting the initiative and gaining access to more qualified applicants.

Louisiana: incentivizing achievement and community engagement

Louisiana administers ACT WorkKeys to all 11th and 12th graders, with over 13,000 students participating annually. The state’s school accountability system incentivizes high performance by awarding school report card points for students who earn a Gold-level NCRC or higher.

Impressively, 53% of students earn at least a Silver-level certificate, reinforcing Louisiana’s commitment to workforce readiness. Since 2006, Louisiana students and job-seekers have earned 307,362 NCRCs, and the state is also a national leader in Work Ready Communities, with 35 of 64 parishes actively participating.

Eleanor McMain Secondary School in New Orleans recognized the value of the NCRC for students post-graduation. “We broke down what the [WorkKeys] National Career Readiness Certificate meant and what it could be used for,” explains Dr. Melanie Moore, principal. “That’s when students bought into it. And then, we took it to the faculty to explain to them that it’s not just a test; that this can help students beyond just high school.”

With nearly 1200 Louisiana businesses supporting ACT WorkKeys NCRC, this alignment between education and economic development has created a robust pipeline of skilled workers, particularly in north Louisiana, which ranks among the top three regions nationally for coordinated Work Ready Community initiatives.

Vermont: innovative credentialing and postsecondary recognition

Vermont’s Department of Education has taken a strategic and innovative approach to WorkKeys. All 11th- and 12th-grade CTE students are required to take the WorkKeys Applied Mathematics and Workplace Documents assessments.

“Vermont first required all of its regional CTE centers to administer WorkKeys assessments beginning in the 2020-2021 school year,” says Ruth Durkee, Vermont AOE state director of career technical education. “We phased in our requirements for the percentage of students to be tested. In the first year, 56% of our CTE program concentrators took the WorkKeys Workplace Documents and Applied Mathematics assessments. That increased to 86% in the 2021-2022 school year, and then to 97% in 2022-2023 and 98% in 2023-2024."

Students who score a Level 5 or higher can then take the Graphic Literacy assessment to qualify for the NCRC. Those who score a Level 5 or higher across all three assessments receive their NCRC, which Vermont recognizes as a postsecondary credential for Perkins V accountability. With over 9300 NCRCs earned, this reinforces the credential’s value in both secondary education and workforce development.

The Community College of Vermont also acknowledges the value of WorkKeys. CTE students’ WorkKeys scores can be used for eligibility into Fast Forward and Dual Enrollment programs, and matriculated students who earn a Level 5 NCRC receive two elective credits at the CCV.

The value of non-degreed credentials

According to the National Science Foundation, 52% of STEM workers in the U.S. do not hold a bachelor’s degree. Many work in middle-skill occupations that require technical proficiency but not a four-year college education. Yet a skills gap threatens future growth. The U.S. could face a shortfall of 2.1 million manufacturing workers by 2030, potentially costing the economy $1 trillion in lost productivity.¹

Programs like ACT WorkKeys and NCRC are essential tools to close this gap by validating the skills of non-degreed workers and aligning education with industry needs.

The bottom line

Alabama, Louisiana, and Vermont demonstrate how ACT WorkKeys and NCRC can transform education systems, empower students, and strengthen local economies. By recognizing and rewarding real-world skills, these states are building a resilient, inclusive workforce—one that meets the demands of today’s industries without requiring a traditional college degree.

¹ https://allamerican.org/research/manufacturing-jobs-by-industry/








About 1 in 3 ACT-Tested Graduates of 2025 Demonstrate Clear College Readiness; Scores Indicate Foundational Career-Readiness for Almost 2 in 3 of Those Students

For immediate release: IOWA CITY, IA (Oct. 15, 2025) — ACT today unveiled its annual Graduating Class Release, providing a clear snapshot o...

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graduation caps being thrown in the air
For immediate release:

IOWA CITY, IA (Oct. 15, 2025) — ACT today unveiled its annual Graduating Class Release, providing a clear snapshot of college readiness among the ACT-tested students in the Class of 2025 and valuable insight into those graduates’ readiness for workforce success.

Overall, 30% of the nearly 1.4 million 2025 graduates who took the assessment at least once between their 10th and 12th grade years met three or more of the four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, meaning they have a 50% chance of scoring a B or better in associated, first-year college courses and a 75% chance of scoring a C or better in those courses. ACT data from prior graduating classes show that students in college who have met at least three ACT benchmarks are more than twice as likely to graduate within 150% of the expected time for an undergraduate degree than students who have met none.

“The best step to not just being admitted to college but graduating from college is being academically prepared for first-year success,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “ACT College Readiness Benchmarks provide unbiased measures of that readiness — free from grade inflation and other influences.”

In-School Testing and Retesting

ACT celebrates the 23 states and hundreds of districts that expand access by providing students the chance to receive a college-reportable score and valuable postsecondary planning insights through school-day testing. Of those, 15 states tested 90% or more of their 2025 graduates.

“In-school testing for all eligible students is an easy choice,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Tennessee Commissioner of Education. “It gives us the most representative view of our students’ readiness and empowers students with data to guide their next steps after high school, whether through college, the workforce, or the military.”

In Tennessee, 76% of the 2025 graduating class took the ACT more than once, many of whom tested through a statewide program providing the retake at no cost to students. Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Wyoming also provided in-school retesting options in 2024-25. Nationally, students who take the ACT more than once increased their ACT Superscore by an average of 2.4 points. The ACT Superscore allows students to put forward their best section performances to colleges, universities, and scholarship-awarding organizations to increase their chances of admission, scholarships, and course placement.

Work-Ready Indicators

In addition to college readiness, the ACT also provides a research-based indicator of workforce preparedness. Based on their ACT scores, nearly 850,000 members of the ACT-tested Class of 2025 were projected to earn Silver or higher-level ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificates. That signals that they have the essential foundational skills needed for success in most jobs in the U.S.

“States offering WorkKeys and testing are giving students the opportunity to earn powerful credentials — whether they are heading straight into the workforce or planning for college,” Godwin said.

Nearly 30,000 employers recognize the WorkKeys NCRC, and the American Council on Education recommends up to nine college credit hours for students who hold the credential. Nineteen states fund WorkKeys or WorkKeys Curriculum for learners and adults in the workforce, including Kansas, which provides funding for students to take WorkKeys, in addition to the ACT, while in high school.

“Some level of postsecondary education remains ideal for nearly all students,” said Beth Fultz, director of career, standards, and assessment services at the Kansas State Department of Education. “However, that isn’t possible or isn’t the immediate aspiration for every student. We offer the ACT WorkKeys Assessments to high school seniors who have not previously earned a WorkKeys score, not only to empower those who are heading straight into the workforce, but also to provide college-bound students more information that connects their learning to future jobs.”

The Enhanced ACT

Starting in spring 2025, students participating in national online testing outside of school time were able to take the enhanced ACT, with fewer questions, more time per item, and an optional science section. The enhanced test reflects extensive input from educators and students and marks the first major update to the ACT since 2005, when the optional writing section was added. Access to the enhanced ACT, which will be available online and on paper for all testers, will continue to roll out to all students through spring 2026. States and districts that pay for in-school testing will determine whether their students take the optional science section.

“I feel like (having more time) significantly helped,” said Noah Clements, a New Jersey student who took the enhanced ACT in April. “When I would do practice tests, I was getting on the edge of the time every single time. This time, I had time to review almost every section.”

Access and Recognition

In addition to data focused on the 2025 graduating class, ACT announced that:
  • The company distributed more than 1 million ACT fee waivers in the 2024-25 school year, helping eligible students access testing and test prep resources.
  • The number of schools offering one or more PreACT assessments grew by 20% from 2023-24 to 2024-25, giving more students and families early access to information about progress toward college readiness and giving educators key information to guide how they are preparing students.
  • Just more than 14,000 8th- and 9th-graders earned Distinguished Scholar awards for exceptional performance on the PreACT 8/9, indicating significant progress toward college readiness.
“ACT has always been more than one score on one test,” Godwin said. “We are committed to helping every student discover and pursue their best next step — whether that is college, a career, or both.”

The full 2025 Grad Class release is available at act.org/gradclass2025.

The Enhanced ACT Test: What You Need to Know

The college admissions process can feel overwhelming for students — from maintaining good grades and choosing the right extracurricular acti...

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Students taking a test online
The college admissions process can feel overwhelming for students — from maintaining good grades and choosing the right extracurricular activities to writing essays, visiting campuses, and taking entrance exams.

As one of the most trusted college entrance tests and an ally to parents, students, educators, and higher ed, we recognize that students may have anxiety about scores and that colleges need to rigorously assess the right skills to find top applicants.

As part of our commitment to provide learners with a positive testing experience while still delivering a fair, accessible, and accurate assessment of skills for college admissions teams, ACT recently announced updates and improvements to the ACT test.

The enhanced ACT has been modernized to provide more flexibility for the test taker, all while maintaining the same high level of accuracy and predictive power of the legacy test.

What’s new and what’s staying the same

We’ve made a few key changes to create a better experience for test-takers without changing the accuracy of what the ACT measures.

What changed?
  • Shorter Test Time: The test is now 70 minutes shorter, with 44 fewer questions overall. This gives students more time per question and helps reduce test fatigue, while still maintaining the same rigorous assessment material.
  • Refined Math Section: The math section has four multiple-choice answers instead of five.
  • Added Flexibility: Students can choose whether to take the science and writing sections for the ACT National test based on their goals and institution requirements. State and district customers can choose whether to include the ACT science and writing sections for their students. 
    • Note: Colleges will determine whether the science or writing sections are mandated based on their program requirements.
What hasn’t changed?
  • The Score Scale: The ACT score scale will remain 1-36 with no changes to ACT benchmarks or state-specific achievement standards.
  • Superscoring: Superscoring is still supported and continues to be at the discretion of individual colleges regarding acceptance. 
  • Score Validity: Scores from tests taken before the rollout of the new Composite score will not change, and the ability to predict success in first-year college credit-bearing courses will not change.
  • Testing Options: Both paper-and-pencil and online tests will continue to be available.
The enhanced ACT and admissions

ACT conducted thorough research before launching the enhanced test to ensure it maintained fairness, validity, rigor, and its ability to predict college success. With ongoing grade inflation and fewer standardized testing requirements in some areas, tests like the ACT are once again serving as key benchmarks in holistic admissions reviews.

Colleges will continue to decide individually whether to accept superscores or only single-sitting composite scores, and whether to require the now-optional Science section.

The rollout timeline

The enhanced ACT is now the standard national test. Here’s a brief overview of the rollout:
  • A Successful Pilot: The rollout began in Spring 2025 with a successful pilot for students who took the online test during a National Test Day, which received positive feedback from students and test centers.
  • Full National Test Rollout: The enhanced test – online and paper – was fully rolled out during the September 6 national test administration.
  • State and District Transition: All state and district test takers will transition to the enhanced test by Spring 2026.
We are here to help

We want you to feel comfortable with the test, whether you’re a parent supporting your child, an educator administering the test or counseling students, or an admissions officer evaluating scores.

If you still have questions regarding the enhanced ACT, we are here to answer them. Higher ed admissions teams can reach out to Kasey.Urquidez@act.org for detailed information about the enhanced ACT and have any questions they may have answered.
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