ACT Newsroom & Blog

IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT, the nonprofit learning organization and provider of college and career readiness assessments, today named Interim Chief Executive Officer Janet Godwin as its CEO. Godwin was appointed as interim CEO in May.

“The ACT Board of Directors is proud to name Janet as our CEO,” said Dan Domenech, ACT chairman of the board and executive director of the American Association of School Administrators. “In a very short time and amidst a global pandemic that has dealt many challenges to education and learning, Janet has shown clear vision, strong leadership and a deep-seated passion for the ACT mission to level the playing field, providing equitable opportunities for learners to find success in college and career. We are confident in her vast experience and ability to strategically and successfully lead ACT.”

Godwin is a 30-year veteran of ACT, previously serving as chief operating officer for ACT before her appointment to interim CEO. Prior to that, Godwin served in leadership roles across the organization, working in test development, research, information technology and operations.

“I’m honored and excited to lead ACT through its transformation to support all students at every stage of their learning journey,” said Godwin. “Now more than ever, ACT has a responsibility to fight for fairness in education and to provide learning, navigation and assessment services that will help learners and educators alike make informed decisions on their paths to success. This is critical and urgent work, and I look forward to developing strong partnerships with educators and workforce professionals to create solutions that improve outcomes for all learners.”

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. 

New Comprehensive Digital Solution Suite Allows Teachers to Focus on Teaching

IOWA CITY, Iowa—Today, ACT—a global nonprofit leader in providing college and career readiness assessments—launches Mosaic™ by ACT®, a research-backed, comprehensive learning solution to provide educators, learners, and families with quality online learning tools and services to address student needs in the classroom and at home, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

ACT was founded in 1959 on the idea that achievement, not aptitude, should determine student readiness, and that what a student learns in school should indicate their preparedness for college and career. Today, backed by 60 years of research and integrating years-worth of acquisitions and investments in educational solutions, ACT introduces a comprehensive digital suite as it commits to not only measure readiness, but serve teaching and learning at scale.

“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.”

Integrating several mergers, acquisitions and investments, Mosaic by ACT combines the adaptive academic learning power of ScootPad, open educational resources from OpenEd, Knovation, and curriculum and assessment framework services from ACT SkillSuite; social emotional learning from Mawi Learning and ACT Tessera; and learning and professional resources from ProExam.

Mosaic by ACT features:

• 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.

With this comprehensive suite, ACT is focused on providing K-8 solutions (and many SEL resources for high school) that impact equity, access and learning outcomes to prepare learners for high school, college and career.

“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.

Find out more about Mosaic by ACT and how ACT is helping educators, learners and families during the pandemic and beyond at act.org/learning. 

Online platform assists with learning in real time, both inside the classroom and at home

---

Follow ACT

          

IOWA CITY, Iowa—Jonell Sanchez, an internationally recognized leader in education and business, has been named president of learning at ACT. The position is a new one at ACT and reflects the company’s transformation to a global nonprofit organization integrating solutions that span learning, measurement and navigation.

The position is also a testament to Sanchez’s personal and professional experience, spanning his learning journey as a childhood immigrant from Cuba and English as a Second Language (ESL) student from an underserved community to his professional commitment and lifelong passion for educational opportunity, access and impact at scale in the U.S. and abroad.

Learning Advocate

Sanchez comes to ACT from the National Student Clearinghouse, where he served as vice president of education solutions. The clearinghouse supports research, reporting, and data exchange needs for thousands of postsecondary institutions, K12 schools, organizations and corporations across the United States.

Previously, Sanchez served in senior positions leading education and career success at Pearson Global, Pearson North America and the College Board. His roles included strategy development and execution, establishing global and domestic partnerships, and launching adaptive online assessments, learning intervention and digital learning products.

“Jonell Sanchez has brought transformational assessment and learning technologies to thousands of K12 schools, colleges, universities and corporations,” said ACT CEO Marten Roorda. “As ACT president of learning, Jonell will work to bring integrated, personalized learning technologies to millions more students and adults so they can learn more efficiently and effectively than ever before.”

“ACT has become synonymous with education during its 60 years of service to the education community,” said Sanchez. “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to be leading the creation of this new learning group with the talented teams at ACT as it executes a new vision for the future. The constructs of education today and what they will be in the future are drastically different from those in the past. The ability to integrate programs across the ACT Holistic Framework and provide new offerings that converge ACT’s learning assets in support of the student lifecycle positions ACT at the forefront.”

Background

Sanchez began his career in student affairs at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University, both in New Jersey. He holds a master’s degree in International Education from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University. He has also studied and conducted research in Namibia and South Africa and earned a certificate from the Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics.

Sanchez lives in northern Virginia with his wife, Andreina, and their two children. He begins his new position at ACT on January 6.

---

Follow ACT

          

Highlights from ACTNext’s Latest Summit

ACTNext recently hosted our third annual Education Technology and Computational Psychometrics Symposium (ETCPS), an event drawing more than 200 leading researchers to discuss the transformation of education, learning and measurement.

This year, ETCPS showcased the latest thinking around issues such as measures of efficacy, test security, social and emotional learning (SEL), learning analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), smart speakers, conversational assessments, higher order skills, team dynamics, and the ed-tech ecosystem.

Among the impressive group attending this year’s summit was Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds who joined our event to present the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) analysis of the edtech industry in the state. The report outlines four strategic imperatives to advance ed-tech sector growth in Iowa and create 1,000 jobs over the next five years, leveraging the depth of expertise in education and assessment in Iowa.

---

Follow ACT

          

When enough students have opportunities, our society changes for the better.

Our new, student-focused options for ACT test-takers are meant to meet the current generation of learners where they are—in a personalized, online environment.
Simply put, we are committed to opening every door possible to help today’s students succeed and leveling the playing field for all.

We introduced these options based on feedback from students, parents, teachers, counselors, administrators and higher education officials. Here’s what you should know:

1.) It’s about showing what students have learned.

These new options are designed to provide students with a better testing experience that encourages more personalization and choice. But the most important thing they do is create opportunities for deeper learning and content mastery with section retesting.

ACT Section Retesting allows students to retake one or more section (subject) tests once they have taken the full ACT test, rather than having to take the entire test again. This gives students the option to focus on areas that may need improvement and better master the content they need to succeed.

We are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity they deserve to show what they know and pursue their unique path to success.

In this vein, we are doubling the number of fee waivers we provide to students from low-income families. Students who currently test with a fee waiver will now receive a total of four fee waivers to use on a full ACT test or up to three section retests per waiver. It will be up to the student to decide how they would like to use their four waivers, as long as they have taken a full ACT test before they register for a section retest.

2.) Superscoring is the best, literally.

Superscoring—averaging the best section (subject) scores across test attempts to provide the highest ACT Composite—is an existing practice already used by many colleges and universities for admissions and scholarship decisions. The number of institutions that superscore continues to increase as more students choose to retest.

We have conducted research on section testing and superscoring across test administrations to ensure these new options are valid and reliable.

We know from research that:

• Scores from ACT section (subject) tests do not need to come from the same test administration to be predictive of college success.
• Students earn similar ACT section test scores when taking a test section first rather than the typical test position (e.g. reading first versus third), supporting the move to section retesting.
• Students taking ACT section tests on different days don’t earn higher than expected scores.
• Each ACT section test is a reliable measure and predictive of future success on its own.

These studies informed our decision to allow students to retake individual sections of the ACT. And our latest study on superscoring showed that it was more predictive of first-year college success than any other scoring method.

We believe these new ACT test options, combined, will help students reach their maximum potential, showcase their academic readiness, and put their best foot forward in the college admission process.

We continue to advocate for colleges and universities to dig into the data on superscoring to make the best decision for their institution. Students can determine if the college they’re applying to accepts superscores by visiting the college’s admissions page.



Senior Director of Validity & Efficacy Research, Krista Mattern, explains the ins and outs of superscoring.

3.) Online testing—we’ve been doing this for a while.

Our experience with online testing began in 2015 with our state and district testing program, and expanded last September when international test-takers began using computer-based ACT testing.

We know the ultimate benefit—faster score reporting—is important for students as they make decisions about their future. It’s also important for higher education institutions who use standardized test scores in admissions and scholarship decisions that scores are comparable regardless of test mode (paper versus online) in order to make “apples-to-apples” comparisons when evaluating applications from students across the country and around the world.

There are two primary reasons why we announced the online testing option one year in advance:

•  It allows students to take practice tests in an online format so they can decide if they prefer online or paper testing.
• It provides test centers administering the ACT on a national test date time to confirm their readiness.

4.) Same test; better experience.

Since ACT’s inception 60 years ago, we’ve believed in measuring what students know, based on what they’ve learned in the classroom. With our new options for students, the ACT test content, reliability and validity will not change. Only the administration and reporting methods will be different.

What’s important to know about these changes is that they all lead to more choices and a better experience for students, giving them greater opportunities to succeed. When our students succeed, our society will have a brighter future.

---

Follow ACT

          

ACT is much more than a college admissions test. In fact, our mission emphasizes the work we do to help people achieve education AND workplace success. We advocate for learners of all levels to pursue the education and career paths that work for them, whether they’re interested in attending a community college, enrolling in a four-year institution, pursuing a career and technical education, or jumping right into the workforce.

Dr. Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and an ACT Board Member, recently reflected on the multiple pathways students can take to find success, and how ACT’s transformation will enable more students to learn, grow, and bloom in their field.

Read on for insights on the benefits of community college, how colleges are responding to the threat of automation displacing workers, and why the future of learning is lifelong learning:

1. ACT’s mission is about helping people achieve education and workplace success. What does education and workplace success mean to you?

Our association, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), shares the mission of ACT. I believe that for many individuals community colleges are the on-ramp to the middle class. Research continues to show that individuals will need more than a high school diploma, but less than a bachelor’s degree to enter many high demand, high-quality professions. Two-year colleges offer diplomas, certificates, and associate degrees, which all position individuals to gain skills or upskill so that they can compete as a part of the 21st-century workforce. Education and workplace success mean that individuals have the skills and competence necessary for jobs that lead to family-sustaining wages. It also means that these same individuals have been positioned to build on the initial credential that they obtain to further their education, which will also result in increased wages.

2. Why is it important for students to understand that there are “multiple pathways” to success?

There is no single path by which students must travel to meet their goals. A diverse body of voices and stories must be shared by educational providers and advocates to educate and adequately support the communities that we serve. In the two-year sector, the average age of a community college student is 28. Of the 41% of students enrolled in community colleges, 15% are single parents and 29% are first-generation college students. Most work full-time or part-time, so unlike traditional college-aged students that can take a full course load of 12-to-15 credit hours per semester, the “new traditional” student cannot. Educational experiences must be flexible and offered when and where students want, whether it is digitally, in-person, or through hybrid engagement. In large part, our colleges are doing this work, but when individuals are supporting their families, and they do not have direct familial guidance on how to navigate the education process, they may not know that their goal can become reality. It’s our job to tell those stories.

3. What advantages do students find when selecting a community college?

First and foremost, community colleges remain a high-quality, affordable option for completing the first two years of a degree. Across the country, community colleges have worked with their four-year counterparts to establish stronger course and degree articulation. Over the last seven years community colleges have been redesigned so that individuals pursuing a degree are guided through structured paths ensuring they take only the courses needed for their chosen credential. Community colleges provide access to advisors and have required more touchpoints in an individual’s academic career to ensure that they remain on track toward their educational goal. The student-to-instructor ratio remains smaller than that of four-year institutions, which allows for more individualized engagement. Some community colleges have also initiated zero textbook cost degrees, which addresses the still skyrocketing costs of textbooks, another major affordability issue.

4. With the threat of automation displacing American workers, what can educators and higher ed leaders do to prepare learners for the workforce of the future?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the nature of work and the workforce, requiring community and technical colleges to restructure programs to meet employers’ demand for new skill sets. Colleges are working to meet these needs by developing certificates that demonstrate competencies in IT, informatics, software development, and technology administration.

Partnerships are becoming more important and more universal. Community colleges are working within their local service areas, but partnerships with companies like Apple, Amazon, Cisco, and Dell are necessary to advance these programs in data analytics, cloud computing and emerging technologies.

Most importantly, we need to recognize that future learning will be lifelong learning. Rapid advances in technology will continue to grow exponentially and we must be sure that students learn how to learn in this new environment.

While the landscape of the nation’s labor market may change, what won’t change is the need for human brain power. Creativity and empathy are inherently human, and unequivocally necessary in the workplace. Community colleges are adapting their teaching based upon the needs of industry to focus not only on technical skills, but to teach students critical thinking, creativity, leadership, teamwork, etc.

One example is Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. The college has partnered with the Smart Automation Certification Alliance, and other community colleges and businesses to develop certificates that demonstrate competencies in IT-focused industry 4.0 skills. Ivy Tech is also collaborating with Salesforce to train students for a Salesforce developer or administrator certification, qualifying them for 300,000 positions among the company’s partner employers. In 2020, Ivy Tech will introduce new certificates into its informatics and software development associate degrees.

5. Which aspect of ACT’s transformation do you find most inspiring, helpful or relevant to solving these issues?

I appreciate that ACT has been reflective and proactive about how it continues to serve educators and students. Providing research and data is so helpful in doing to the day-to-day job of being an administrator. But, more than that, ACT worked to revamp and revise its own products and how those products impact student and institutional success. That work brings substantive and needed change to educational practices. ACT has put its money where its mouth is in order to advance student success. That is inspirational for any leader!
________

Looking to learn more about our workforce solutions? We provide opportunities for business, education and workforce advocates to join together to foster vibrant partnerships, sustain a robust workforce and make an impact on our communities through the ACT Workforce Summit.

The 2019 ACT Workforce Summit will take place from October 28-30 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Join us!

---

Follow ACT

          

Next school year, ACT will introduce individual section retesting, online testing on national test dates, and superscore calculations

IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT, the maker of the ACT® test used in college admissions, today announced plans to introduce three new options to improve students’ test-taking experience and increase their opportunities for college admissions and scholarships.

Beginning with the September 2020 national ACT test date, students who have taken the ACT will have the option to retake individual sections of the ACT test instead of the entire exam.

Students will also have the choice of taking the ACT online, with faster test results, on national test dates, and those who take the test more than once will be provided an ACT “superscore” that calculates their highest possible ACT composite score.

“Students come first at ACT, and these groundbreaking new options will directly benefit them, providing more choices, an improved testing experience, and a better opportunity to showcase their readiness and reach their maximum potential,” said Suzana Delanghe, ACT chief commercial officer. “With these changes, ACT is evolving to meet students in the digital world in which they live. We want to do a better job of helping them succeed.”

New Options Address Student Needs

The three new options are based on feedback from students, parents, teachers, counselors, administrators and higher education officials and supported by the organization’s latest research and technology enhancements.

• ACT Section Retesting: For the first time in the 60-year history of the ACT test, students who have already taken the test will be allowed to retake individual ACT section tests (English, math, reading, science and/or writing), rather than having to take the entire ACT test again.
• Online testing with faster score results: Students will, for the first time, have the option of online or paper testing on national test days at ACT test centers (selected test centers initially, eventually expanding to all). The test is currently administered only on paper on national test dates. Online testing offers faster results compared to traditional paper-based administration—two days compared to around two weeks.
• ACT superscoring: ACT will report a superscore for students who have taken the ACT test more than once, giving colleges the option to use the student’s best scores from all test administrations, rather than scores from just one sitting, in their admission and scholarship decisions. New ACT research suggests that superscoring is actually more predictive of how students will perform in their college courses than other scoring methods.

The content and format of the ACT test itself will not change. Only the administration and reporting methods will be different.

“The ACT test will remain the same valid, reliable indicator of student readiness for success in college that it has always been—one that is based on 60 years of research and measures what’s taught in the classroom,” said Delanghe. “Our research shows that ACT scores for students who take individual section tests are consistent with those earned when they take the entire test. We are simply offering new ways to take the ACT, saving students time and giving them the ability to focus only on subject areas needing improvement.”

ACT is leveraging its years of experience with online testing in its plan to offer an online testing option on national test dates. ACT online testing is already used by some states and school districts that administer the test to all students as well as in all international ACT test centers.

“These new options are breakthroughs based on research and the latest technological capabilities, as the testing industry moves into the 21st century,” said Delanghe. “Colleges rely on multiple measures of student readiness for success, including high school grades, courses taken and, of course, test scores. ACT scores are the best way to ensure colleges have a fair, valid and consistent standard by which to measure the readiness of students from across the country and around the world.”

Assisting Learners with Free Test Prep Resources

ACT will continue to offer students free learning and test prep resources through its online ACT Academy. Students will be able to take a free practice online test to help them determine if they prefer this format or the traditional paper format. And all materials will be updated to support understanding of the new options available to students.

ACT will continue its fee waiver program for students from low-income households, providing free testing for the entire test or for individual section tests as well as continuing to offer free test prep and free score reporting to support their college and scholarship applications.

More details are available online at www.act.org/morechoices. Additional details about the rollout of these options, including pricing information, will be announced in the months ahead.

---

Follow ACT

          

This year, we’re celebrating. ACT is turning 60 years old this November.

As I reflect on this important milestone, I can’t help but think back to our origin story, and the people who helped propel this critical work forward.

This post is dedicated to all of our customers committed to helping people find success. From the early adopters of the ACT test, eager to help more students enter and succeed in college, to the current innovators who are now helping us bring new ways to support learning, measurement and navigation into the classroom of the future.

Ensuring students are adequately prepared to enter college and career is—and always has been—our mission as a nonprofit organization.

While our work is demanding, the weight of our mission is made lighter by the many allies and advocates who’ve helped us along the way.

In the process of looking back through the history books, I was struck by how a simple idea to improve college access became a disruptive force in our industry. We’re seeking to disrupt the industry again, with a new approach to educational measurement that improves learning, measurement and navigation through various life stages.

Why? A desire to make education work for everyone. Data-driven, student-centered approaches to improve educational outcomes.

In 1959, E.F. Lindquist and fellow ACT co-founder Ted McCarrel had the gumption to jump into unchartered territory, driven by research and propelled by the notion that everyone can achieve success. They took a bold step forward 60 years ago on a new approach to educational measurement.

Today, we’re continuing that commitment to our expertise in measurement and research, but we’re also excited to pursue a new path that marries measurement with learning and navigation, ensuring students are learning the skills they need to succeed, showing what they know, and using that knowledge to choose the education and career path that works for them.

Our work could not—and would not—continue without the trust and loyalty of our many customers, throughout the years.

Every day, we seek to earn the trust and confidence of our many customers and stakeholders, from students and parents, to counselors, teachers, administrators, and schools, districts, colleges and universities, employers, education officials and policymakers. These diverse customers often have a variety of needs, but we can all agree on the importance of a solid education to propel anyone, regardless of background, forward.

For this, we thank you. Your support over six decades has inspired, informed, and immeasurably advanced college and career readiness from 1959 to today. We exist to serve you, and we are excited to stand beside you for many more years, solving the educational problems of today and tomorrow.

Thank you for 60 years of helping people achieve education and workplace success!

___

We’re spreading the gratitude by showcasing a few of our favorite “thank yous” from community members, advocates, and friends:

Iroquois High School

Sometimes, #motivation is a hot breakfast before you take a test. Thank you #ACTCares Team for sending snacks, handwritten notes of #encouragement, and pencils to our #SmallButMighty group of @ACT test takers this morning! pic.twitter.com/H4opsJ4bM1

— Clay Hollister (@Iroquois_BAC) April 14, 2019

ACT Scholars

 DeltaV Code School

We're halfway through Code 401! Shoutout to our sponsors @unitedfiregroup @Transamerica @Fab_Pro1 @CCRdotNET @CourseLeaf @ACT Midwest Microwave Solutions! Thank you for supporting our students and helping grow the tech talent & community in Iowa. 👩‍💻👨‍💻 #LearnToCode pic.twitter.com/WpwAs2L6Qe

— DeltaV Code School (@DeltaVCode) June 21, 2019

---

Follow ACT