ACT (nonprofit organization)

src: www.gsb.stanford.edu

ACT, Inc. is the 501 (c) (3) American nonprofit organization (NTEE B90, Educational Services classification, per IRS), primarily known for ACT, a standardized test designed to assess academic achievement of school students medium and college readiness. For US high school classes in 2016, 64 percent of graduates have taken the ACT test; nearly 2.1 million students including almost all high school graduates in 20 states.

Founded in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1959, the organization has over 1,000 employees. Its CEO is Marten Roorda, who took over the leadership of ACT in 2015. Previous CEOs include Jon Whitmore (2010-2015), Richard L. Ferguson. (1988-2010), and Oluf Davidsen (1974-1988).

Selain tes ACT, program ACT termasuk ACT Aspire, ACT Engage, ACT Kaplan Online Prep Live, ACT Profile, ACT QualityCore, PreACT, WorkKeys, dan National Career Readiness Certificate.

Video ACT (nonprofit organization)

Histori

ACT was co-founded by Iowa University professor Everett Franklin Lindquist in 1959. Lindquist earned his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1927, and then immediately joined the College of Education faculty. In 1929, Lindquist built the test used for the Iowa Academic Meet, a contest to identify top students in Iowa. In 1935, Lindquist and his colleagues developed Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). In 1942, he introduced the Iowa Education Development Test (ITED) for students in grades 9-12. Lindquist also uses the ITED test to help develop the Armed Forces General Education Development Tests, better known as GED.

In 1958 at a conference sponsored by Educational Testing Service (ETS), Lindquist presented the Nature of Scholarship Improvement Problems and the College Entrance Examination . Lindquist believes entrance exams should evaluate students' readiness to undertake college level work, and should, therefore, be a test of achievement and not a congenital or talent intelligence, a clear challenge to the test then known as the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (now called SAT).

Lindquist and Ted McCarrel, University of Iowa recorders, led the team that developed and then delivered the first ACT test to 75,460 students on November 7, 1959.

ACT supports the Fair Testing Practice Code in Education and the Professional Responsibility Code in Educational Measurement. ACT has a policy platform that provides recommendations in three areas: K-12 education, post-secondary education, and labor development. ACT also publicly publishes a Privacy Policy, which explains the protection for the privacy of its customers' personal information.

Main events

• On November 7, 1959, the first ACT test was delivered to 75,640 students.
• In 1964, ACT introduced the ACT Student Profile, which collected information on student interests, plans and achievements.
• In 1972, ACT offered its first professional examination service (Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program, or OKAP).
• In 1973, the ACT Minor Inventory, a tool for education and career exploration, was incorporated into the ACT test.
• In 1983, ACT introduced ASSETÃ,®, a program to place students in a postsecondary course, which became known as CompassÃ,®.
• In 1992, the WorkKeys assessment gave applicants, employees and employers the means to assess job readiness.
• In 1996, ACT changed its name from "American College Testing" to ACT, Inc.
• In 2005, a writing test was introduced as an optional element of the ACT test.
• In 2006, ACT created the National Career Readiness Certificate, a credential tool to confirm basic job skills.
• In 2012, for the first time, more students take ACT than take the SAT. In 2013, ACT established the ACT Foundation, which is intended to assist students working.
• In 2014, ACT introduced ACT Aspire, a longitudinal system to connect student growth from primary to early secondary school.
• By 2015, ACT tests start including additional indicators and scores for English Language Arts (ELA); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Text Complexity; and Career Readiness.
• In 2016, ACT announced the establishment of an ACT Center for Justice in Learning, which will focus on issues affecting under-served students in education and the workforce.

Maps ACT (nonprofit organization)

Products and Services

The ACT test becomes the leading college readiness assessment by 2012, surpassing the SAT in the number of students taking the exam. For US high school classes in 2016, 64 percent of all graduates take ACT, up from 59 percent in 2015 and 52 percent in 2012. The total number of high school graduates in 2016 who take the ACT is 2,090,342. About 1.7 million senior graduates are taking SAT, ACT's main competitor, by 2015.

ACT measures the development of secondary school students' general education and their ability to complete college level work. For students tested in the 2016 high school graduation class, 38 percent comply with the ACT College Degree Scholarships in at least three of ACT's four test subjects - English, math, reading and science. About one-third of graduates taking ACT, 34 percent, did not meet one of four benchmarks.

Scores are reported on a scale of 1-36, with a combined score representing the average score of each of the four subject area tests. All ACT scores are reported as integers (e.g., Score 23.5 rounds to 24). ACT score reports also include STEM scores, English/Language Art scores, data on text complexity, and Readiness Preparation Towards Career Readiness. The average combined score obtained by high school graduates in 2016 following ACT is 20.8.

All four-year colleges and universities in the United States receive ACT, but institutions place different emphases on standardized tests, relative to other factors including class ratings, GPA, and extracurricular activities. Most colleges do not show a preference for ACT or SAT and accept both. Some colleges receive ACT at the SAT subject test, and some receive an optional ACT writing section instead of the SAT Subject Test.

Most colleges use ACT scores as just one factor in their admissions process, as a supplement to secondary school records and to help admissions officers locate local data - such as courses, grades, and class ratings - in a national perspective.

Traditionally submitted in paper format, ACT is the first national college admissions test to be offered in digital format by 2014.

Every three to five years ACT conducts the ACT National Curriculum Survey, which collects data on what students should know and can do to prepare for college level courses in English, math, reading and science. Survey results are used to inform ACT College and Career Preparedness Standards. These standards are empirically derived descriptions of the essential skills and knowledge that students need to become ready for college and career.

ACT also publishes ACT College Benchmark Rankings. The benchmark is a score on an ACT subject area test that represents the level of attainment required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining B or higher or about 75% chance of obtaining C or higher in appropriate lending in advance-a college year. College courses include English composition, college algebra, social science introduction, and biology.

In addition to its use in college admissions, about 20 countries use ACT to assess school performance, and require all high school students to take ACT, regardless of whether they are tied to college. The states that test almost all students in their 2016 graduation classes are Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Exam fee and waiver fee

The ACT test (without writing) costs $ 42.50 for the test year 2016-2017. ACT with a writing fee of $ 58.50. Additional charges apply for services including late registration, change of test date, test center change, and standby test.

Cost exclusions are available for students currently enrolled in high school in grades 11 or 12; which is a US citizen or a test in the US, US territory, or Puerto Rico; and meet one or more of the economic needs indicators listed on the ACT Cost Abandonment form. During the academic year 2015-2016, 617,022 students are given a waiver fee to test at no cost.

Other ACT programs

• ACT Aspire measures readiness in English, math, reading, science, and writing from elementary level to early secondary school (grades 3-10). Performance on ACT Aspire predicts performance for high school students in ACT. The test is available in paper and online formats.
• ACT Engage assesses student behavior and attributes that may affect student performance. It provides information about student motivation, social engagement, and self. The program is offered on three levels (Grades 6-9, Grades 10-12, and Colleges).
• ACT Online Prep provides learning content to help students prepare to follow ACT. The program includes lessons covering all four ACT subject tests (English, math, reading, and science), and two guidelines for optional writing tests. Students can also take a full practice test, which will provide a predictable ACT score.
• The ACT Profile is a college and career training platform. Mobile and free to the public, ACT Profile offers personalized information around 1,500 popular majors and 6,000 careers.
• ACT QualityCore offers learning resources, formative pool items, end-of-course assessment, and online reports for teaching and assessment in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences.
• WorkKeys is a skills assessment system that helps employers choose, hire, train, develop, and retain their workforce. His assessment measures the basic and soft skills that are considered essential for success in the workplace. Successful completion of WorkKeys in Applied Mathematics, Location Information, and Reading for Information can lead to the acquisition of a National Care Readiness Certificate (NCRC).
• The National Care Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is a WorkKeys-based portable credential. Issued on four levels (platinum, gold, silver, bronze), NCRC states that the holder has the necessary job skills to succeed in employment in industry and employment. NCRC has been accepted by over 3 million people across the United States.
• The ACT Work Ready Communities program has been adopted by state, county, and economic development agencies throughout the United States as a means to provide evidence to employers about skilled workers
• In autumn 2016, ACT Kaplan Online Prep Live, exam preparation service with live online instruction, and PreACT, ACT simulation testing experience, will be launched.

src: dojmt.gov

Research

The ACT research seeks to inform decisions at the individual, institutional, system and institutional levels. ACT has supported a collegiate holistic view and career readiness, where academic readiness is one of four key domains in determining individual readiness for college and career success. Crossing skills, behavioral skills, and the ability to navigate future pathways are also important factors affecting students readiness for postsecondary education.

Each year ACT publishes the College Condition Report and Career Readiness, which reports the progress of US high school graduates relative to college readiness. In addition to the national report, ACT released a focused report with organizations such as Excelencia in Education, the British Negro Fund, the National Indian Educational Association, and the Asian and Pacific Island Scholarships Fund to report academic achievements within the demographic group.

src: www.gsb.stanford.edu

Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations

ACT has articulated policy recommendations in the form of policy platforms in three areas: K-12 education, post-secondary education, and labor development. In addition to platform-level policy papers, ACT publishes more targeted policy publications.

src: www.nysscpa.org

References

Source of the article : Wikipedia