Have ACT® Scores Hit Rock Bottom? Lowest Point In Over 30 Years
Students and teachers have been working hard to close the learning gaps created by COVID learning loss; and while strides have been made in some academic achievement over the past two years, research and data collection is still underway, reporting the significant impact of the pandemic that has continued to wreak havoc in education.
ACT’s® 2022 Graduating Class National Profile Report
The results of ACT’s® 2022 Graduating Class National Profile Report is ringing the alarm: academic preparedness is in serious decline. Students’ increasing inability to display the skills required to meet benchmark standards in college readiness is at a major low point as evidenced by the data:
The national average ACT® Composite score for the graduating class of 2022 is 19.8 (down from 20.3 for the class of 2021, and the lowest average score since 1991).
Only 22% of ACT®-tested class of 2022 graduates met all 4 ACT® College Readiness Benchmarks (English, reading, math, and science).
Only 32% of ACT®-tested class of 2022 graduates met at least 3 out of 4 ACT® College Readiness Benchmarks.
42% of ACT®-tested class of 2022 graduates met 0 out of 4 ACT® College Readiness Benchmarks.
35% of the 2022 ACT®-tested graduating class took the ACT® more than once—an increase compared to 32% in 2021.
In an ACT® press release, ACT® CEO Janet Godwin stated:
“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. 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.”
Benefits of Taking Standardized Tests: Evident Now More Than Ever
The decline in test scores only proves that standardized testing is crucial in gauging academic preparedness. Without scores and benchmarks, we wouldn’t be able to keep a finger on the pulse of education; we would have no way of knowing that our students are struggling, nationwide.
On top of that, standardized testing:
Gives college-bound students a greater chance of admission. In today’s overcrowded applicant pool, test scores give prospective students distinction, helping them stand out from the rest.
Studying in preparation for the ACT® or SAT® helps students identify the academic areas in which they need more support.
Standardized testing teaches more than just subject-specific skills—problem solving; time management; resiliency; practical and functional (e.g., reading comprehension, syntax and grammar, real-world math); and analytical—many of which are soft skills that students will need to succeed beyond college coursework.
Standardized tests help students earn money for college. Merit-based scholarships based solely on high standardized test scores are awarded by many colleges and universities. Submitting a solid test score for any academic achievement-based scholarship is a sure way to win money for college.
Maximizing the Value of Tutoring Sessions
This perilous deterioration in preparedness for not only college-level coursework, but secondary education, is why our tutoring sessions matter so much. We need to take advantage of that one-on-one and/or small group time to support our students outside of their classrooms.
Students can only gain so much knowledge from sitting in class and taking notes. They need to have opportunities to have undivided attention; be free to ask questions, make mistakes, and be able to zero-in on the areas where they need the most help. Students need ways to practice and apply their newly-learned skills to real-life scenarios as much as possible. This is not the time for students to be memorizing to pass a test and then forgetting; this is the time to harness the felt-needs of students with academic deficiencies, and help them learn and build on those skills.
With a strong test-prep plan, our students have the potential to close those learning gaps and experience long-lasting academic achievement that will serve them in high school, college, and beyond.
Tips for Improving ACT® Scores:
Even one extra point on the ACT can make a huge difference. For tips on how to your students can raise their ACT® scores, check out some of our previous posts:
5 Tips for Improving a Student’s Speed on the ACT® Math Test
Preparing Students for the Format of the ACT® Mathematics Test
21 of the Most Important Formulas to Memorize for the ACT® Math Test
The 3 Trickiest ACT® Punctuation Rules All Students Need to Know
How to Help Students Interpret Data on the ACT® Science Test
5 Non-Science Skills Students Must Have to Succeed on the ACT® Science Test
Make Your Practice ACT® & SAT® Tests Feel like the Real Thing
How to Raise a Student's Test Scores Between Tutoring Sessions
We’re positive that our expert test-prep advice will give your students the boost they need in both score and academic improvement.
Is your test-prep curriculum prepared to deliver that level of support? Clear Choice Prep has you covered! Our ACT® prep curriculum includes ACT®-aligned content and practice problems—all with detailed answer explanations and videos. We also provide students with helpful strategies and tips for unpacking common phrasing and organizational structures used on the test.
Check out a free sample of our ACT® test-prep materials, and see what Clear Choice Prep can do to revolutionize your test-prep offerings!