Each year, ACT produces two reports to assist institutions with recruitment, planning and engagement. The College Choice Report is an annual update that follows ACT tested high school graduates through their second year of college. The information collected on issues related to college choice is then released to members during the AACRAO SEM Conference, November 1-4, 2015, in Hollywood, FL -- along with a tool to help members use the data effectively.
Ahead of that report, ACT has released The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2015, which collates variables known to be relevant for college success and analyzes them for trends. Members can use this research to assist them in creating targeted recruitment practices. The report is useful for determining recruitment practices by major and state, as well as an additional resource for aspects of student support services as well.
According to Steve Kappler, ACT is seeking to “shed light from a research perspective on the four key areas of student success.” That means assisting institutions in understanding and utilizing more than just core academic indicators. The four key areas the new Condition report highlights are:
- Core academic skills (English, Reading, Math, Science)
- Cross cutting capabilities (eg. technology and information literacy, collaborative problem solving, thinking and metacognition, and studying and learning),
- Behavioral skills (persistence, discipline, etc)
- Education to career navigation skills (ability to identify and follow interests)
According to Kappler, ACT's research shows that a mix of all these skills work together to drive student success. He emphasized that “all too often we focus on academic achievement levels, such as a test score or GPA, when there are so many factors that need to be taken into account.”
The ACT Condition of College Readiness report is available here. Registration for AACRAO SEM is available here.