ACT Report Released Tuesday

Education officials in Arkansas are lauding a report issued by ACT this week, which shows that high school students who plan to enter workforce training programs after they graduate need academic skills similar to those needed by students planning to enter college. The findings suggest that the math and reading skills needed to be ready for success in workforce training programs are comparable to those needed for success in the first year of college. "This is yet another confirmation of both the direction and the message weve been pursuing in our public schools," said Ken James, Commissioner of Education. "Arkansans should be proud that we already have a standard, rigorous set of courses called Smart Core in place for all of our high school students." Students pursuing Smart Core must take four years of math, including algebra I, algebra II, geometry and another higher-level math course as well as four years of grade-level English. The class of 2010 is the first cohort to be automatically enrolled in Smart Core unless a childs parents have signed a formal waiver. Arkansas officials in higher education and in work force education agree that all students should follow a rigorous course of study in high school. "This study by ACT confirms what our industry partners have been telling us - that students need the same high level of skills whether theyre going to college or to work," John Wyvill, Director of the Department of Workforce Education said. "To meet this need, Career and Technical Education has been working with industry to develop meaningful curriculum that integrates the rigor of the Smart Core with challenging, practical, hands-on application to equip students both for the classroom and the workforce. By investing in these students, we are investing in the future of Arkansas." Linda Beene, Director of the Department of Higher Education, said, "This policy alert from ACT confirms what Arkansas is striving to achieve through the National Governors Association Honor States grant, which is to provide a rigorous high school experience that will prepare students for college or for the workplace." The goal is for all Arkansas high school students to pursue the Smart Core curriculum, James said. This type policy is what ACT recommends as well. "We can`t afford to have one expectation for students who plan to attend college and another for those who plan to enter the workforce or workforce training programs after high school," said ACT CEO Richard L. Ferguson. "If we educate some students to a lesser standard than others, we narrow their options to jobs that, in today`s economy, no longer pay well enough to support a family." In the study, ACT looked at the types of occupations that offer a wage sufficient to support a family of four, as well as potential for career advancement, but that do not require a four-year college degree. These occupations-which include electricians, construction workers, upholsterers, plumbers, etc.-typically require some combination of vocational training and on-the-job experience or an associate`s degree. The academic skill levels compared in the study were based on job profiles from ACT`s WorkKeys program and the company`s College Readiness Benchmarks on its ACT college admission and placement exam. The results show that the levels of math and reading skills needed for success in the first year of college are comparable to those needed by high school graduates to enter the vast majority (90 percent) of these profiled jobs. The ACT report emphasizes that the context within which these important skills are taught and tested in schools may differ for students with different goals. However, the level of expectation for all students should be the same. The report offers a number of recommendations to policymakers, including the following: •