In this report, we establish benchmarks of readiness for four common first-year college courses: English Composition, College Algebra, Social Science, and Biology. Using grade data from a large sample of colleges, we modeled the probability of success in these courses as a function of ACT test scores. Success was defined as a course grade of B or…

Middle school and high school are important times for early postsecondary planning, and many educational organizations and the U.S. Department of Education recommend that students begin planning for college as early as sixth grade. Schools can play a key role in guiding early preparation for postsecondary education through fostering academic…

This case study explains how Township High School District 214 in Arlington Heights, Illinois, faced the challenge of implementing a comprehensive academic assessment system. For more than ten years, District 214's administration and faculty worked diligently to investigate methods, lay the foundation for a long-term assessment system, and…

This study, reflects the American College Testing Program's (ACT's) interest in analyzing the critical issues affecting the preparation of the postsecondary applicant pool and the high school experience. It offers recommendations that policymakers, educators, and others can use to enhance the transition from high school to postsecondary education.…

This policy report provides a view of the issues concerning the effectiveness of technology in its role to enhance education. This report is intended for use by educational leaders and policymakers who are concerned with making optimal use of technology in the schools. This report: (1) Focuses on issues that need to be considered as the impact of…

This report provides information from a major technical study about the influence of non-academic factors, alone and combined with academic factors, on student retention and performance at four-year colleges and universities. A meta-analysis technique was used to identify the non-academic factors that had the most salient relationship to…

This research report describes changes made to the Inventory of Work-Relevant Values when it was revised for online use as a part of the Internet version of DISCOVER. Users will see the following differences between the online and CD-ROM versions of the inventory: 22 items rather than 61, simplified presentation, and the contribution of all items…