A record-high 78% of 2024 high school graduates took the ACT during school hours through state- and district-sponsored programs, according to new data released by ACT earlier this week. This marks a record participation rate for the ACT School-Day Testing program, which allows students to take the college entrance exam at no cost.
“We are really pleased that we saw a record number of students testing through school-day testing, which means they tested and received a college reportable score at no cost to the students,” said Rose Babington, senior director of strategic initiatives at ACT. “We feel that this is significant because it opens opportunities for students who might not have been considering college as a viable option.”
ACT officials said that initiatives like the School-Day Testing program helps to reduce barriers, especially for students from low-income backgrounds and students of color. “We think especially for the states and districts who offer these programs, it means that they're really showing their commitment for every single student to understand their readiness for life after high school," Babington added.
The spike in ACT participation reflects the increasing influence of state and district efforts to open up testing to students, said Janet Godwin, the chief executive officer of ACT, who added that the program promotes college and career readiness by making it easier for students to take the exam.
“Every high school student deserves to know his or her readiness for life after high school,” said Godwin. “When all students have the opportunity to test at school without a fee, it provides opportunities for postsecondary, scholarship and career success.”
Alabama has pioneered this effort. More than any other state, it has administered the ACT college-entrance exam to every public-school 11th-grader at least once, beginning in 2014.
“We have really watched kids make educational attainment decisions and career attainment decisions that work for them,” said Eric Mackey, Alabama’s state superintendent. “We're not done, and we have a responsibility for those students that don’t get a lot of attention but still need a pathway out of high school. That’s where the work needs to be.”
