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ACT Submits Victim Impact Statement as Operation Varsity Blues Winds Down

ACT
April 21, 2022
Category: ACT Updates |

With Wednesday’s sentencing of Joey Chen in one of the final Operation Varsity Blues cases, and other sentencing decisions pending this sum...

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With Wednesday’s sentencing of Joey Chen in one of the final Operation Varsity Blues cases, and other sentencing decisions pending this summer, we are closing a troubling chapter. As part of its victimization in the fraud, ACT was invited to submit a victim impact statement to the court. Below is what was submitted by ACT’s Vice President and General Counsel Michael Clifton on behalf of the students and institutions we serve, who were the true victims in this case.

Thank you for the opportunity to address this Honorable Court with a Victim Impact Statement.

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization founded in Iowa City, Iowa in 1959, with a mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. One of our core services is administering the ACT® Test, which is an academic achievement exam taken by millions of high school students each year and used by colleges, universities, and scholarship agencies across the United States to determine student readiness for college from an academic standpoint. The exam is widely recognized as one of the most – if not the most – scientifically sound testing instruments in the world for measuring high school academic achievement.

The millions of students who take the ACT test each year, and the institutions to which students are applying, demand a fair, reliable exam, and ACT is committed to delivering one. For more than 60 years, ACT has built a reputation for fairness in the exam process and trust in its scores. We, along with other leading organizations in the assessment field, have established, attend, and present at annual conferences and seminars dedicated to test security; we participate in the drafting of industry publications on test security best practices; we coordinate with law enforcement around the world in response to significant security threats; and we regularly defend the integrity of our scores through litigation. We invest heavily in these activities to ensure the public’s confidence in the fairness of the exam and trust in our scores remain high.

The defendant’s actions have eroded that trust. And while ACT is, in fact, a victim in this case, the true victims are the millions of students who entrusted ACT with their hard work and dedication. For our students, taking the ACT test and receiving their score is the culmination of months and years of commitment to academic excellence. It’s important because they know it is a valid, reliable measure that they can use for their college-going decision making, understanding what courses they are prepared for, and applying for scholarships. They show up on test day, prepared and committed to doing their best, secure in the knowledge that ACT is doing everything possible to ensure their score will be reported and delivered with integrity. All of the hard work of millions of honest, diligent students was undermined and dishonored when the defendant chose to abuse and mislead the system, and participate in the illegal activities that have brought us here today. Our students were the ones who were most cheated and victimized by the defendant’s dishonest actions, and it is they who are looking to this Court to restore that trust through the sentencing process.

We encourage a strong sentence in this matter to send the message to the defendant – and the millions of students and the institutions with whom we work who put their trust in the integrity of our assessment – that cheating will not be tolerated. That the values of hard work, integrity, and justice will be honored and upheld. That they can trust us – all of us – to protect them and the integrity of the college admissions process.

Thank you, your Honor.

Celebrating College Signing Day 2022

ACT
April 13, 2022
Category: COVID-19 | Equity | Guest Blog |

By: Cindy Jara, digital communications manager, Reach Higher at Common App and a first-generation 2020 graduate from the University of Flori...

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By: Cindy Jara, digital communications manager, Reach Higher at Common App and a first-generation 2020 graduate from the University of Florida

This post originally appeared in the April 2022 American College Application Campaign newsletter.

College Signing Day is very special to Reach Higher. In spring 2014, our team planned the first national College Signing Day in San Antonio, where the mayor and the entire city had been formally celebrating their graduating seniors for years. We wanted to lift up the great work happening in the city and also set an example for others to follow. Eight years later, we see, now more than ever before, the importance of a postsecondary education.

College Signing Day celebrates all students committed to pursuing an education beyond high school. Whether they plan to attend a community college, a four-year university, a certificate program, the military, or any other education after high school, College Signing Day shows full support of students making decisions for their future. That’s the entire reason why former First Lady Michelle Obama started Reach Higher and Better Make Room: to inspire students to complete their education and own their future.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama at College Signing Day at UCLA in 2019, honoring students for their pursuit of a college education or career in the military. (Photo: Chuck Kennedy)

This year, especially, we need to come together to help students do just that. Since the start of the pandemic, nearly one million students – 938,000 students to be exact – have been accepted to college but chose not to enroll. And this school year alone, only 37.6% of high school students have filed a FAFSA since February 2022. Studies show that job opportunities across the next decade will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for people with a high school diploma or less. That’s why hosting your own local College Signing Day can be a life-changing event for students; it shows them that it’s never too late to apply to college, the military, or a certificate program.

There have been more than 5,000 College Signing Days across the nation celebrating millions of students over the years. And when schools and offices had to turn to remote work, we all worked together to celebrate the class of 2020 and the class of 2021 virtually. In the past two years, College Signing Day has had more than 515.8 million social media impressions, 272.6 million social media accounts reached, and 47 states that hosted an event (whether in person, online, or hybrid). We can’t wait to see how we can all come together this year to celebrate the class of 2022.

Si, Starr, Nia, Vicky, and Addy celebrated College Signing Day 2021 with us by sharing their commitments to Syracuse University, Rutgers University, University of Southern California, and University of Illinois, respectively. (Credit: DevinePhotography_ on Instagram)

To help get you started, we’ve created a brand new College Signing Day website and toolkit with the steps educators and communities can take to host their own College Signing Day events. We’ve made sure to include ways to celebrate in person, virtually, and on social media because we know that each community has been affected by the pandemic differently. Not only that, but we’ve created social media resources, in-person accessories, and more on our website. Sign up for our College Signing Day newsletter where you’ll get the first look at all of the new resources and be the first to know how we’ll be celebrating College Signing Day on the national level. Be sure to follow us on social media (@BetterMakeRoom on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok) and check out our #CollegeSigningDay Twitter hashtag for updates.

We are so excited to celebrate together in May, and we can’t wait to see all the ways that you do, too!

AERA Names Daniel M. Koretz Recipient of the 2022 E. F. Lindquist Award

ACT
April 08, 2022
Category: Press Release | Research |

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the award named for ACT’s co-founder, which honors outstanding contributions to the field of empiric...

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the award named for ACT’s co-founder, which honors outstanding contributions to the field of empirical, theoretical, or integrative research

Washington, April 8—The American Educational Research Association (AERA), with support from ACT, has announced Daniel M. Koretz of the Harvard Graduate School of Education as the recipient of the 2022 E. F. Lindquist Award.

Named in honor of ACT’s co-founder, the E. F. Lindquist Award is presented in recognition of outstanding applied or theoretical research in the field of testing and measurement. The award is meant to acknowledge a body of research of an empirical, theoretical, or integrative nature rather than a single study.

“AERA is pleased to join ACT in honoring Dr. Koretz with this award for his rich contributions to education research,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “His work has been transformative in advancing greater understanding and improved use of testing and measurement in the education research field.”

“ACT co-founder E.F. Lindquist was a pioneer whose far-reaching contributions are still felt today in classrooms worldwide,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said. “We are delighted to support AERA, and recognize Dr. Koretz for his similarly leading work in enhancing assessment and testing through research.”

Koretz, the Henry Lee Shattuck Research Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is an expert on educational assessment and testing policy, with a primary focus on the impact of high-stakes testing. His work on score inflation, the effects of testing programs on educational practice, the assessment of students with disabilities, international differences in the variability of student achievement, the application of value-added models to educational achievement, and the development of methods for validating scores under high-stakes conditions has notably advanced measurement and testing practices around the globe. Koretz is perhaps most widely known for his enduring contributions on test score inflation and self-monitoring assessments.

Koretz is an AERA Fellow and a member of the National Academy of Education. He received his doctorate in developmental psychology from Cornell University. Koretz will be invited to give the E. F. Lindquist Award Lecture at AERA’s 2023 Annual Meeting. An article emanating from the lecture will be considered for publication in the Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics.

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About AERA
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About ACT
ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is trusted as a national leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality assessments grounded in over 60 years of research. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions designed to provide personalized insights that help individuals succeed from elementary school through career. Visit us at www.act.org.

Contacts:
Tony Pals, tpals@aera.net
(202) 238-3235

Marla Koenigsknecht, mkoenigsknecht@aera.net
(202) 238-3233

Allie Ciaramella, allie.ciaramella@act.org

Oregon Community Colleges Spring Into Action to Help More Students Make a Postsecondary Plan

ACT
April 07, 2022
Category: COVID-19 | Equity | Guest Blog |

By: Rosa Maria Banuelos-Uribe, admissions and recruitment coordinator, Lane Community College, and Tiffany Malsberger, transition specialist...

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By: Rosa Maria Banuelos-Uribe, admissions and recruitment coordinator, Lane Community College, and Tiffany Malsberger, transition specialist, Rogue Community College

Since 2012, more than 200 of Oregon’s high schools have hosted College Application Week as a part of the American College Application Campaign. As college admissions professionals, we have supported these efforts, volunteering at high schools in our districts and helping students submit their applications. These November events serve many students well. However, we know that – for a variety of reasons – not all students are ready to decide that early. We have a responsibility to present students with other options and opportunities to seek other paths toward college.

For us, this means continued presence and support at the high schools beyond fall programming. Through unique college-based programs taking place in the spring, Oregon’s community colleges have been able to show more students who may have been deterred that there’s still time to pursue their postsecondary plans.

We believe that any college – two- or four-year – that still has room in its incoming classes should consider offering similar information sessions and application and financial aid support during the spring months. This approach meets the students where they are and sends a clear message that they are right on time in their college preparations. It’s especially powerful when institutions can collaborate with organizations in their area to amplify that message.

For us, the seeds were planted in winter 2020, when we met with our colleagues from other Oregon community colleges and our partners at Oregon GEAR UP/Oregon Goes To College to discuss the realities of enrollment at our institutions. As is true across the country, Oregon’s higher education enrollment is lower now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. While the total headcount stabilized between fall 2020 and 2021, the decline since 2019 has been significantly greater at our community colleges (24.9%) than our four-year institutions (4.3%).

We shared our experiences in working with students who were contemplating their futures: Students seemed less inclined to enroll in college because they were so uncertain of what school would look like. The experience of switching from in-person to virtual learning and back again had taken a toll. For many, it seemed more stable to enter the workforce and start earning money than risk starting school and having to switch learning environments.

We brainstormed how we could reach the students who were just waking up and blooming in the spring, and those who were wavering about continuing their education because of the pandemic. We considered how we could serve students who may have initially planned to pursue a four-year path but whose plans had changed since the fall. The fact that community college admissions deadlines are often more flexible, admitting students up until the first week of school, offered us an opportunity to remind students that it is never too late to Spring Into Action and make a plan for education beyond high school.

So, along with our colleagues, we immediately began developing a new statewide initiative specifically designed to meet the needs of 12th graders who did not yet have a plan. We agreed to host presentations about our institutions’ programs and workshops to assist students with applying for admissions and financial aid, including the Oregon Promise grant. Unlike the fall events that do these same things and are hosted by high schools, Spring Into Action is hosted by the colleges, on our campuses or in our Zoom rooms. Because community college representatives can’t always travel throughout the state, we wanted to develop a structure that allowed students and counselors outside of our service district to participate in our events.

Once we had a structure, we needed to choose the right timing. We were mindful that by May, fall registration is open at all Oregon community colleges. Also, Oregon high schools host Decision Day on or around May 1, and we wanted to ensure that students who participated in our workshops would be celebrated along with their peers who had made decisions earlier.

With National Community College Month falling in April, the pieces fell into place. Along with our colleagues from the other community colleges in the state, we were able to increase our outreach virtually to those students and schools who may not ever appear in person or reach out to us. Now, we are preparing in-person presentations and workshops for the second annual Spring Into Action this month, from April 11-29.

By offering this programming during the spring months and collaborating with organizations like Oregon GEAR UP/Oregon Goes To College, institutions can remind students that there’s always still time to apply, and we’re all in this together. The collaboration benefits all of us as we learn from each other as professionals. Importantly, this work also helps us be better informed about our peer institutions, allowing us to refer students and families to programs around the state that might be a good fit for them.

Complementing the traditional fall College Application Week with springtime events is another way to encourage more students to have a postsecondary plan, a goal that has become even more crucial amid disruptions and challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. We are proud of Oregon’s community colleges for recognizing that this is a year-round job – and for springing into action to better support our students.
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