The class of 2023 had the worst ACT performance in more than three decades, according to newly released data from the nonprofit that administers the college admissions test.
Why it matters: The scores are the latest indication of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on education, with academic performance and test scores declining at all levels. The 2023 cohort was in its first year of high school when the pandemic began.
At my high school, everyone was required to take the ACT. It didn’t matter if you were planning to go to college or not.
Obviously if you force people to take the test then the averages will go down…
Why should it though? It’s assessing fairly basic levels of reading and math comprehension.
Before the test was mandatory, people only took the test if they thought they needed for entry to college. Now there are more people who don’t want to go to college yet still must take the test. It’s logical to assume that the people who would not go to college or feel that the test is a waste of their time will not perform as well as the people who view it as a barrier that they must cross for their desired life outcome. The simplicity of the test doesn’t really matter.
People actually trying? They may know it, but won’t bother.