ERIC Number: ED563765
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 32
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Condition of STEM 2015. National
ACT, Inc.
ACT has been a leader in measuring college and career readiness trends since 1959. Each August, ACT releases The Condition of College & Career Readiness (www.act.org/newsroom/data/2015), an annual report on the progress of the ACT-tested graduating class relative to college readiness. Nationally, a record 59% of the 2015 graduating class took the ACT® test. The continued increase in the number of ACT test takers enhances the breadth and depth of their data pool, providing a comprehensive picture of the current college readiness levels of the graduating class as well as offering a glimpse of the emerging general and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education pipeline in the United States. It also allows ACT to review various aspects of the ACT-tested 2015 graduating class. This report reviews the graduating class in the context of STEM-related fields. ACT is uniquely positioned to deliver this report for two key reasons. First is their commitment to science through the inclusion of science tests in our assessments. ACT leadership is unmatched in providing a definitive assessment in the science area. Second is the research-based ACT Interest Inventory, which is delivered with the ACT and measures students' interest in a wide range of educational and occupational fields. This report shows that, over the past several years, about half of US high school graduates have expressed interest in STEM majors and careers. Meanwhile, college readiness levels in math and science are higher for STEM-interested students than for ACT-tested students overall. [For "The Condition of STEM 2014. National," see ED555600.]
Descriptors: STEM Education, College Entrance Examinations, Science Interests, Student Interests, Majors (Students), Science Achievement, Occupational Aspiration, Academic Aspiration, Mathematics Achievement, College Readiness, Gender Differences, Teaching (Occupation), High School Graduates, Reading Achievement, Language Arts, English, Racial Differences, Ethnic Groups, African American Students, Asian American Students, American Indian Students, Pacific Islanders, Hispanic American Students, White Students, Multiracial Persons, Parent Background, Computer Science, Medicine, Allied Health Occupations, Engineering, Information Technology, Geographic Location
ACT, Inc. 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168. Tel: 319-337-1270; Web site: http://www.act.org
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: ACT, Inc.
Identifiers - Location: United States
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: ACT Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A