- lesscollegestress
- Oct 23, 2022
Last week’s post focused on the dip of the average ACT score to a 19.8 and the SAT to a 1050. The consistent dropping of scores indicates lower academic performance. Why are scores dropping?
ACT CEO Janet Godwin said the decline can’t be blamed exclusively by learning disruptions from online learning and missed classes when schools were shuttered during the Covid-19 pandemic, but by “longtime systemic failures” that were “exacerbated by the pandemic.”
“The magnitude of the declines this year is particularly alarming, as we see rapidly growing numbers of seniors leaving high school without meeting the college-readiness benchmark in any of the subjects we measure,” Godwin said in a press release,
Recent studies have linked online learning during the pandemic—when teachers were forced to completely pivot from in-person classes to lessons online—to disruptions in students’ math and reading comprehension. During that time, students were shown to have connected less with their teachers and classmates, and become distracted more easily while at home. The high school class of 2022 dealt with online learning for more than half of their time in high school, starting in March, 2020. Students who switched to online lessons from in-person classes for just a month missed the equivalent of seven to 10 weeks of math, Harvard University Center for Education Policy Research director Thomas Kane told NPR.
I believe that other factors, especially mental health concerns, play a role:
The loneliness caused by the lockdown exacerbated pre-existing issues involving social media. Though apps provide connection, they may also distract students from learning, and promote insecurity, anxiety, and depression. My students who survived the pandemic and managed academics more successfully were those who exercised, created websites or podcasts, did virtual or other volunteering, expressed themselves creatively, or played games. Some started small businesses. These were activity-based projects, generally scheduled, that encouraged engagement.
Some students simply read more, exploring an interest in a topic, either fiction or non-fiction. But the truth is that reading scores are lower because fewer students read. I’ll explore that next week.
- lesscollegestress
- Oct 16, 2022
The big news this week was the drop in ACT scores:
“This year, the average ACT score was the lowest it’s been since 1991, the organization said in a news release.
And it’s the fifth year in a row that average scores have been going down, ACT CEO Janet Godwin said in a statement.”
Approximately 1.3 million students in the U.S. high school graduating class of 2022 took the ACT test, an estimated 36 percent of graduates nationwide.
The national average Composite score for the graduating class of 2022 is 19.8, down from 20.3 for the graduating class of 2021, the lowest average score since 1991.
Thirty-five percent of the ACT-tested graduating class took the ACT more than once, as compared to 32% for the 2021 cohort.
Thirty-two percent of ACT-tested graduates in the class of 2022 met at least three out of four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks (English, reading, math, and science), while, 42% of students met none ACT College Readiness Benchmarks and 22% met all four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks.
A record number of students in this cohort took the ACT as part of state and district school-day testing—16 states tested more than 75% of their students—providing students the opportunity to earn college-reportable ACT scores by taking the test in their own classrooms during regular school hours on a weekday and allowing states to receive a more clear understanding of how their school districts are performing.
What about the SAT?
The average SAT score also declined for this year’s class, to 1050, out of a maximum 1600. The average for the previous class was 1060. The SAT takes three hours and covers two sections, math and evidence-based reading and writing. Most questions are in a multiple-choice format.
Major changes are coming to the SAT as it is scheduled to move to a shorter, digital format, ditching the paper-and-pencil version at U.S. sites by spring 2024.
The discussion of why scores have dropped is broad…I’ll share some reasons from experts in next week’s blogpost.
- lesscollegestress
- Oct 9, 2022
Hi!! I’m Tori Hoff and I graduated from the University of Miami in May 2021. I double majored in Public Relations and Media Management. I quickly found my passion for TV and entertainment through my classes and UMTV, the University of Miami TV station. I spent my summers during college interning at a public relations firm, a casting agency and doing career development programs with Endeavor and Warner Music Group.
During my final semester at UM, I interned at NBC Universal in the Ad Sales organization with the Digital Account Services department. At this internship, I was able to take on a lot of responsibilities and realized how much more there was to learn about the opportunities that existed within the entertainment industry.
Almost exactly a year ago, I moved to Manhattan and started my full time position at NBC Universal. I am a Project Coordinator with the Creative Partnerships department within Ad Sales. Project Management was not something I knew existed during college but since starting my role, I have found a true passion for it. This job is totally different than what I did during my internship but I aligned closely with the culture at NBCU and was thrilled to return in a more creative role! I work on many different projects from live events to digital ads and can truly say that I learn something new every day. I love working in an environment that thrives off creativity, shared passion and teamwork. When I’m not working, I love to explore the city, spend time with my friends and family, and try new things.
I love my job and know the experiences I had the University
of Miami had a great impact on getting me to where I am today!