Early Monitoring and Long-Term College Success in Oklahoma - January 2013 - Issue Brief

Oct 9, 2026

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Report detailing differences in early versus long-term college outcomes for Oklahoma students who took ACT Explore and ACT Plan before the ACT Test, compared with students who only took the ACT Test. Argues that early, longitudinal, data-driven monitoring supports improved enrollment, reduced remediation, higher achievement and persistence, and greater degree completion. Provides estimated effects for 2012 graduates, including more immediate college enrollment, fewer students needing remediation, and increased degree completion within six years, and frames implications for college-and-career readiness policies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Key Findings

Early Monitoring and Long-Term College Success in Oklahoma

Introduction

ACT Longitudinal Assessment System

ACT Research and Policy Research Reports Educator Reports Policy Reports Issue/Information Briefs Issue Brief This study was a cooperative effort between ACT and the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education. Oklahoma has been administering ACT Explore and ACT Plan on a state-funded voluntary basis since the mid-1990s. A majority of Oklahoma high school graduates also take the ACT each year. The long-term college success of students is improved when states invest in an integrated, longitudinal data-driven system to inform and encourage coherence in school and district efforts to prepare all students for college and career. Early Monitoring and Long-Term College Success in Oklahoma January 2013 Key Findings This report describes the differences in early and long-term college outcomes for Oklahoma ACT-tested students between those who were monitored early with ACT Explore® and ACT Plan® and those who did not take these two assessments prior to taking the ACT ® Test. Findings support that early monitoring of college and career readiness with ACT Explore and ACT Plan is associated with: • increased college enrollment • decreased remediation • increased college achievement • increased college persistence • increased degree completion In terms of numbers of 2012 ACT-tested high school graduates, the estimated effects of state-funded administration of ACT Explore and ACT Plan relative to all Oklahoma students taking only the ACT Test, include: • nearly 4,700 more students immediately enrolling in college the fall following high school graduation1 Of 2012 Oklahoma high school graduates who immediately enrolled inan in-state two-or four-year postsecondary institution: • between 600 to 700 fewer students requiring remediation in mathematics and between 300 to 400 fewer students requiring remediation in English • between 800 to 1,000 more students completing a college degree within six years of enrolling in college (approximately 700 to 900 bachelor’s degrees and 100 associate’s degrees)2 As evidenced by more students immediately enrolling in college after high school, fewer students requiring remedial coursework in college, and more students completing a college degree in a timely manner, early monitoring with ACT Explore and ACT Plan along with [infobrief@act.org](infobrief@act.org) for more information or to suggest ideas for future ACT Issue Briefs. [www.act.org/research](www.act.org/research) ©2013 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. The ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. , in the U.S.A. and other countries. 19405 Issue Brief All three tests from the ACT longitudinal assessment system are supported by the ACT College Readiness Standards™ and share a common score scale. ACT College Readiness Standards were instrumental in the development of the Common Core State Standards, and reflect what students know and are able to do in grades 8 through 12. ACT research suggests that early monitoring with ACT Explore and ACT Plan is associated with increased college and career readiness and increased college enrollment, first-year achievement, and persistence to the second year (ACT, 2012b) . Early monitoring has also been found to promote educational and career planning, including encouraging students to take more college preparatory courses in high school. intervening with students at risk of not being ready for college or career by the time they graduate from high school has the potential to help a state build up a more highly-skilled and productive workforce, which in turn, can impact the state’s economic growth. Introduction Students must be prepared to compete in today’s technology-based economy, where many well-paying jobs now being created require some postsecondary education training or at least the skills and knowledge equivalent to those of first-year college students. Most students aspire to some college study, but discrepancies exist between their educational aspi

FAQs

What is the purpose of this report for Oklahoma students?

It compares early and long-term college outcomes for students who were monitored early with ACT Explore and ACT Plan versus those who were not.

How is early monitoring with ACT Explore and ACT Plan linked to college outcomes?

The report associates early monitoring with increased college enrollment, decreased remediation, increased achievement and persistence, and increased degree completion.

Which assessments are included in the ACT longitudinal system mentioned here?

The system includes ACT Explore, ACT Plan, and the ACT Test, taken across grades 8/9, 10, and 11/12 to measure achievement in core content areas.

Oct 9, 2026

Upload by Ben