VIRGINIA - Measuring College and Career Readiness - The Class of 2009 - August 2009

Oct 9, 2026

Uploaded by Putri

The report “Measuring College and Career Readiness: The Class of 2009” presents ACT’s approach to assessing college and career readiness in Virginia, including the ACT’s unique value-added data monitoring system. It defines ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks for English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science, and explains how benchmark results relate to entry-level college coursework. “Virginia at a Glance” summarizes participation and outcomes using ACT data, including benchmark attainment percentages, average scores, and selected five-year trends in student performance and demographic participation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Measuring College and Career Readiness: The Class of 2009

Our Unique Value-Added

College Readiness Benchmarks

Virginia at a Glance: The Class of 2009

State of College Readiness in Virginia

Average ACT Scores, 2009

Five-Year Trends in Student Performance

Level of Participation in Virginia (Race/Ethnicity)

| | VIRGINIA | | --- | --- | |
VA
| Measuring College and Career Readiness
The Class of 2009
| | | August 2009 | | intro | Measuring College and Career Readiness: The Class of 2009 | | --- | --- | | Our Unique Value-Added
ACT is uniquely qualified to help states and school districts prepare more of their students for college and careers.
ACT has been measuring the academic achievement of 11th and 12th grade students since 1959, their career aspirations since 1969, and their academic preparation in high school since 1985. ACT has built a data monitoring system that includes each of these areas for 8th and 10th graders and has been monitoring student readiness and success for nearly two decades. Moreover, every 3–4 years ACT surveys more than 20,000 high school and college educators to pinpoint the knowledge and skills needed for first-year college coursework.
ACT is the only organization with decades worth of empirical data showing exactly what happens to high school graduates once they get to college or to work—based on how well they were prepared in middle and high school.
These unique data sets are an invaluable resource as ACT works closely with states and school districts to transform the nation’s P–20 education system.
| College and career readiness is the new measure of educational excellence atthe K–12 level. In an increasingly complex, diverse, and technology-driven world, simply earning a high school diploma is no longer enough. High school graduates must be prepared to succeed at the next level—whether they choose to attend college or begin a career. The goal of high school should be clear: to prepare graduates for life after high school by teaching them the skills and knowledge that are essential to college and workforce training readiness.
Despite encouraging progress, too many American students are not prepared for 21st-century opportunities.
ACT, a mission-driven nonprofit organization, is helping national, state, and local leaders respond to this challenge. In the process, we are committed to sharing our expertise with policymakers and practitioners.
Working together, we envision a day soon when every American student will benefit from these six policy recommendations, put forth in ACT’s report Making the Dream a Reality, which have shown to be critical for college and career success.

■ Fewer—but essential—high school standards that are valued by colleges and employers;
■ Common academic expectations recognizing the reality that students need a comparable level of knowledge and skills, whether they’re going to college or work;
■ Clear and consistent messages about what level of performance is “good enough” to demonstrate college and career readiness;
■ A rigorous curriculum that guarantees both the right number and the right kinds of courses taught by well-qualified teachers;
■ An early monitoring and intervention system that ensures younger students are on target to be ready for college and career; and
■ A longitudinal data system that helps students stay on target by monitoring their performance from the early years through college. | | 2 | Measuring College and Career Readiness: The Class of 2009 August 2009 | ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks The minimum ACT® test scores that indicate whether high school graduates are likely ready for entry-level college coursework are: ■ English = 18 ■ Mathematics = 22 ■ Reading = 21 ■ Science = 24 These Benchmarks reflect the level of preparation needed for students to have at least a 50 percent chance of achieving a grade of Bor higher, or at least a 75 percent chance of a grade of C or higher, in entry-level, credit-bearing college English Composition, Algebra, Social Science, and Biology courses. (The maximum ACT score is 36.) The results shown in this report reflect students’performance on ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks, which may or may not be equal to your state’s college readiness indica

FAQs

What are ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks for the Class of 2009?

The benchmarks listed are English 18, Mathematics 22, Reading 21, and Science 24. They indicate likely readiness for entry-level, credit-bearing college coursework.

How does the report define “college and career readiness” at the K–12 level?

It frames readiness as preparation for success after high school, whether students enter college or begin a career. The goal is to teach essential skills and knowledge for college and workforce training readiness.

What does “Virginia at a Glance: The Class of 2009” report about Virginia’s ACT results?

It summarizes key indicators such as the number of graduates who took the ACT, participation share, selected score comparisons by course topics, the volume of college reports sent, benchmark attainment percentages, and average ACT scores.

Oct 9, 2026

Uploaded by Putri