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U.S. NEWS Thursday 13 OcTOber 2022

ACT test scores drop to lowest in 30 years in pandemic slide

By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY expensive test prep or ad-
AP Education Writer vanced courses often per-
PHOENIX (AP) — Scores form better.
on the ACT college admis- Babington defended the
sions test by this year’s high test as a measure of col-
school graduates hit their lege readiness. “Now more
lowest point in more than than ever, the last few
30 years the latest evi- years have shown us the
dence of the enormity of importance of having high-
learning disruption during quality data to help inform
the pandemic. how we support students,”
The class of 2022’s aver- Babington said.
age ACT composite score Test scores now are option-
was 19.8 out of 36, mark- al for first-year student ad-
ing the first time since 1991 mission at many institutions.
that the average score was Some colleges, such as the
below 20. What’s more, an University of California sys-
increasing number of high tem, even opt for a test-
school students failed to blind policy, where scores
meet any of the subject-ar- are not considered even if
ea benchmarks set by the submitted.
ACT showing a decline in But many students still take
preparedness for college- New students at Bear River High School, in Grass Valley, Calif., gather to see their school schedules the tests, hoping to get an
level coursework. during the first morning of school, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, for the 2022-2023 school. edge in admissions by sub-
The test scores, made pub- Associated Press mitting their scores. Tyrone
lic in a report Wednesday, Jordan, a freshman at test-
show 42% of ACT-tested “Every time we see ACT leaving high school without income families and are optional Arizona State Uni-
graduates in the class of test scores, we are talking meeting college-readiness often students of color. versity, said he took the ACT
2022 met none of the sub- about skills and standards, benchmarks in any of the The number of students tak- and the SAT to get ahead
ject benchmarks in Eng- and the prediction of stu- subjects we measure.” ing the ACT has declined of other students and help
lish, reading, science and dents to be successful and The results offer a lens into 30% since 2018, as gradu- him receive scholarships.
math, which are indicators to know the really impor- systemic inequities in edu- ates increasingly forgo col- Jordan, who wants to pur-
of how well students are ex- tant information to suc- cation, in place well before lege and some universities sue mechanical engineer-
pected to perform in corre- ceed and persist through the pandemic shuttered no longer require admis- ing, said he thinks his rig-
sponding college courses. their first year of college schools and colleges tem- sions tests. But participation orous schedule at Tempe
In comparison, 38% of test courses.” porarily waived testing re- plunged 37% among Black Preparatory Academy
takers in 2021 failed to meet ACT scores have declined quirements. For example, students, with 154,000 tak- prepared him for college,
any of the benchmarks. steadily in recent years. students without access to ing the test this year. and the standardized tests
“Academic preparedness Still, “the magnitude of the rigorous high school cur- Standardized tests such helped support him and his
is where we are seeing the declines this year is particu- riculum suffered more set- as the ACT have faced family financially.
decline,” said Rose Babing- larly alarming,” ACT CEO backs during pandemic growing concerns that “All the test did for me was
ton, senior director for state Janet Godwin said in a disruptions, Babington said. they’re unfair to minority give me extra financial
partnerships for the ACT. statement. “We see rapidly Those students are from ru- and low-income students, money,” Jordan said.q
growing numbers of seniors ral areas, come from low- as students with access to

California delays decision to list Joshua tree as threatened

By SOPHIE AUSTIN zation from the California In 2019, the Center for Bio- gered Species Act. about meaningful protec-
Associated Press/Report for Department of Fish and logical Diversity petitioned “I really hope we’re talking tions,” Murray said.q
America Wildlife. for the tree to be listed as
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Before the commission’s threatened in order to pro-
— California again pushed split vote in June, the De- tect it from hotter tempera-
back its decision on wheth- partment of Fish and Wild- tures, intensifying drought
er to list the western Joshua life sent letters to Indige- and development threats.
tree as threatened after a nous tribes with traditional Commissioners said they
unanimous vote Wednes- ties to the area where the need more time to hear
day by the Fish and Game western Joshua trees live. from tribal leaders and to
Commission. That outreach resulted in allow tribal governments
The decision to move back six responses from tribal na- to consult again before the
the vote until at least Febru- tions, said Director Chuck commission can make a fi-
ary comes months after the Bonham. In August, tribal nal decision.
commission deadlocked members talked about the Samantha Murray, presi-
on whether the native des- cultural and ecological dent of the Fish and Game
ert plant should be pro- significance of the tree on Commission, said Wednes-
tected under the California a Zoom call with Bonham day she hopes there’s a
Endangered Species Act. and others. legislative alternative that A Joshua tree is silhouetted in front of the Bobcat Fire at sunset
Since the tree is still under “I actually would love more would offer similar protec- Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Juniper Hills, Calif. California again
pushed back its decision to list the western Joshua tree as
consideration to be listed time to keep the conversa- tions for the western Joshua threatened after a unanimous vote Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022
as threatened, no one can tion alive with the nations tree to those required un- by the Fish and Game Commission.
remove it without authori- themselves,” Bonham said. der the California Endan- Associated Press