ACT, Inc.

ACT, Inc.
Name	ACT, Inc.
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1959
Founder	E. F. Lindquist
Headquarters	Iowa City, Iowa
Key people	Jim Larue; Jane Swift
Services	Standardized testing; assessments; research; career guidance

ACT, Inc. is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa that develops standardized assessments, educational programs, and research used across the United States and internationally. Founded in 1959, the organization is notable for creating the ACT college readiness assessment and for conducting research on student preparation and workforce development. ACT's work intersects with numerous institutions, policymaking bodies, and educational associations across K–12 and higher education sectors.

History

ACT traces its origins to work by E. F. Lindquist and colleagues who were active in the mid-20th century with assessments linked to University of Iowa research and measurement. Early developments occurred amid national discussions involving Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, College Board, and state departments such as the Iowa Department of Education. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s ACT expanded test programs in parallel with growth at institutions like University of Chicago and Princeton University where standardized measures shaped admissions practices. In subsequent decades ACT engaged with federal initiatives connected to No Child Left Behind Act debates and later with actors including U.S. Department of Education, National Governors Association, and state legislatures in states such as Texas, California, and Florida that adopted statewide testing and accountability measures linked to college and career readiness frameworks.

Operations and Services

ACT operates assessment development, scoring, and reporting services that reach partners such as public school districts like New York City Department of Education, statewide systems like Ohio Department of Education, and higher education institutions including University of California campuses. The organization provides test administration logistics similar to services by Educational Testing Service and collaborates with vendors used by Pearson PLC and ETS for test delivery and digital platforms used by districts such as Los Angeles Unified School District. ACT also offers career guidance and workforce tools that engage employers like General Electric and workforce boards such as National Skills Coalition. Contractual and procurement relationships have involved state contracts, charter systems, and nonprofit partners such as Jobs for the Future.

Tests and Assessments

ACT is best known for the college admission assessment bearing its acronym, used alongside alternatives developed by entities like College Board (the SAT) and assessment suites used by Advanced Placement programs. The organization produces subject-specific assessments mirroring frameworks in collaboration with content standards referenced by bodies like Common Core State Standards Initiative and assessments comparable to programs by International Baccalaureate. Over time ACT introduced supplemental assessments for English language proficiency, workforce readiness (aligned with frameworks from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), and end-of-course exams adopted by states including Kentucky and Colorado. Test delivery has evolved from paper-based formats used by institutions such as Harvard University to computer-based platforms also employed by organizations like ETS and Prometric.

Research and Policy Influence

ACT maintains a research division that publishes work on college readiness, career pathways, and labor-market alignment, contributing to debates involving policy actors such as Council of Chief State School Officers, National Education Association, and think tanks including Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute. Studies from the organization have been cited in legislative hearings to state legislatures and in reports by Lumina Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiatives on postsecondary outcomes. ACT research often interfaces with longitudinal datasets used by universities such as Stanford University and University of Michigan for validation studies, and with workforce data from agencies like Bureau of Labor Statistics to examine alignment between assessment outcomes and employment outcomes.

Governance and Organization

The organization is governed by a board of directors composed of leaders drawn from K–12 and higher education institutions, business sectors, and nonprofit organizations, paralleling governance models used by entities like College Board, ETS, and Achieve, Inc.. Executives have included leaders with prior roles in state education agencies and associations such as Council of Great City Schools. Operational divisions encompass assessment development, psychometrics, research, client services, and technology services similar to divisions at Pearson Education and other assessment firms. Partnerships and contracts are managed with consortia and vendors that serve networks like State Educational Technology Directors Association.

Criticism and Controversies

ACT has faced critiques akin to controversies encountered by College Board and testing providers over issues including test security incidents, the role of standardized tests in admissions debated by advocacy groups such as FairTest and civil rights organizations like NAACP, and pricing and access concerns raised in litigation and legislative forums involving state legislators and municipal education leaders. Debates over the predictive validity of admission tests have involved scholars affiliated with Harvard University, MIT, and University of California and policy advocates from organizations like Hechinger Report. Additionally, ACT has contended with public discussion around accommodations and equity for students with disabilities often litigated in venues that include state courts and federal agencies such as the U.S. Office for Civil Rights.

Category:Assessment organizations