ACT/SAT-for-all: States adding, amending

Just within the last day or so, two states and the District of Columbia have addressed or acted on proposals to administer the ACT or SAT to all students. Things are hopping!

With a vote at last night's city council meeting, DC has joined the ranks of jurisdictions administering the ACT or SAT to all 11th graders, reports the Washington Post.

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead signed S.F. 57, which makes several notable changes to the state program to administer ACT or WorkKeys to all 11th graders. The newly-signed legislation:

• Repeals a provision that permitted a student with an individual education plan, upon parental request, to be excused from taking the ACT or WorkKeys
• Overhauls the state accountability system to incorporate ACT or new [to be developed] computer-adaptive college placement assessment.
  
• Directs the state superintendent to apply to US DOE for an ESEA waiver, with the ACT to be used to fulfill ESEA testing requirements
• Makes an appropriation for the statewide administration of EPAS in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and to expand statewide ACT administration to include the writing portion.
  

And yesterday, Nevada's Legislative Committee on Education met to discuss, among other topics, potential revisions to the high school assessment system, including the state board of regents' December 2011 resolution urging the state to adopt an ACT-for-all approach.

More state changes may be on the way. For example, some states such as Louisiana have included an ACT-for-all provision as the college- and career-readiness assessment component of their ESEA waiver application.

For more on 2012 gubernatorial proposals on college readiness/college entrance exams, see my January 25, 2012 post.

New Mexico: Helping tribal colleges offer dual enrollment

2012 S.B. 256, signed by the governor last week, will ease the financial strain on tribal colleges offering dual enrollment programs in New Mexico, and hopefully increase the numbers of dually-enrolled students at these institutions in the state.

Under New Mexico law, postsecondary institutions are required to waive tuition and fees for dual enrollment students--which is great for students and parents, but may create a burden for dual enrollment program participation, especially for small postsecondary institutions such as tribal colleges. The newly-enacted legislation creates the "tribal college dual credit program fund" in the state treasury, to be administered by the higher education department. Monies in the fund will be used only to pay tribal colleges for waived tuition and fees for dually enrolled students, both on the college campus and for those taking courses electronically.

While a small number of states make clear that tribal colleges may participate in statewide dual enrollment programs, I do not recall another state policy that took this strategy in hopes of boosting dual enrollment at tribal colleges. The approach is all the more commendable given the research that low-income and minority students are less likely to participate in dual enrollment programs, yet in some settings reap greater benefits from program participation than their more affluent and non-minority peers. Here's hoping the state will track data to determine whether the program does in fact increase dual enrollment participation at tribal colleges, and address other potential barriers to program access if identified.