ACT Aspire™: no quality research available

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has reviewed the research on the ACT Aspire^™ system and its impacts on students in high school and college. A new intervention report, released today (May 31) by the Institute of Education Sciences, concludes that more high-quality research is needed to determine whether the program is effective for students.

The ACT Aspire^™ system provides a longitudinal, systematic approach for assessing and monitoring students’ preparation for high school and readiness for college and career. The system measures progress through each grade level in five subject areas (English, mathematics, reading, science, and writing) and culminates with the ACT^® college admissions test.

After reviewing the research on ACT Aspire^™ ,the WWC found that no studies meet WWC group design standards and, therefore, could not draw any conclusions about the impact of the program on student outcomes.

Read the full report, and visit the WWC's Path to Graduation topic area for more reviews on programs and methods that seek to improve college readiness.