Essential skills have been defined as "individual capacities that (a) are manifested in consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, (b) can be developed through formal and informal learning experiences, and (c) influence important socioeconomic outcomes throughout the individual's life" (Organisation for Economic…

Among students in the 2024 ACT-tested graduating class, over 374,000 took the PreACT 8/9® or PreACT test before taking the ACT. This issue brief compares the ACT scores and college enrollment rates for students who took a test from the PreACT Suite of Assessments versus those who did not. The brief also examines average PreACT-to-ACT gain scores…

This study was done in collaboration with the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) and Alliance College-Ready Public Schools (Alliance). This report is the third and last in the series--"Examining the Efficacy of Career & College Clubs." This report explores how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the learning…

The intent of this annual report is to shine light on the Texas Education Agency's strategic plan to ensure every student in Texas is prepared for success in college, a career or the military, and that by 2030 at least 60% of Texans will have a degree, certificate, or other postsecondary credential of value as part of Building a Talent Strong…

Previous research has examined undergraduate student performance changes pre- and post-covid, overall and by institutional subgroupings. Standardized test scores tended to decline while high school and undergraduate grades increased. The current study expands upon this research by examining changes across student subgroups of interest, notably by…

The usefulness of college admissions test scores and high school GPA for predicting college success, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), has been widely debated. As colleges across the country face challenges in STEM student retention and achievement, understanding the factors that contribute to college…

This report provides the Nebraska Legislature with comparative statistics to monitor and evaluate progress toward achieving three key priorities for Nebraska's postsecondary education system: (1) Increase the number of students who enter postsecondary education in Nebraska; (2) Increase the percentage of students who persist and successfully…