May 2015

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ACT State Organizations | ACT State Organizations Newsletter, May 2015 | ACT
ACT State Organizations
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HELPING PEOPLE ACHIEVE EDUCATION AND WORKPLACE SUCCESS
Stay In Touch with ACT State Organizations
Update Your ACT State Organizations Contact Information
Have you been promoted? Changed your name? Changed jobs? Or had other changes in contact information
since joining ACT State Organizations? Let us know! On Tuesday, May 12, all ACT State Organizations
members will receive an email from Savanah Schott with the subject line: “Update Your ACT State Orgs
Contact Information.” Members will be asked to review and update their current contact information as
necessary. Please remember to check your email inbox next Tuesday. If you have questions, please contact
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[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).
ACT College and Career Readiness Campaign Update
This is the third year of the ACT College and Career Readiness Campaign (/readinesscampaign/) (ACT
CCRC), but the first in which ACT State Organizations has been involved—and what a year it has been! The
campaign grew dramatically, from eight states submitting 27 state exemplars in 2014 to 30 states submitting
86 exemplars in 2015. This increase is due to the much­appreciated efforts of state council members in
Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi,
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Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont,
Virginia, and Wyoming. Alabama, Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, and
Wisconsin also participated through their state departments of education.
State council members solicited applications and nominations, chose exemplars, and are currently in the
process of recognizing their state exemplars at local awards ceremonies or during ACT State Organizations
conferences. The ACT CCRC ceremony at the Ohio ACT State Organization Conference in January was the
first event of this year’s campaign, with awards presented by Ohio House Education Committee Chair Bill
Hayes.
While events in some states are ongoing, the national exemplars have been chosen and will be announced at
the June ACT National Gala on College and Career Readiness, in Washington, DC. This annual event honors
the four national exemplars, as well as all students, high schools, community colleges, and employers
throughout the country who are working to embody and/or promote college and career readiness in their
communities—everyone who exceeds expectations in the name of readiness.
Here’s a recap of the ACT CCRC schedule:
March 13: State exemplars were due to ACT
April 3–8: ACT Selection Committee determines four national semifinalists per category
April 20: National Selection Committee meets to determine one national exemplar per categoryback to top
June 9: ACT National Gala on College and Career Readiness
New ACT Research Reports and Briefs
Check out these newly released research reports and white papers from ACT:
College Choice Report Part 3, Choice of College Majors—Class of 2013—Persistence and Transfer
(/collegechoice/13/p3­major­consistency.html): This report focuses on the consistency between students’
planned major at the time of the ACT® test registration and their declared major as of the second year of
college. It also takes a look at their persistence within their chosen major between the first and second year of
college.
Unpacking “Career Readiness” (/research/policymakers/reports/unpackingreadiness.html): This white paper
identifies four different types of skills that contribute to success after high school—core academic skills,
cross­cutting capabilities, behavioral skills, and navigation skills.
The Condition of Future Educators 2014 (/newsroom/data/2014/states/futureeducators.html): In this report,
ACT looks specifically at students expressing an interest in education as a profession. Key findings include a
significant drop in the number of students interested in becoming educators and a lack of diversity among
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those interested. Read the full report to learn about other findings, trends, and recommendations.
Southwest District News
Linda Vasquez,
[email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])
@lindam_v (http://twitter.com/lindam_v)
“Let us think of education as the means for developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a
private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our
nation.”
—John F. Kennedy
In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4–8, the Southwest district would like to give special
recognition to all ACT State Organizations teachers. Your commitment to teaching and caring for students is
inspiring. Thank you for your dedication to cultivating the leaders of the next generation.
Hawai‘i: Congratulations to the Hawai‘i Council for its work in launching a successful Hawai‘i ACT State
Organization conference. The diversity of breakout sessions and the caliber of speakers proved to be a hit.
The Council will meet throughout the next few months to debrief and evaluate conference feedback.
California: Participation in the ACT CCRC was very important to California Council leaders. This was an
opportunity to recognize a student, a high school, and a community college for their work in overcoming
challenges to demonstrate their commitment to education and success for all. The following have been named
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as the California statewide exemplars for the ACT CCRC and will be recognized by the California Council
throughout the month of May:
Community College—Imperial Valley College
High School—Middle College in Santa Ana
Student—Sandy Flores, Alliance William and Carol Ouchi High School
Arizona: The Arizona Council will have the opportunity to recognize the ACT College and Career Readiness
exemplars this month at various events. Congratulations to Sundt Construction, Kofa High School, Cochise
College, and Denisse Delos Santos, from North High School, on your statewide recognition.
New Mexico: The New Mexico Council has been working very hard throughout the past few months to plan
the first New Mexico ACT State Organization conference, Achieving Global Competitiveness: Future of
Workforce of New Mexico, on September 18 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Albuquerque. You can register
for the conference this month. If you are interested in engaging in meaningful discussions about building
partnerships with other education and workforce professionals, don’t miss this conference.
Texas: As the academic year comes to a close, it is time to elect new leaders to the Texas Council and invite
new members to join. The Council met in April to review potential candidates and discuss 2015–16 initiatives.
Please watch future newsletters and emails for updates on upcoming events.
Louisiana: The Louisiana Council also participated in the ACT CCRC and recognized a high school, a
community college, and a high school student. Congratulations to West St. John High School, Northshore
Technical Community College, and Amira Baloney, from Lutcher High School, on this statewide recognition.
Sincere thanks to our partners, Louisiana Office of Financial Assistance and GEAR UP, for honoring West
St. John at the recent GEAR UP conference. Both Northshore Technical Community College and Amira
Baloney will be honored at different events this month.
Arkansas: Welcome, new Arkansas ACT State Organization members. The Arkansas Council is passionate
about sharing information and access to the latest ACT updates. We hope you will gain some valuable
information by joining this network. The Arkansas Council will meet later this month at the state capitol to
reelect new leaders and welcome new members. If you are interested in learning more about the Council and
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how to be involved, email the Southwest district manager (mailto:[email protected]) today.
Southeast District News
Bobby Rush,
[email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])
@bobbyrush027
(http://twitter.com/bobbyrush027)
Congratulations to Richard Bayer and Nancy McDuff, who announced their retirements following the spring
semester. Richard, assistant provost and director of enrollment services at the University of Tennessee, has
served as state representative on the Tennessee Council. Nancy, associate vice president of admissions at
the University of Georgia, has served as state representative on the Georgia Council. Both Richard and Nancy
will be missed as leaders in the Southeast district but we wish them the best in their next adventures.
Congratulations also to Kamper Floyd, Mississippi Council member, as he strikes out to start his own
business. Although we will miss Kamper on the Council, we know he will succeed in this new venture.
Alabama, Kentucky, and North Carolina held their ACT CCRC award ceremonies in April at respective state
board of education meetings. Congratulations to all of the exemplars in the Southeast and good luck in the
selection process as the national winners are selected.
Alabama: President Barack Obama recently visited Lawson State Community College in southwest
Birmingham. Darren Allen, acting dean of students at Lawson State and chair­elect of the Alabama Council,
attended the event and shared his experience.
“When the sitting President of the United States comes to campus, everything stops. All prior plans are
abandoned, meetings are postponed, and maintenance details thought to be indefinitely deferred are quickly
resolved. Such was the scene at Lawson State Community College,” he said.
According to Darren, the college received a call from the White House just one week in advance. An advance
team came to campus the next day to discuss the possibility of a visit and speech from a “senior White
House official.” After the team toured the campus, they revealed that the “official” was the President.
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“Sitting in the third row in front of the President,
surrounded by colleagues, students, family, and
community leaders, was a surreal experience,” Darren
said. “The President noted that the community college
represents the epitome of opportunity for social and
economic uplift. Although the speech only lasted about 26
minutes, the effects will linger on campus and in the city
for years to come.”
Learn more about the President’s Free Community College
Plan (https://www.whitehouse.gov/photos­and­
video/video/2015/01/09/president­obama­announces­free­
community­college­plan).
Mississippi: The Mississippi Council met on April 9 at the
Mississippi Association of Independent Schools building in
Pearl. The Council is finalizing plans for the June 16
conference. This year’s theme is Launching Students to
College and Career Readiness. The event will be held at
the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl from 9:00 a.m. to
3:30 p.m. Breakout sessions include “Weekday Testing
Experience: Lessons Learned” and “Blasting Past
Graduation and Soaring into College: Dual Enrollment,
Admission, and Aid.” Register for the Mississippi ACT
State Organization Conference
(http://www.cvent.com/events/mississippi­act­state­
organization­conference/event­summary­
520c888d6e1f4779aa69ada8241eaab1.aspx).
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Northeast District News
Denton DeSotel,
[email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])
@denton_desotel
(http://twitter.com/denton_desotel)
Activity in the Northeast focused on planning summer council meetings, continuing to establish and grow state
councils, and planning for upcoming council elections.
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Throughout spring meetings and conference calls, state councils continue to voice support for the direction of
ACT State Organizations and the primary goals of the Northeast district developed by state council leadership
during the Spring Summit in Tampa, which are:
Enhancing general awareness of ACT in the Northeast
Exposing practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in the region to ACT research, reports, and
services
Growing ACT State Organizations membership
Meetings: A number of state councils in the Northeast district have either completed spring meetings or have
made plans for a conference call and/or summer in­person meeting. The purpose is to elect new state council
leadership and begin planning the state organization agenda in light of the newly adopted State Organization
bylaws (/stateorgs/files/BylawsTemplate.pdf).
Events: Conversations regarding a New England ACT College and Career Readiness event in 2016 continue.
This first­time event for the region will be a collaborative effort across states to create awareness around the
importance of college and career readiness, while also celebrating achievements and success stories of
individuals, schools, organizations, and employers throughout the Northeast.
New Council Members: We have received a number of referrals or self­nominations from our members for
new state council members. In nearly all states, we are still seeking community college and workforce
development representatives who are dedicated to the mission and purpose of ACT State Organizations and
are able to serve in a leadership capacity within the organization. If you are interested in learning more about
opportunities to serve on your state council or would like to recommend an individual, please contact Denton
DeSotel (mailto:[email protected]) or your state’s council chair to learn how to become involved.
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Contact information is at http://www.act.org/stateorgs (/stateorgs/).
Midwest District News
Rose Babington,
[email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])
@rose_babington
(http://twitter.com/rose_babington)
The Midwest district has a busy spring and summer ahead, with meetings scheduled across the district to
refocus council work and envision the future direction of each council. Many state councils are looking to add
members from across the Kindergarten through Career continuum who will bring unique perspectives and fresh
ideas to the conversations in each state. If you would like to learn more about becoming a council member or
have ideas you’d like your state’s council to explore, please contact Rose Babington
(mailto:[email protected]).
Illinois: The Illinois Council selected its first state exemplar in the ACT CCRC and will convene in June. The
agenda includes planning for the December Illinois ACT State Organization conferences. If you would like to
submit a proposal to present on best practices, partnerships, research, or initiatives, please contact Rose
Babington (mailto:[email protected]) or an Illinois Council member.
Indiana, Michigan, and North Dakota held lengthy virtual conversations in April to learn more about and
discuss the future possibilities for ACT State Organizations and how best to engage members moving forward.
While council members recognize the challenge of setting a new path for their councils, they embrace the
opportunity to expand their reach, capitalize more on the expertise of members, and intensify dialogues
between council members and ACT.
Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin: State councils will convene for two­day planning meetings this
summer, where council members will assess their past progress and move forward with strategic plans to
build on the success of their 2015 conferences in 2016.
Nebraska: The Nebraska Council held a very successful conference in Lincoln on April 9, with attendees
spanning the K–12, postsecondary, and workforce arenas. After an energetic keynote to start the day and
many standing­room­only sessions, the Council recognized Nebraska’s ACT CCRC Career Preparedness
exemplar, Mid­Plains Community College. Special recognition goes to the many Council members who
presented and moderated throughout the day and to Council leaders, including Amanda Nipp and Rick
Michaelsen.
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South Dakota: Thank you, Chair­elect Jim Rokusek, for arranging the South Dakota Council meeting in Sioux
Falls in April at Southeast Tech. After selecting its first state exemplar this spring, the Council discussed the
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ACT CCRC process and hopes to recognize and identify more best practices in the 2015–16 school year.
Northwest District News
Jo Martell,
[email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])
@jo_martell (http://twitter.com/jo_martell)
April was a very busy month for the Northwest district. Each council is planning and working on advocacy
initiatives and activities. Their good work, passion, and commitment are notable and inspirational. Thank you
for the work each of you does on behalf of students in your states.
Alaska: The Alaska Council made final arrangements for the upcoming May meeting in Anchorage, where it
will determine steps for next year—including a deep dive into the revised bylaws, elections, and, most
important, Council initiatives. The Council is currently keeping tabs on legislative activity as it pertains to the
ACT and ACT WorkKeys ®. Many thanks to Council members for helping to keep ACT in the loop.
Colorado: Colorado received some fantastic submissions for its upcoming September conference.
Conference registration opened in time for our secondary colleagues to register prior to the end of the
academic year. On tap for the Council in May is an in­person meeting to further develop the conference
program and plan for next year.
Idaho: Congratulations to the new Council leaders: Rob Ahrendsen, chair; MiChele Stefanic, chair­elect; and
Kelly Talbert, secretary. The Council made plans for the upcoming year, including expanding the ACT CCRC
for Idaho students and organizations. Good things are on the way for this growing and passionate Council.
Kansas: The Kansas ACT State Organization Conference featured the exemplars from the ACT College and
Career Readiness Campaign. Congratulations to Sumner Academy and Northwest Kansas Technical College
on achieving state exemplar status. Incoming state education chief, Randy Watson, was on hand to provide
remarks on the importance of the Kansas college and career readiness agenda. Kansas professionals from
around the state provided top­notch sessions on best practices and local initiatives. Participants agreed it was
a very worthwhile event.
Montana: The Montana Council held its spring meeting in Bozeman and made notable progress in planning for
next year. Chair Rick Caron put together a stellar meeting agenda, and the Council closely examined Montana
ACT student data. This work will provide a good foundation for the initiatives on the table for consideration.
The Council also honored and thanked Bob Rennick, retired Council member and state representative.
Nevada: The Nevada Council met at the end of April and reviewed conference evaluations from February,
which provided excellent feedback for next year. All in all, conference attendees were quite impressed with the
content of the event. Congratulations to the Nevada Council on a job well done.
Oregon: In its monthly call, the Oregon Council took time to review and digest the ACT Workforce
Development Policy Platform. Workforce initiatives are strong throughout the state, including widespread use
of the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate™ (ACT NCRC®) and ACT WorkKeys. The Oregon Council is
in a unique place with this strength. Oregon will take a month off in May and reconvene in Portland in June to
conduct 2015–16 planning.
Utah: The Utah Council met via conference call in April to tie up some loose ends from its March in­person
meeting. In addition to conference discussion and review, the Council solidified meeting dates for 2015–16 and
next steps to evolve and expand the ACT CCRC after a very successful first year of engagement.
Wyoming: The Wyoming Council held a two­day spring meeting in April. After a close look at the ACT State
Organizations restructure, the Council discussed the ACT Policy Platforms. Included in that discussion was
the Hathaway Scholarship program, which is a statewide initiative for postsecondary scholarships for
Wyoming students. Grade point average and ACT composite scores are part of the criteria for the levels of
scholarships available. The Council also reviewed Wyoming ACT test data in that discussion. The meeting
ended on a high note, with a number of plans to pursue the growth of the ACT CCRC, as well as meeting
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dates/times for 2015–16.
MAY 2015
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In this Issue
Stay In Touch with ACT State
Organizations
ACT College and Career Readiness
Campaign Update
New ACT Research Reports and
Briefs
Southwest District News
Southeast District News
Northeast District News
Midwest District News
Northwest District News
Relevant Links
ACT College and Career Readiness
Campaign (/readinesscampaign)
College Choice Report Part 3, Choice
of College Majors
(/collegechoice/13/p3­major­
consistency.html)
Unpacking “Career Readiness”
(/research/policymakers/reports/unpackingreadiness.html)
The Condition of Future Educators
2014
(/newsroom/data/2014/states/futureeducators.html)
Contact Us
Suzanne Conquest
Director, ACT State Organizations
319.337.1439
[email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])
Savanah Schott
Program Coordinator
319.834.6159
[email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])
ACT State Organizations
500 ACT Drive
Iowa City, Iowa 52243
[email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])
Join us on LinkedIn
(https://www.linkedin.com/company/act­
state­organizations?
trk=nmp_rec_act_company_photo)
Join us on Twitter
(https://twitter.com/hashtag/actstateorgs)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 5
Georgia Council Meeting
Wyoming Council Conference Call
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May 8
Colorado Council Meeting
May 11
Alaska Council Meeting
May 12
North Carolina Council Conference Call
South Carolina Council Conference Call
May 13
Utah Council Conference Call
May 14
Virginia Council Conference Call
Tennessee Council Meeting
Mississippi Council Conference Call
May 18
Florida Council Conference Call
May 19
Kentucky Council Conference Call
Alabama Council Conference Call
Illinois Council Conference Call
May 22
Arkansas Council Meeting
May 28
Tennessee Council Conference Call
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