Giving Compass' Take:

• The nonprofit developer of the ACT test is expanding it's focus to shift be more reflective of social-emotional learning practices and focus on student achievement rather than learner measurement.

• Why is this important to ensure that standardized testing is mirroring the trends in education?

• Read about why the future of education relies on social-emotional learning.

For nearly 60 years, the ACT test has played an essential part in higher education admissions and scholarship decisions. For the last three years, the nonprofit developer of the ACT test has been expanding beyond traditional measurement to new and broader ways to promote education and workplace success.

“ACT is migrating from a focus on learning measurement to learner success,” said Jim Larimore who leads ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning. Last year, ACT invited educational institutions to explore, evaluate and align to the ACT Holistic Framework, a research-based graduate profile that connects learning and assessment in order to personalize learning.

It organizes knowledge and skills organized into four broad domains in learning progressions from K through career:

  • Core academic skills in the areas of literacy and language arts, mathematics and science.
  • Cross-cutting capabilities, such as critical thinking, collaborative problem solving, and information and technology skills.
  • Behavioral skills related to success in education and the workforce, such as dependability, working effectively with others, adapting, and managing stress.
  • Education and career navigation skills related to education and career paths, including self-knowledge of abilities, values, likes, and dislikes; knowledge about majors and occupations; and skills related to education and career exploration, planning, and decision making.

“We’re at a tipping point for SEL in K-12,” said Jonathan Martin, ACT director of K12 Consulting Services. Martin believes that SEL in K-12 could be widely adopted very soon.

It took a quarter century, but there is growing evidence that Martin is right. The acronym was coined by Tim Shriver and Dan Goleman. Shriver was interested in social learning (as discussed in this podcast). Dan Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, argued for emotional learning. They settled on social and emotional learning (SEL). In 1994, Shriver and Goleman were among a notable group of scholars and practitioners that founded The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

Read the full article about ACT shifts to social-emotional learning by Tom Vander Ark at Getting Smart