The Nebraska State Board of Education has selected ACT to provide the standardized college entrance exam for Nebraska students in the 11th grade. Beginning in the spring of 2017, the exam will be administered to all high school juniors and will replace the current Nebraska State Accountability (NeSA) assessment at that grade level.
In April 2016, the Nebraska Legislature passed Legislative Bill 930 requiring public school students in the 11th grade to take a college admission test. In addition, the requirement for a statewide writing assessment will end after the 2016-17 school year and will be replaced with a statewide reading English Language Arts assessment, containing a writing component.
“The selection of ACT represents our continued effort to provide equal opportunities across the state. All juniors will now have access to a college admission test, as there will no longer be a registration fee,” said Commissioner of Education Matthew Blomstedt. “This exam will also provide a clearer picture of where Nebraska students are in terms of college and career readiness.”
A committee of reviewers received two proposals and selected ACT as the top proposal overall. Director of Statewide Assessment Valorie Foy said, “We are excited to partner with ACT to administer this exam. The ACT test content parallels the assessments that students have taken over the past seven years on NeSA: English Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics, Science and Writing.”
The ACT will provide students with a score that can be used at colleges or universities to contribute to application and admission decisions. ACT is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides assessment and research in education and workforce development.
