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ACT presents data to Committee on Education, urges pairing ACT and WorkKeys to expand options and credit pathways
Summary
Maria Markham of ACT told the committee that Kansas offers ACT to about 73% of juniors and that WorkKeys is available under state contract; ACT cited 424 Kansas employers recognizing WorkKeys and said ACE guidelines can translate WorkKeys gold certificates into as many as six college credit hours at some institutions.
Maria Markham, senior director with ACT, presented an informational briefing to the Committee on Education describing ACT programs, WorkKeys career‑readiness assessments, and how prior‑learning credit could be awarded under ACE guidelines.
Markham said Kansas already funds ACT for juniors under a state contract (about 73% uptake) and makes WorkKeys available to 10th–12th graders. "We have a state contract... that is paid for by the state," she said, and estimated the contracted per‑student cost is under $45 for ACT and about $35 for the full WorkKeys battery. Markham reported ACT data showing 424 Kansas employers recognize WorkKeys credentials and that ACT has conferred roughly 125,000 career‑readiness certificates nationally to K–12 and adult learners.
On college credit, witnesses described ACE (American Council on Education) recommendations that a WorkKeys gold certificate can equate to as many as six credit hours (for example, two credits for quantitative reasoning, two for information literacy, and two for professional writing), but acceptance depends on each institution and program alignment. Markham said many technical and two‑year colleges already honor ACE recommendations; four‑year acceptance is program‑dependent.
Committee members asked for follow‑up materials and research: requests included (1) a statewide profile report and "grad class" release on outcomes, (2) county‑level employer recognition data, and (3) employer follow‑up research on hire/retention outcomes for WorkKeys‑credentialed hires. ACT agreed to provide those materials.
Markham argued the policy is "both and, not an either or proposition," urging more districts to offer both tests so students preserve options for college and career pathways. The committee accepted the informational presentation; no vote occurred.
