[ti:ACT Test Scores in US Fall to Lowest in 30 Years] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]This year's results on a U.S. college admissions test [00:04.04]are the lowest they have been in 30 years. [00:07.48]Experts say the results are the latest evidence [00:11.60]of learning interference caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. [00:16.32]The American College Test, or ACT, [00:20.68]is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. [00:27.64]The ACT is administered by a nonprofit organization of the same name. [00:33.56]The class of 2022 average ACT score was 19.8 out of 36. [00:41.64]It marks the first time since 1991 [00:45.00]that the average score was below 20. [00:49.12]In addition, an increasing number of high school students [00:53.48]failed to meet any of the subject-area benchmarks, [00:58.08]or targets, set by the ACT. [01:01.60]This shows a drop in preparedness for college-level studies. [01:08.16]The test results were made public in a report on Wednesday. [01:12.28]The report shows that 42 percent of ACT-tested graduates [01:17.96]in the class of 2022 met none of the subject benchmarks [01:24.24]in English, reading, science, and math. [01:29.36]These benchmarks are considered predictions [01:33.40]for how students might perform in college classes. [01:37.92]In 2021, 38 percent of ACT test takers [01:45.32]failed to meet any of the benchmarks. [01:49.76]"Academic preparedness [01:51.76]is where we are seeing the decline," said Rose Babington. [01:55.60]She is senior director for state partnerships for the ACT. [02:01.16]ACT scores have been dropping steadily in recent years. [02:06.28]However, the large drop during this past year [02:10.68]is "particularly alarming," [02:13.00]said ACT chief executive officer Janet Godwin. [02:17.96]Godwin added, "We see rapidly growing numbers of seniors [02:23.12]leaving high school without meeting college-readiness benchmarks [02:28.04]in any of the subjects we measure." [02:31.80]The results also offer a look into systemic unfairness [02:36.68]in education that existed before the pandemic closed schools. [02:42.16]For example, students who are not [02:45.00]offered high-level classes in high school [02:47.96]suffered more during the pandemic, Babington said. [02:51.64]Those students usually are from rural areas [02:55.60]or come from poorer families and are often students of color. [03:02.16]The number of high school students taking the ACT [03:05.44]has dropped 30 percent since 2018. [03:09.80]That is because high school graduates [03:12.12]are increasingly not going to college. [03:15.52]Also, some universities no longer require [03:19.84]standardized test scores for admission. [03:24.72]Standardized tests such as the ACT have faced growing concerns [03:31.60]that they are unfair to minority and low-income students. [03:37.68]Students who take costly test preparation classes [03:42.16]or advanced classes in high school often perform better. [03:48.24]Babington defended the test as a measure of college readiness. [03:53.84]"Now more than ever, the last few years have shown us [03:57.60]the importance of having high-quality data [04:00.96]to help inform how we support students," Babington said. [04:06.88]Colleges and universities are increasingly ending [04:11.36]long-standing requirements for standardized tests. [04:15.68]The University of California system [04:18.32]even has a "test-blind" policy. [04:21.64]This means that test scores [04:25.00]are not considered even if they are supplied. [04:29.08]But many students still take the tests. [04:32.28]If their scores are high, [04:34.56]they may have an advantage over other students. [04:39.16]Tyrone Jordan is a first-year student at Arizona State University, [04:44.48]which does not require standardized test scores. [04:49.16]He said he took the ACT and the SAT [04:52.64]to get ahead of other students [04:55.28]and to help him receive money in the form of scholarships. [05:00.12]Jordan said he wants to study mechanical engineering. [05:05.20]He said he thinks the difficult classes [05:07.84]at Tempe Preparatory Academy prepared him for college. [05:14.16]His standardized test results [05:16.76]helped support him and his family financially. [05:20.72]Jordan said, "All the test did for me [05:24.76]was give me extra financial money." [05:28.12]I'm Dan Friedell. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM