Nearly a third of Utah high school grads not ready for college, career

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Nearly a third of Utah’s 2012 high school graduating class is not prepared for college and a career, according to ACT Inc.’s “The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2012” study, released Wednesday.

The annual report is based on grades earned by students taking the ACT in the organization's “College Readiness Benchmarks," which are English, math, reading and science.

The report shows 30 percent of Utah students who took the ACT didn’t meet any of the benchmarks, suggesting that these students will likely struggle in first-year college courses.

"Far too many high school graduates are still falling short academically," said ACT Chief Executive Officer Jon Whitmore in a statement. "We need to do more to ensure that our young people improve. The advanced global economy requires American students to perform at their highest level to compete in the future job market and maintain the long-term economic security of the U.S."

In the nation, 28 percent of graduates did not meet any of the benchmarks.

This year, more than 1.66 million students, or 52 percent of graduating seniors, took the test, which is the organization’s eighth consecutive year of growth.

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