Research

The racial makeup of the United States is rapidly changing. By 2050, it is expected that Whites will make up less than half of the total population in the U.S. Such a dramatic shift indicates that examining our demographics must be central to how we prioritize education in our country. Even more pressing, in light of our nation’s rapidly changing demography, we must address the education equity gaps that already exist. How can we do this? With better and more nuanced data.

This report looks at the progress of the 2017 ACT®-tested graduating class relative to college and career readiness. This year’s report shows that 60% of students in the 2017 US graduating class took the ACT test, up from 54% in 2013. The increased number of test takers over the past several years enhances the breadth and depth of the data pool, providing a comprehensive picture of the current graduating class in the context of college readiness, as well as offering a glimpse at the emerging educationalpipeline.

Rapid economic change and innovation have led to a new reality in which education and work are no longer separate and sequential activities; instead, a majority of workers now see gaining new skills as important to their career success and well being. In recent years, ACT Center for Equity in Learning, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, and others have placed a spotlight on working learners – individuals engaged simultaneously in both education and work – and documented the challenges and opportunities that working learners face in navigating educational pathways and career transitions. Yet, wider dynamics related to equity for working learners in the context of the U.S. workforce remain largely unexplored.

As a college degree remains a necessity for economic competitiveness, ever-widening pools of students pursue bachelor’s degrees at U.S. colleges and universities. These students face rising tuition costs and the need to cultivate demonstrable workplace skills and useful personal networks in order to compete for future career opportunities. From this perspective, working learners – or individuals engaging simultaneously with education and work – may enjoy a range of benefits. Their earnings during college may help to offset expenses for themselves and in some cases, their families. However, working while enrolled also allows students the opportunity to build on classroom learning in applied settings, to gain valuable workplace experiences, and to cultivate beneficial social and career networks.

Facts. The population of children in public schools became majority non-white in 2014, and it’s estimated that a child who starts first grade in 2017 will be just 33 years old when the population in the United States becomes majority non-white. According to Census Bureau predictions, our nation’s foreign-born population will account for almost 20 percent of our population on 2060, when first and second generation immigrants will include almost two out of every five Americans.