MSIP 5 Adds ACT WorkKeys®

In support of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s goal that all students graduate ready for college and career, the Department has announced ACT WorkKeys® as an additional academic measure that districts and charter schools can use to gauge students’ proficiency as they graduate from high school. This assessment is focused on the practical application of literacy, mathematics, and the ability to efficiently access information.

Reading for information, applying mathematical calculation and problem solving, and locating information are skills employers say are critical to job success. Use of the assessment can help students identify their current career skills as well as identify areas that need improvement as they plan for their futures. Students who succeed on the assessment qualify for ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate.

“One of our primary goals is to make sure students graduate ready to succeed in college and career,” said Dennis Cooper, assistant commissioner in the Office of Quality Schools. “Including the use of the WorkKeys® assessment as an option for districts and charter schools helps us do that, and it gives students, parents and teachers another way to see how well students are learning.”

ACT WorkKeys® is a component of Missouri’s Certified Work Ready Communities (CWRC) initiative. The state was one of seven in the country chosen to participate in CWRC. The initiative is a voluntary effort guided by community leaders to align workforce and education to meet the economic needs of the state and local communities.