Graduates Can’t Master College Text

Study finds students fall off track after 10th grade.

Both as an 8th grader and a 10th grader, Johnny may be on track for mastering the advanced reading skills he’ll need to succeed in college and the workplace. But by high school graduation, he and many other aspiring college students will likely be unprepared to tackle the complex reading and writing tasks they’ll encounter, a study set for release this week concludes.

While science and mathematics are claiming the spotlight in the latest push for improving high schools and sharpening the nation’s competitive edge, the study by ACT Inc. makes the case for doing so through better reading instruction, clear and rigorous state standards for high school reading, and the use of more sophisticated texts and teaching materials.

“Reading is the critical core skill underlying all the curriculum areas,” said Cynthia B. Schmeiser, ACT’s vice president for research and development. “If kids are reading at a college level, they are also ready to go into, in greater proportions, college-level...