In More States, It’s Now ACT or SAT for All

Whether high school students take college-admissions tests used to be an individual decision. But a growing number of states are requiring that step and even making the exams a core part of their own testing systems.

Proponents argue that having all teenagers take the exams will encourage more young people to think about college and motivate them to take state tests seriously. But the policies also raise knotty issues, including whether the scores should be used to determine if schools have made adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

“While we want kids to be better prepared for their future and go to college, can we use the same exam for AYP purposes, too?” said Edward Roeber, the testing director for the Michigan Department of Education. “I think the jury is...