Tennessee Lieutenant Gov. Randy McNally is calling for an investigation into ACT Inc., the organization that administers the ACT test to high school students.
In November, ACT decided not to score tests from Bearden High School in Knoxville and the Alvin C. York Institute in Jamestown after students took tests dated for a different day. McNally calls the mistake a “minor bureaucratic error.”
Despite appeals by the Tennessee Board of Education, ACT officials upheld their decision not to accept the test scores, which colleges and universities use to determine admissions eligibility. Many scholarships also require ACT scores to decide which students qualify for the awards.
“The organization’s refusal to even entertain the release of these important college admissions scores has led me and other state officials to question the integrity of the organization,” wrote McNally in a letter to the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. “Due to the fact state dollars have been appropriated to administer the ACT test in Tennessee, I believe your office would be the appropriate investigatory authority.”
McNally is asking the Comptroller Justin Wilson to look into the ACT’s non-profit status to see if ACT is funneling profits into bonuses and salaries for their executives to maintain their non-profit status. McNally also questions whether the ACT selling information about students taking the ACT violates federal or state privacy laws.
University of Tennessee admissions officials are working with the schools so impacted students won’t be disadvantaged when applying to the school.
