by Catherine Hofmann, senior vice president of government and public relations.
But I’ve come to believe that real leadership doesn’t begin with building. It begins with listening.
At ACT, we are operating in a moment of significant change. Students are questioning the value and cost of higher education. AI is reshaping how learning happens. States are asking harder questions about outcomes and accountability. In this environment, assumptions are risky. Listening is strategic.
If we are going to strengthen the ecosystem that supports learners, we must first understand what they — and those who guide them — are actually experiencing.
ACT has helped measure readiness for decades. Today, we are equally focused on understanding experience.
In my conversations with students, I’m consistently reminded that they are navigating far more complexity than adults often realize. They are thinking about cost, career pathways, technology, and belonging — all at once.
Through our new National ACT Learner Advisory Council, students will help shape how we approach everything from test registration to communications and research. We expect their feedback to be direct, practical, and include topics such as:
Making the processes around testing clearer.
Being transparent about what scores mean and how to effectively use them.
Showing us how this connects to real opportunities.
Input does not just sit in a report. It influences the decisions we make every day.
Our recent research on STEM engagement and the role of AI in the college application process reinforces a similar message. Students want relevance. They want to understand how what they are learning translates to their futures. They want guidance on how to use emerging tools responsibly and ethically. And they want adults who are equipped to support them in that journey.
Listening to students is not figurative work. It’s foundational to building products and resources that meet the moment.
Over time, I’ve learned that trust is one of the strongest foundations we can build on.
Some of our strongest progress has come from sustained partnerships with state leaders, district administrators, higher education institutions, and workforce organizations. These relationships are built on candor; When partners tell us what isn’t working, or where they need more support, that feedback is invaluable.
Listening with empathy and interest strengthens those relationships. It creates space for honest dialogue, shared problem-solving, and innovation grounded in reality.
Listening is not passive. It requires humility, discipline, and the willingness to adjust course. It also requires courage because sometimes what we hear challenges us to rethink long-standing approaches.
For me, leading by listening is not a slogan. It is a core value.
When we listen deeply — to students, educators, institutions, and workforce leaders — we build tools that are more usable, insights that are more actionable, and partnerships that are more durable.
Most importantly, we stay anchored to our purpose: expanding opportunity and improving education and workplace success for learners everywhere.
That is the “why.”
Listening ensures that what we build is not just innovative but truly relevant to the people we serve.