A report issued this week by the Education Trust found that 23% of students taking the US Army’s Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests received scores that were too low to qualify them for military service. Many educators and policy-makers have seen military service as an alternative for students who could not continue their education in a college or vocational school, but clearly, our K12 system is graduating many students who are unprepared for that path. The ASVAB tests measure basic skills like reading, math reasoning, and general science knowledge, as well as mechanical aptitudes. Especially disturbing were the higher ineligibility rates for potential recruits who were black (39%) or Hispanic (29%). Recruits from those groups who do pass tend to receive lower scores overall, which is unfortunate, because the ASVAB scores are also used to determine eligibility for the more desirable asignments in the military. Lower passing scores keep those recruits out of the technical jobs and training that can open doors to better-paying, higher-skilled careers in civilian life. These test takers represent a self-selected sample, of course, so their performance cannot be compared with national randomized tests like the NAEP. But as a general picture of how well our K12 system is preparing students for adult life, the report provides a damning indictment. If these grads fail to meet even the minimum requirements for military service, how likely are they to qualify for jobs or training that can someday enable them to support themselves? All of us who care about the caliber of recruits serving in our armed forces, and parents of students who are considering careers in the military in particular, should take note. Click below to download the 11-page report.
Education Trust 12 21 2010 Report on Military Qualification of HS Grads