Iowa
ACT announces plan to lay off over 100 Iowa City employees, begin sale of campus buildings
More than 100 employees at the ACT headquarters in Iowa City will be laid off in June, according to records filed with the state earlier this month.
Citing a recent reduction in workplace needs and demand for alternative learning tools, the company is also in search of buyers for its campus off of North Dodge Street and Scott Boulevard, located on the city’s northeast side.
ACT is a non-profit organization aimed at helping people secure higher education opportunities and “workplace success,” according to their website. ACT supplies millions of students, schools, job seekers and government agencies with a variety of assessments and learning resources. The ACT test is widely used across the country as an aid for college applications.
ACT was created in 1959 in Iowa City by a University of Iowa duo. Education professor F. Lindquist and U of I registrar and director of admissions Ted McCarrel wanted to shake up the college admission testing industry by shifting focus toward academic achievements and away from strictly test-taking.
Layoffs in Iowa City
The state’s Workforce Development website says 106 employees will be laid off June 19. Federal law requires employers to provide 60 days advance notice of “mass layoffs” through the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN. Iowa law also includes provisions to notify workers of impending layoffs. ACT employees were notified of the impending layoffs, Wednesday May 17.
“Last week, ACT announced some strategic, tough, and timely decisions that affected team members in our technology center,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said in a statement provided to the Press-Citizen. “Education and workforce development environments are shifting dramatically, and ACT’s stakeholders are demanding more from us to help learners prepare for success after high school.”
Godwin said the decision to lay off workers is an effort to continue to adjust to “large-scale, rapid” changes in the industry, which includes increased demand for online offerings.
In 2018, the organization launched ACT Academy, a free, personalized online test preparation and learning course designed to “help improve college readiness,” the first step in a company shift toward online learning. The 64-year-old company is transitioning to more digital offerings, adhering to widespread workflow changes inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ease of access is the goal.
“With the changes announced last week, we are moving to a technology model that will help us better meet the evolving needs of students and learners, and the educators who serve them,” Godwin said. “The changes will allow for increased efficiency and greater flexibility in line with the rapid evolution of technology and will bring ACT to the forefront of competitive market changes and rising stakeholder expectations.”
Tax and revenue data for ACT, Inc., the official name of the nonprofit, collected from the IRS by ProPublica, shows that in 2019 and 2020, the most recent publicly available data, the company had net losses totaling nearly $100 million.
Many college institutions in recent years have made standardized testing optional in applications, believing the decision will minimize barriers for entrants.
Research from the Iowa College of Aid as well as the Iowa State Board of Regents has indicated that while standardized testing does provide some value for institutions, removing the ACT or SAT as a requirement opens doors for first-generation and lower-income students. Studies reveal test scores can’t accurately predict how well a student will do after the first year of school.
ACT downsizing Iowa City campus, looks toward downtown
The company is also seeking buyers for its main Iowa City campus, which includes the Davidsen, Ferguson, and Lindquist buildings.
The building sales reflect ACT’s operational shift from in-person to remote work after the pandemic.
“As we begin the process of selling our property, we are exploring a variety of options for supporting our staff in new modes of work,” Godwin wrote in a statement. “ACT is selling the property as employees have more choice about where they work and many are choosing to work from home.”
ACT sold the Tyler Building on its campus to the Iowa City Community School District for $8.75 million last summer. Godwin, a former president of the school board, said in a June 2022 press release the pandemic was the driving force behind the sale to ICCSD, as many of the company’s employees opted to work remotely.
A March study from the Pew Research Center found that 35% of workers with a job that allowed remote work were working entirely from home, compared to only 7% prior to the pandemic.
ACT intends to remain in Iowa City, the company confirmed with the Press-Citizen. They are exploring options downtown and the surrounding area.
Iowa
Who the ranked Iowa high school football teams face in Week 7
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Here’s who all 71 Iowa high school football teams ranked in this week’s Gazette poll face in Week 7 games Friday night.
Class 3A gets the spotlight this week as its top two teams face top-seven opponents. No. 1 Algona visits No. 7 Humboldt, while second-ranked Williamsburg hosts a Solon team eager to bounce back from last week’s loss to Benton Community that dropped it from the top spot.
There is intrigue in the 8-Player top five as well, where three of the top five teams face fellow unbeaten foes. That includes No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s taking on No. 10 Woodbine and No. 2 Algona Garrigan hosting Ruthven GTRA.
Class 5A
No. 1 West Des Moines Valley (5-1) vs. Waterloo West (5-1)
No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling (5-1) at Urbandale (3-3)
No. 3 Bettendorf (6-0) at Davenport Central (2-4)
No. 4 Pleasant Valley (5-1) vs. Muscatine (2-4)
No. 5 Ankeny Centennial (4-2) vs. Des Moines Roosevelt (1-5)
No. 6 Linn-Mar (5-1) vs. Davenport West (0-6)
No. 7 Johnston (4-2) vs. Council Bluffs Lincoln (4-2)
No. 8 Iowa City Liberty (5-1) vs. Ankeny (3-3)
No. 9 Waukee (4-2) at Southeast Polk (3-3)
No. 10 Sioux City East (4-2) vs. Des Moines Lincoln (1-5)
Class 4A
No. 1 Lewis Central (6-0) at Winterset (4-2)
No. 2 Pella (6-0) at Des Moines Hoover (0-6), Thursday
No. 3 North Polk (6-0) at No. 10 Indianola (4-2)
No. 4 Gilbert (6-0) vs. Bondurant-Farrar (1-5)
No. 5 Decorah (6-0) at Marion (2-4)
No. 6 Adel ADM (5-1) at Ballard (3-3)
No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-2) at Oskaloosa (1-5)
No. 8 North Scott (4-2) at Clear Creek Amana (4-2)
No. 9 Newton (4-2) vs. Carlisle (0-6)
No. 10 Indianola (4-2) vs. No. 3 North Polk (6-0)
No. 10 Western Dubuque (4-2) at Waterloo East (2-4)
Class 3A
No. 1 Algona (6-0) at No. 7 Humboldt (5-1)
No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1) vs. No. 5 Solon (5-1)
No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (6-0) at West Delaware (4-2)
No. 4 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (6-0) vs. Carroll (4-2)
No. 5 Mount Vernon (5-1) vs. Fort Madison (0-6)
No. 5 Solon (5-1) at No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1)
No. 7 Humboldt (5-1) vs. No. 1 Algona (6-0)
No. 8 Sioux City Heelan (4-2) at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (1-5)
No. 9 Independence (4-2) at Maquoketa (1-5)
No. 10 Nevada (5-1) at Harlan (3-3)
Class 2A
No. 1 West Lyon (6-0) at Sheldon (2-4)
No. 2 Monroe PCM (6-0) at West Marshall (5-1)
No. 3 Spirit Lake (5-1) at Garner GHV (1-5)
No. 4 Van Meter (5-1) vs. Centerville (4-2)
No. 5 Carroll Kuemper (5-1) vs. Saydel (1-5)
No. 6 North Fayette Valley (5-1) vs. Oelwein (0-6) — canceled, Oelwein to forfeit
No. 7 Northeast (6-0) at Tipton (2-4)
No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2) vs. No. 10 Western Christian (4-2)
No. 9 Roland-Story (4-2) vs. Des Moines Christian (4-2)
No. 10 Western Christian (4-2) at No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2)
Class 1A
No. 1 Grundy Center (6-0) at Alburnett (4-2)
No. 2 Wilton (6-0) at West Branch (2-4)
No. 3 Dike-New Hartford (5-1) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (2-4)
No. 4 Emmetsburg (6-0) vs. Eagle Grove (0-6)
No. 5 Iowa City Regina (6-0) at Dyersville Beckman (4-2)
No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1) vs. No. 10 Hinton (5-1)
No. 7 South Hardin (5-1) at Hudson (5-1)
No. 8 Treynor (5-1) vs. Shenandoah (3-3)
No. 9 Sigourney-Keota (5-1) at Colfax-Mingo (1-5)
No. 10 Hinton (5-1) at No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1)
Class A
No. 1 West Hancock (6-0) at Lake Mills (4-2)
No. 2 Guthrie Center ACGC (6-0) vs. Mount Ayr (5-1)
No. 3 Saint Ansgar (5-1) at West Fork (1-5)
No. 4 Lisbon (6-0) vs. Danville (4-2)
No. 5 Earlham (5-1) at Oakland Riverside (4-2)
No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1) vs. No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1)
No. 7 Le Mars Gehlen (5-1) at South O’Brien (0-6)
No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1) at No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1)
No. 9 North Linn (6-0) vs. Maquoketa Valley (5-1)
No. 10 Madrid (4-2) at North Mahaska (3-3)
8-Player
No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0) vs. No. 10 Woodbine (6-0)
No. 2 Algona Garrigan (6-0) vs. Ruthven GTRA (6-0)
No. 3 Don Bosco (6-0) vs. Turkey Valley (3-3)
No. 4 Audubon (6-0) vs. Collins-Maxwell (4-2)
No. 5 Lenox (6-0) vs. Southeast Warren (6-0)
No. 6 Iowa Valley (6-0) vs. HLV (1-6)
No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (5-1) at Clarksville (5-2)
No. 8 Anita CAM (5-1) at Fremont-Mills (5-1)
No. 9 Bedford (5-1) vs. Lamoni (4-2)
No. 10 Woodbine (6-0) at No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0)
Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com
Iowa
Iowa State women’s basketball star Emily Ryan discusses eating disorder in video
Iowa State women’s basketball star Emily Ryan released a video Thursday in which she discusses her battle with an eating disorder.
Ryan, a senior from Claflin, Kansas, has been one of the Big 12 Conference’s best point guards for the past few seasons. She was a first-team all-conference pick in 2022, and a second-team selection in 2023.
“By sharing my story, I hope to build awareness and provide hope to everyone else fighting an invisible battle,” Ryan said in the video.
Ryan said her sense of self-worth was dependent on Iowa State’s success and her individual performance. That led to increased time spent in the weight room in an effort to get stronger and faster. When Ryan didn’t see the results that she desired, she began to focus on her diet.
Ryan said the Iowa State medical staff expressed their concern about Ryan’s eating habits and what it was doing to her body. Ryan said she was in “complete denial” about having an eating disorder, but her health continued to worsen.
Ryan missed the first nine games of the 2023-24 season due to the eating disorder. When she returned, she said, “off the court I was really struggling. By the end of the season, I was physically and mentally hanging on by a thread.”
During the offseason, Ryan spent 88 days at a treatment center in Denver.
“It took a long time but I finally came to the understanding that being sick wasn’t my fault, and eating disorders are real, complex illnesses,” she said.
How to get help
For resources on disordered eating, call the National Eating Disorders Helpline at 800-931-2237 or text NEDA to 741741.
Iowa
Latest Iowa high school volleyball rankings reveal regional pairings
It was an important date around the state for volleyball teams in Iowa, as the latest rankings were released and regional pairings in all five classes were revealed.
The two come into play once regionals reach the championship round, as the higher-ranked team will serve as the host for those games.
All five No. 1 squads remained the same, as Ankeny Centennial (Class 5A), Cedar Rapids Xavier (4A), Mount Vernon (3A), Denver (2A) and Ankeny Christian (1A) held serve.
New teams to the Top-15 include Iowa City West in 5A, Ballard in 4A, Wapsie Valley in 2A and Stanton in 1A. The entire 3A poll remained the same while Sidney made one of the biggest climbs, moving to ninth from 12th in 1A.
Regional play for 1A and 2A begins Oct. 21 with 3A, 4A and 5A starting Oct. 22. The state tournament is scheduled for Nov. 4-7 in Coralville from the Xtream Arena. Complete regional pairings can be found on Bound.
Class 5A
1. Ankeny Centennial; 2. Pleasant Valley; 3. Ankeny; 4. West Des Moines Dowling; 5. Indianola; 6. Waukee Northwest; 7. Cedar Falls; 8. Cedar Rapids Prairie; 9. Waukee; 10. Iowa City Liberty; 11. West Des Moines Valley; 12. Sioux City East; 13. Iowa City West; 14. Iowa City High; 15. Linn-Mar.
Class 4A
1. Cedar Rapids Xavier; 2. Sioux City Bishop Heelan; 3. North Scott; 4. Clear Creek-Amana; 5. Lewis Central; 6. Pella; 7. Glenwood; 8. Carlisle; 9. Marion; 10. Adel-ADM; 11. Norwalk; 12. Sergeant Bluff-Luton; 13. MOC-Floyd Valley; 14. Ballard; 15. Grinnell.
Class 3A
1. Mount Vernon; 2. Western Christian; 3. West Delaware; 4. Dubuque Wahlert; 5. Davenport Assumption; 6. Sioux Center; 7. Carroll Kuemper; 8. Mid-Prairie; 9. Cherokee; 10. Wilton; 11. Solon; 12. Anamosa; 13. Roland-Story; 14. Clarinda; 15. Nevada.
Class 2A
1. Denver; 2. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont; 3. Dyersville Beckman; 4. Dike-New Hartford; 5. Aplington-Parkersburg; 6. South Hardin; 7. Boyden-Hull; 8. Pella Christian; 9. Iowa City Regina; 10. Hinton; 11. Grundy Center; 12. Sumner-Fredericksburg; 13. Wapsie Valley; 14. West Burlington; 15. Shenandoah.
Class 1A
1. Ankeny Christian; 2. Holy Trinity; 3. Saint Ansgar; 4. Riverside; 5. BCLUW; 6. Janesville; 7. North Tama; 8. Don Bosco; 9. Sidney; 10. River Valley; 11. Akron-Westfield; 12. Stanton; 13. Fremont-Mills; 14. Southwest Valley; 15. Gladbrook-Reinbeck.
-
Technology1 week ago
Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year
-
World1 week ago
Ukrainian stronghold Vuhledar falls to Russian offensive after two years of bombardment
-
World1 week ago
WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ in order to be freed
-
Technology1 week ago
Beware of fraudsters posing as government officials trying to steal your cash
-
Health6 days ago
Health, happiness and helping others are vital parts of free and responsible society, Founding Fathers taught
-
Virginia1 week ago
Status for Daniels and Green still uncertain for this week against Virginia Tech; Reuben done for season
-
Sports7 days ago
Freddie Freeman says his ankle sprain is worst injury he's ever tried to play through
-
News6 days ago
Lebanon says 50 medics killed in past three days as Israel extends its bombardment