Most high-school teachers think their state standards successfully prepare students for college, but college instructors disagree. Nearly two-thirds of them say state standards have poorly equipped students for courses in various subject areas, according to a report scheduled for release today by ACT Inc., the nonprofit testing organization.

College instructors want students to enroll with solid fundamental skills — like reading, grammar, and scientific inquiry — but high-school teachers tend to expose them to a broader range of topics, the report says.

“State learning standards are often too wide and not deep enough,” Cynthia B. Schmeiser, president and chief operating officer of ACT’s education division, said in a written statement.

“They are trying to cover too much ground — more ground than colleges deem necessary — in the limited time they have with students. As a result, key academic skills needed for college get short shrift,” she continued. “This is a serious problem that states must address to better prepare our young people for success after high school.”

ACT’s report, “Aligning Postsecondary Expectations and High School Practice: The Gap Defined,” is based on survey responses from 6,500 high-school and college instructors around the country. In an accompanying research report, ACT breaks down concepts from various subject areas, noting what percentage of middle- and high-school teachers cover those concepts, and how important secondary and postsecondary instructors consider each one.

In a news conference on Monday, ACT officials said at least three states — Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan — were already working to bridge the gap between high-school preparation and postsecondary expectations. The organization plans to analyze all states’ progress in improving college readiness and to release its findings this year.

The importance of better aligning high-school curricula with college requirements has been emphasized in a series of recent reports, including ones issued by groups that study public education, a policy-research organization’s Commission on No Child Left Behind, and the federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education. —Sara Lipka