NEISD schools have officially cancelled school for the rest of the year, leaving students unsure about what’s going to happen to state tests.
STAAR testing has been cancelled since April, and AP testing will be moved online. The College Board has yet to cancel the SAT, only pushing back the testing dates by months.
“The College Board continues to release updates as school closures have been extended across the nation. They have now cancelled SAT testing for June 6th and are looking to provide SAT administrations every month through the end of the calendar year, beginning in August. The free SAT School Day for Juniors that was set for April 14, will most likely be offered to those same students as seniors in the fall.”” Courtney Tarbox, counselor, said.
If the College Board does decide to cancel the SATs, many students would lose time and money.
“I bought books just to be prepared for this test, so did many other students. I hope they don’t cancel it, it would just be a waste of time and money,” Ydali Moran, junior, said.
SAT prep books can be $30 or more. Some students even hired tutors, which is an even greater expense.
“Many students such as myself have been studying for months to prepare for this test, so when they keep pushing it further and farther back, it can be worrisome,” Moran said.
Many colleges have decided to either suspend the requirements, or make it optional to the student.
“As a school counselor, I have already received many updates from numerous colleges and universities that report they are supportive and understanding that this semester will look different for all high school students. So they will not be penalizing students for schools using a different type of grading system, disruptions to extracurricular activities, or delays in taking college admission exams. While some colleges and universities have announced that they will suspend the SAT/ACT requirement or make it optional, I have seen others extend their deadlines for early admissions or scholarship consideration.” Tarbox said.
If worse comes to worse, SATs may be taken online.
“In the unlikely event that schools do not reopen this fall, the College Board will provide a digital SAT for home use, like how we’re delivering digital exams to 3 million AP students this spring. As we’re doing with at-home Advanced Placement exams, we would ensure that at-home SAT testing is simple, secure and fair, accessible to all, and valid for use in college admissions,” Tarbox said.
Many steps to prevent cheating would take place, if the test is decided to be taken online.
“The College Board is using highly specialized software programs and adapting the format of AP exams to prevent cheating. If needed, I think they would be using similar measures to create a secure SAT exam that would ensure the validity of the test scores used for college admissions and scholarship opportunities,” Tarbox said.
If students are in need of tutoring, there are Zoom classes offered online.
“There are many free online test prep resources. There are also some private tutoring companies that are offering small group zoom sessions. See a list of testing resources on our Johnson Counselors’ Corner website at Counselor’s Corner / Testing Resources” Tarbox said.
