Roughly 30 percent of students in the Hays CISD 2017 graduating class who took the SAT last year hit state and national benchmarks for the exam, according to data from the College Board.
However, by redesigning the SAT exam and its components, officials with the College Board hope it could lead to improvement in exam scores across the nation.
The redesign of the SAT was first conceptualized three or four years ago with the goal to make sure the redesign “was work worth doing” for stu...
Roughly 30 percent of students in the Hays CISD 2017 graduating class who took the SAT last year hit state and national benchmarks for the exam, according to data from the College Board.
However, by redesigning the SAT exam and its components, officials with the College Board hope it could lead to improvement in exam scores across the nation.
The redesign of the SAT was first conceptualized three or four years ago with the goal to make sure the redesign “was work worth doing” for students and parents, as well as colleges and universities, said Lana Sveda, director of state and student partnerships with the College Board, Nov. 27.
It centered on helping parents and colleges track the progress of students, while also giving test-takers the chance to practice for the SAT online for free.
“What I’ve seen success in is districts doing a good job of getting families to understand why we do what we do and helping educators look at data and understanding how it could support them.”Lana
Sveda, director of state and student partnerships with the College Board
One of the major steps in the redesign was aligning the assessment with what students are learning in the classroom, such as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
Sveda said tearing down “barriers,” both naturally built in and otherwise, was also a key component in redesigning the SAT. One of those issues is allowing students to obtain practice and support for exams, along with getting scores back at a faster rate.
Sveda said the College Board has partnered with the Khan Academy, a nonprofit organization that offers personalized learning, to give free SAT practice to students with internet access.
Additionally, parents now have the ability to view and compare SAT scores from previous years. Parents and students can also obtain SAT online in as little as two weeks.
“Not only are students now getting feedback along the continuum of college readiness, they are going to be ready to walk into college without remediation,” Sveda said. “We are going to be successful to have resources to support students along the way.”
While the College Board can measure statistical data, it remains a challenge to assess where student successes derive from, whether it’s from the classroom or the online tutoring. Sveda said the College Board often finds gaps in foundational skills when assessing SAT scores.
“What I’ve seen success in is districts doing a good job of getting families to understand why we do what we do and helping educators look at data and understanding how it could support them,” Sveda said.
In Hays CISD, students in the Class of 2017 finished with a mean score of 975, which fell just below the state and national averages.
However, Sveda said students who used a fee waiver, offered to those who qualify based on income, scored higher on the SAT than those who didn’t
According to the College Board’s data, 123 Hays CISD Class of 2017 seniors used at least one fee waiver. Those students finished with a mean score of 1007. Sveda said the results offer the College Board’s want to break the barrier of cost and income for students taking the SAT.
“It continues to help break down those barriers to college,” Sveda said.
Sveda also lauded Hays CISD on its AP test data, where 1,486 Hays CISD students took at least one exam last year. That number correlated to a 26 percent increase in participation from 2016.
Students also took 13 percent more exams in 2017 than in 2016, with 19 percent more students scoring a 3 or higher on the exam.
Based on the data, Sveda said the College Board is seeing a spark and interest in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) course work in AP students. She said the increase in participation and test volume flips the trend the College Board often sees with growing districts.
“One of the natural phenomenas is when you increase a population that’s being measured, you see performance stay the same or go down,” Sveda said. “Not only do we see participating increase but also performance. It’s something to congratulate your teachers and students.”