PLAN is approaching

All sophomores will take the PLAN test on Tuesday, November 25, 2008. There is no cost nor need to register for this test.

College Panel Calls for Less Focus on SATs

September 22, 2008

By SARA RIMER

A commission convened by some of the country’s most influential college admissions officials is recommending that colleges and universities move away from their reliance on SAT and ACT scores and shift toward admissions exams more closely tied to the high school curriculum and achievement.

The commission’s report, the culmination of a yearlong study led by William R. Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard, comes amid growing concerns that the frenzy over standardized college admissions tests is misshaping secondary education and feeding a billion-dollar test-prep industry that encourages students to try to game the tests.

A growing number of colleges and universities, like Bates College in Maine, Lawrence University in Wisconsin, Wake Forest University in North Carolina and Smith College in Massachusetts, have made the SAT and ACT optional. And the report concludes that more institutions could make admissions decisions without requiring the SAT and ACT.

It encourages institutions to consider dropping admission test requirements unless they can prove that the benefits of such tests outweigh the negatives.

“It would be much better for the country,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said in an interview, “to have students focusing on high school courses that, based on evidence, will prepare them well for college and also prepare them well for the real world beyond college, instead of their spending enormous amounts of time trying to game the SAT.”

Mr. Fitzsimmons’s group, which was convened by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, also expresses concerns “that test scores appear to calcify differences based on class, race/ethnicity and parental educational attainment.” The report calls on admissions officials to be aware of such differences and to ensure that differences not related to a student’s ability to succeed academically be “mitigated in the admission process.”

“Society likes to think that the SAT measures people’s ability or merit,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said. “But no one in college admissions who visits the range of secondary schools we visit, and goes to the communities we visit — where you see the contrast between opportunities and fancy suburbs and some of the high schools that aren’t so fancy — can come away thinking that standardized tests can be a measure of someone’s true worth or ability.”

Mr. Fitzsimmons said that at Harvard high school grades and the College Board’s individual subject tests are considered better predictors of college success than the SAT, also administered by the College Board, or ACT, and that the university is studying the use of standardized tests in its admissions. He added that it was possible that the university might eventually make such tests optional.

The admission counseling association gave the report to The New York Times in advance of its official release at its annual meeting in Seattle this week. The report emphasizes academic research that suggests that test preparation and coaching results in an increase of 20 to 30 points on the SAT, which it calls “a modest gain (on the old 1600 scale)” that “is considerably less than the 100 point or more gains that are often accepted as conventional wisdom.” Even so, the report acknowledges that test preparation can raise scores, however modestly, and that students without the financial resources to get such help may be “penalized for lower test scores” in some admission and scholarship cases.

The report calls for an end to the practice of using minimum-admissions-test scores to determine students’ eligibility for merit aid. And it specifically urges the National Merit Scholarship Corporation to stop using PSAT scores as the initial screen for eligibility for recognition or scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship competition “contributes to the misperception of test scores as sole measures of ‘merit’ in a pervasive and highly visible manner,” the report says.

More than 280 four-year colleges do not require standardized test scores for admission, according to the study. The report says that the College Board’s Advanced Placement exams and Subject Tests and the International Baccalaureate exams are more closely linked to the high school curriculum than the SAT and ACT, and have little expensive test preparation associated with them.

The report suggests that what is needed is a new achievement test, pitched to a broad group of students, that would predict college grades as well as or better than available tests.

Using such an achievement test in admissions would “encourage high schools to broaden and improve curricula,” according to the report, and would also send a message to students to focus on their high school course material instead of on test preparation courses.

David Hawkins, the director of public policy and research for the association, pulled together the commission’s findings into the report. He said its value was “in the nearly explicit sentiment that the current admission tests are not optimal tools for admission in 2008.”

Robert Schaeffer, public education director for The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a group critical of standardized admissions testing, called the report “a strong condemnation of the overreliance on test scores,” and said he expected it to carry much weight with association members, who include thousands of college admissions officials and high school guidance counselors.

One commission member, Steve Syverson, is vice president for enrollment at Lawrence University, which made the SAT and ACT optional several years ago. Mr. Syverson said he hoped the report would encourage more college admissions officials to question their use of standardized admissions tests.

“We’re all just making assumptions about these tests,” Mr. Syverson said, referring to the SAT and the ACT. “We’ve all grown up with it. It’s embedded in the culture. If you really ask around the country, how many admissions officers can tell you at their institution what the predictive validity of the test is? What does it add to our understanding? What do tests help you predict? You’d find a lot of them equate these tests with intelligence. It’s not an intelligence test.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/education/22admissions.htm?_r=1&oref=slogin

ACT and SAT Registration

The ACT and SAT testing schedules have begun for 2008-09. All seniors who are planning to apply to college need at least one test prior to submitting their applications.

** If you are a senior and have not yet take the ACT or SAT, take the Fall (October or November) test.**

Basic registration information:

ACT:

• Go to www.actstudent.org to register, or pick up a packet in the Guidance Office.
• Cost = $31; $46 with writing
• Take the writing test at least once
• 4 parts: English, Reading, Science, and Mathematics
• closest test date = October 25

SAT:

• Go to www.collegeboard.com to register
• Cost = $45
• 3 parts: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing
• closet test date = October 4
  

Tips for Taking the ACT

Tips for Taking the ACT
(from actstudent.org)

• Carefully read the instructions on the cover of the test booklet.
• Read the directions for each test carefully.
• Read each question carefully.
• Pace yourself—don't spend too much time on a single passage or question.
• Pay attention to the announcement of five minutes remaining on each test.
• Use a soft lead No. 2 pencil with a good eraser; do not use a mechanical pencil, ink pen or correction fluid.
• Answer the easy questions first, then go back and answer the more difficult ones.
• On difficult questions, eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can, then make an educated guess among those remaining.
• Answer every question. Your scores on the multiple-choice tests are based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for guessing.
• Review your work. If you finish a test before time is called, go back and check your work.
• Mark your answers neatly. Erase any mark completely and cleanly without smudging.
• Do not mark or alter any ovals on a test or continue writing the essay after time has been called or you will be dismissed and your answer document will not be scored.
  

Test Anxiety

Many students approach us regarding test taking skills and test anxiety. There are quite a few resources on the web that can help you prepare for standardized exams, as well as exams in your classes.

What is test anxiety?
"Test anxiety is actually a type of performance anxiety - a feeling someone might have in a situation where performance really counts or when the pressure's on to do well. (kidshealth.org)"

What Causes It?
"All anxiety is a reaction to anticipating something stressful. Like other anxiety reactions, test anxiety affects the body and the mind. When you're under stress, your body releases the hormone adrenaline, which prepares it for danger (you may hear this referred to as the "fight or flight" reaction). That's what causes the physical symptoms, such as sweating, a pounding heart, and rapid breathing. These sensations might be mild or intense. (kidshealth.org)"

Remember, some anxiety isn't always a bad thing. We need to help you manage your anxiety when it hinders your performance.

Here are some basic tips to help manage or relieve your anxiety:

1. Be prepared. Do not cram the night before.
2. Develop study habits early. Do not wait until your senior year or until college (like I did) to learn how to study. Ask for help now!
3. Get a good night's sleep before the exam. Eat breakfast that morning.
4. Budget your time -- when you study and while you are taking the test.
5. Think positive thoughts. You CAN do this. Really.
6. If you lose focus during the test, stretch. While sitting in your seat, close your eyes, stretch your arms to the ceiling, and concentrate on breathing slowly.

Here are some suggested sites:

Study Guides and Strategies
University of Illinois Counseling Center
University of Buffalo Student Affairs
Teen's Health - Test Anxiety

And don't think test anxiety is limited to high school or college students...
Test Anxiety - PRAXIS

If you would like more information, please see your counselor. We can help you manage your anxiety.

ACT and SAT Registration dates

I have had many students ask about ACT and SAT registration. Here is the basic information:

ACT
fee = $30 or $44.50 with writing by Regular Dealine
fee = $49 or $63.50 with writing by Late Deadline
Test Date Regular Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline
October 27, 2007 October 1, 2007 October 2–October 5, 2007
December 8, 2007 November 2, 2007 November 3–15, 2007
February 9, 2008** January 4, 2008 January 5–18, 2008
April 12, 2008 March 7, 2008 March 8–21, 2008
June 14, 2008 May 9, 2008 May 10–23, 2008

SAT
fee = $43 by regular deadline
fee = $65 by late deadline
Test Date Regular Deadline Late Deadline
October 6, 2007 September 10, 2007 September 14, 2007
November 3, 2007 October 2, 2007 October 11, 2007
December 1, 2007 October 30, 2007 November 8, 2007
January 26, 2008 December 26, 2007 January 4, 2008
March 1, 2008 January 29, 2008 February 7, 2008
May 3, 2008 April 1, 2008 April 10, 2008
June 7, 2008 May 6, 2008 May 15, 2008

Test Optional Schools

Many students fret over high-stakes testing, particularly the ACT and SAT. Many students suffer test anxiety or do not perform well on these tests for a variety of reasons. A low score on either test does not necessarily mean a student will not be successful with higher education.

Many colleges and universities have recognized that there is not necessarily a connection between the ACT/SAT score and successful college performance, and quite a few have gone "test optional." "Test optional" means that the college does not require a test score as part of the application process.

If you are interested in learning more about schools that do not require an ACT or SAT score for admission, you may find details at http://www.fairtest.org/optinit.htm . Fair Test states that 755 schools are test optional, including Denison University, Lake Eric College, Tiffin University, and Youngstown State University.