The Union Leader reported on the Executive Council’s unanimous decision to approve the funding for the College Board SAT exam to be administered to the state’s 11th graders. The test will replace the Smarter Balanced Assessment for that grade at no cost to the student.
The new SAT is no longer an “aptitude” test but an “achievement” assessment meant, like the Smarter Balanced Assessment, to measure readiness for college and career. That makes it an ideal measure for the achievement of our students who’s curriculum is guided by the New Hampshire College and Career Standards for English Language Arts and Math, based on the Common Core standards.
New Hampshire educators and administrators pushed for this change because, in an age in which virtually any career requires further academic training beyond high school, they anticipate that making the SAT available to all students at no cost will encourage more students to consider post-secondary education that would enhance their career potential.
Highlights from the Union Leader piece:
The College Board SAT, taken by high school students for generations as a litmus test for college readiness, will now be New Hampshire’s official tool for statewide assessment of 11th graders.
The Executive Council on Wednesday approved the Department of Education’s plan to replace the 11th grade Smarter Balanced statewide assessment with the SAT in the spring of 2016.
….
“The New Hampshire Department of Education has worked with its school districts to find consensus around using an assessment at the high school that may be more valuable to students — an assessment that they would find helpful as they are preparing for life after high school,” said Commissioner Virginia Barry. “The request from the field to use the SAT for the high school statewide assessment has been widely accepted throughout the state.”
HB 323, which affirmed legislative support for the switch, was approved by the Legislature in the 2015 session and signed by Governor Hassan in July.
Read the full article here.
