Putting the New SAT to the Test

Get out your Number Two pencil and answer the following questions: The new SAT is better than the old one.  °True    °False Universities and colleges should do away with the SAT as an admissions requirement.                                                 °True    °False

Both are trick questions because there's no "right" answer.

More than two million students take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) each year, sometimes up to three and four times. The SAT was introduced in 1926 and has evolved to remain in line with classroom practices. The last major change came in 1994 when antonym questions were removed and longer reading passages were added. Open-ended math questions also were added, and calculators were allowed.

In 2001, the president of the University of California, one of the biggest clients of the SAT, attacked the standardized test, charging that the use of the exam was distorting educational priorities and practices. Richard Atkinson, a cognitive psychologist and an authority on testing, suggested that, though intended to measure verbal and mathematical reasoning ability or aptitude independent of course of study, in reality the SAT was more a measure of students' test-taking skills. Recounting a visit to his grandchildren's private school where he found 12-year-olds already being drilled weekly on SAT-type analogies, Atkinson argued that students were wasting valuable time inside and outside the classroom preparing for the test--time that could be better spent learning history, geometry or English.

Though the College Board, a not-for-profit association composed of more than 4,700 schools, colleges and universities that provides educational services and administers the test, says Atkinson's comments were not a factor, significant changes were made to the SAT in 2004, including revisions to the math and verbal assessment as well as the addition of an essay section. The first crop of students taking the new test is now applying to college.

While some students would argue the point, the College Board says the new SAT is different, not more difficult. A few math questions on the new SAT cover some topics from Algebra II, however, the test still measures reasoning ability and problem-solving skills gained through activities and learning inside and outside the school.

While some admissions officers are wondering what impact the new SAT will have on their ability to gauge applicants' qualifications, some already have announced they won't consider the writing score on the same level as the math and verbal sections, while others have decided the test itself doesn't even matter anymore. About one in five colleges and universities nationwide have dropped the SAT requirement for admissions, including Drew University in Madison.

A Quick Overview The SAT now takes longer to complete. The test has expanded to three hours and 45 minutes and has three components. Each section scores 200-800: Math: Emphasis on math skills, including Algebra II. A 70-minute assessment with two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section, all multiple choice. Quantitative comparisons have been eliminated. Critical Reading (formerly Verbal): Greater emphasis on reading comprehension. A 70-minute assessment with two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section, all multiple choice. Analogies have been eliminated. Writing: Focus on writing and knowledge of grammar, sentence structure and word usage. A 60-minute assessment with one 35-minute section (multiple choice) and one 25-minute essay section.

Montclair State, however, will continue to require the SAT. "The SAT is the only standardized assessment we have," said Dennis Craig, director of Undergraduate Admissions. "Students come from markedly different schools, so the SAT is a way to consistently measure proficiency. It's important to be able to rely on something as a way to gauge a student's education, but it's equally important that scores are used and interpreted appropriately. We make decisions by looking at all the factors."

Those factors include grade point average, class rank, rigorous curriculum, the rank of the student's school and extracurricular activities. MSU also requires an independent essay, a personalized account of a student's academic history and why that student wants to pursue a college career at Montclair State. The advantage of the SAT essay though, according to Craig, is that it is proctored, timed and unassisted (electronically or otherwise).

Montclair State will receive 9,000 applications for admissions for the fall semester using the new SAT. About 48 percent of those students will be accepted.

"There's a lot of grade inflation and fraudulent grading going on in education," said Craig. "We have people in this country who have a high school diploma and can't read." He asserts that the SAT is a form of "proof" of a student's academic ability.

But not all schools agree. Drew President Robert Weisbuch announced that the university was making SAT scores optional. "We believe this action will help Drew increase its selectivity, improve its diversity and enhance overall student quality," he said. "We feel this action will encourage students to focus more on what a liberal arts education has to offer them and less on test scores."

According to Mary Beth Carey, dean of Admissions at Drew, "Drew traditionally has given most consideration to an applicant's course of study in high school and grades, rather than test scores. Our own research has shown us that high school grade point average is by far the most important predictor of success in college. Our admissions decisions will continue to include an evaluation of both the academic and extracurricular choices a student has made in high school, as well as writing ability, leadership and recommendations from counselors and teachers."

Drew will continue to accept standardized test scores for students who feel their scores are an important component of their intellectual achievements. Those who choose not to submit SAT scores will be required to include with their admissions materials a high school paper graded by a teacher.

With some schools no longer requiring the SAT, there may be a shift in applicants from Montclair State who, according to Craig, "will seek the path of least resistance" and apply elsewhere. Craig says that's just fine. "Montclair State deserves to have a system in place to get the quality of students in here who will graduate in four years."