Frisco ISD ready as revamped SAT goes into effect in spring 2016

The SAT, considered a major metric in gauging the college readiness of high school students, is undergoing some changes leading into the 2015-16 school year. Officials with College Board, the organization that developed and redesigned the SAT, says it wants to focus on knowledge, skills and understandings rather than narrow, short-term test preparation.

“We really want to make sure that when a student applies and is accepted to a university that they will be successful when they get there,” said Debbie Pennington, senior educational manager for College Board.

The redesign was meant to address what researchers call a troubling statistic nationwide among students transitioning to college. About 57 percent of SAT takers in 2013 experienced remediation in at least one entry-level course upon entering college that year.

In a national survey, nearly 90 percent of high school teachers said students were leaving high school prepared for college-level mathematics while almost 75 percent of postsecondary instructors said they were not.

Educators at Frisco ISD are targeting the changes in the revamped SAT in their curriculum, said Katie Kordel, deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction, in a news release.

“As a district, we will continue to focus on rigorous coursework, including an emphasis on critical thinking, writing and problem solving, to ensure our students are prepared for the demands of college and career,” Kordel said.

FISD officials said more FISD students typically take the SAT than the ACT, but participation in both continues to climb each year. FISD communications facilitator Meghan Youker said through the launch of the redesigned SAT exam, the district is committed to supporting students and families.

This includes academic counseling, communication efforts and professional development and mentoring for teachers, she said.

District faculty are also encouraging students to take advantage of the preparatory material available on the College Board website, www.collegeboard.org.