The president of the College Board announced plans to redesign the SAT exam in an email to College Board members earlier this week, which was also posted on the group's Facebook page.
"We will develop an assessment that mirrors the work that students will do in college so that they will practice the work they need to do to complete college," David Coleman wrote. "An improved SAT will strongly focus on the core knowledge and skills that evidence shows are most important to prepare students for the rigors of college and career."
The SAT exam was last redesigned in 2005 to add an essay component, among other changes.
In his message Coleman called the SAT, in its current version, "the best standardized measure of college and career readiness currently available." But the Washington Post noted that in 2011 more students took the ACT than the SAT, and suggested that this loss of market share might be one factor in Coleman's decision to rethink the SAT.
The College Board "has a responsibility to the millions of students we serve each year to ensure that our programs are continuously evaluated and enhanced, and most importantly respond to the emerging needs of those we serve," wrote Coleman. Among the needs he said the redesign would attempt to address:
With the form of the redesign and its timing seemingly still up in air, we want to know: how would you change the SAT if it was up to you?
"We will develop an assessment that mirrors the work that students will do in college so that they will practice the work they need to do to complete college," David Coleman wrote. "An improved SAT will strongly focus on the core knowledge and skills that evidence shows are most important to prepare students for the rigors of college and career."
The SAT exam was last redesigned in 2005 to add an essay component, among other changes.
In his message Coleman called the SAT, in its current version, "the best standardized measure of college and career readiness currently available." But the Washington Post noted that in 2011 more students took the ACT than the SAT, and suggested that this loss of market share might be one factor in Coleman's decision to rethink the SAT.
The College Board "has a responsibility to the millions of students we serve each year to ensure that our programs are continuously evaluated and enhanced, and most importantly respond to the emerging needs of those we serve," wrote Coleman. Among the needs he said the redesign would attempt to address:
"...focusing on a core set of knowledge and skills that are essential to college and career success; reinforcing the practice of enriching and valuable schoolwork; fostering greater opportunities for students to make successful transitions into postsecondary education; and ensuring equity and fairness."
With the form of the redesign and its timing seemingly still up in air, we want to know: how would you change the SAT if it was up to you?