College Board Conversation and Update

EducationUSA Triennial Workshop 2010Europe and Eurasia

PragueMarch 24, 2010

The College Board

• Not for profit membership organization of over 5600 schools, colleges, universities, and education associations

• Our mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity

• Committed to excellence and equity in education

SpringBoard® ELA and Mathematics

PSAT/NMSQT®

AP Potential™

College Visits

Take the SAT®

Take AP® Courses

College Admissions

ReadiStep™

CollegeEd®

6th Grade

The Path to College Readiness

• Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

• 2010 Test Fee: $13

• Test Dates: Wednesday, October 13 • Saturday, October 16

PSAT/NMSQT Overview

FPO

• Scores and percentiles

• Information about performance on every test question

• Personalized skills feedback

• Information about NMSC programs

• Self-reported grade average and college major of interest

• Access code for My College QuickStart™

PSAT Score Report Plus

• My College QuickStart™

– Personalized online college planning kit powered by students’ test results

– My Online Score Report• Review test questions,

answers and explanations

– My SAT Study Plan™

• Highlights skills for review and practice

– My College Matches• Based on the student’s home

state and selected major

– My Major & Career Matches• Based on the major chosen

when students take the test. Provides access to MyRoad™

College and Career Planning Tools

College and Career Planning Tips

Arrange for a computer lab session

to introduce students

to My College QuickStart

Arrange for a computer lab session

to introduce students

to My College QuickStart

Use free lesson plans to guide students through structured My College QuickStart and MyRoad activities

Use free lesson plans to guide students through structured My College QuickStart and MyRoad activities

SAT Program Updates

What’s New With the SAT at Collegeboard.com

The College Board Web site is a top resource for students and educators. What’s New

• A completely redesigned online registration process that lets students see and choose their test center in real time. • A more intuitive score-reporting process that guides students through score sending. See how it works by visiting the online Score Choice tutorial.• A tour of SAT® Skills Insight™, a tool that helps students understand the skills tested on the SAT and how they can improve those skills.• My SAT Online Score Report is now the primary way for students to receive scores. (During registration, students are still given the opportunity to select a paper score report if needed.)

SAT Counselor Resource Center

The Counselor Resource Center (CRC) is an online destination created for counselors. It’s designed to be your one-stop source for all the tools, information and inspiration you need to guide students and parents through the college admissions process.

Current features include:– A college planning presentation with presenter notes– Score Choice materials (including a tutorial and

presentation)– Handouts on related topics, such as Advanced Placement®

(AP)– Spanish-language materials and presentations– Test dates calendar for planning purposes

To access all these resources and much more, visit www.collegeboard.com/crc.

SAT MaterialsFor You and For Students

Current Program Materials (Students)

Current SAT Program Materials (Counselors)

SAT Practice Tools

Preparing for the SAT: Myth vs. Reality

MYTH: Short-term prep courses are the best way to prepare for the SAT.

REALITY: The best way to get ready for the SAT is to take a challenging course load and study hard. Students can also take a practice test to get familiar with the format.

MYTH: Good SAT preparation has to be expensive.REALITY: The College Board offers a number of free and low-cost

practice resources that can be used to build skill levels and familiarize students with the test.

MYTH: Students need to figure out the “tricks” to do well on the SAT.REALITY: The SAT is not designed to trick students. Questions are based on

high school subjects. Students who do well in the classroom are often the same ones who do well on the test.

The truth is: a little practice goes a long way.

SAT Practice Tools

The College Board provides a number of free and low-cost practice resources that can also help students get ready for the SAT:

• SAT Question of the Day – free, online• SAT Practice Test – free, online• The Official SAT Study Guide: 2nd

Edition – new edition includes 10 real practice tests

• The Official SAT Online Course™ – includes 18 interactive lessons

More Free Tools

Used together, these tools can help students understand their scores and gain insight into the academic skills they need to do better in the classroom, on the test and in college.

Skills Insight ™•Skills Insight uses real SAT questions and answers to show students the skills they need to be successful on the test.•It helps students to recognize that these skills are the same ones learned in the classroom, thus boosting test-day confidence and familiarity with the SAT.

My SAT Online Score Report•My SAT ® Online Score Report gives students the meaning behind their score and insight into skill strengths and weaknesses.•It offers a detailed review of student performance by question type and difficulty level; national, state and high school percentiles; each student’s essay question and scanned response; and career and major searches.

www.collegeboard.com/satskillsinsight

“Academic Skills” are

skills typical of students who score within the selected

score band.

“Skill Examples” are actual

SAT questions

that illustrate the meaning

ofeach skill.

SAT® Subject Tests™

What are the SAT Subject Tests™?

• The SAT Subject Tests measure students’ knowledge and skills in particular subject areas, and their ability to apply that knowledge.

• SAT Subject Tests are a great way for students to show colleges the subjects in which they are interested and excel.

• Like the SAT, Subject Tests™ are a reliable measure of academic success and a good predictor of college performance.

How do Colleges Use the SAT Subject Tests™?

• Colleges use the SAT Subject Tests™ for admissions, course placement, and to advise students about course selection.

• Subject Tests scores – along with high school grades, SAT scores, personal statements, teacher recommendations, etc. – give colleges a more completed picture of a student.

• Colleges have different policies regarding SAT Subject Tests™. Students should find out how the colleges that they’re considering use Subject Tests scores.

When Should Students Take Subject Tests™?

• Most students take SAT Subject Tests toward the end of their junior year or at the beginning of their senior year.

• Students are advised to take the SAT Subject Tests as soon as possible after completing that subject’s course, while the material is still fresh in their mind.

• For foreign language tests, students tend to do better after at least two years of study.

Score Choice

About Score Choice

• Score Choice is a score reporting feature that gives students the option to send the test scores they feel best represent their abilities to colleges.

• Score Choice is designed to reduce student test anxiety and enable students to feel more comfortable on test day.

• Colleges will continue to set their SAT score-use practices.

How Score Choice Works

• Score Choice is optional. The default selection is all scores.

• Scores can be selected by test date for SAT and by individual test for Subject Tests.

• Any/all scores can be sent to a college on a single report, at no additional charge.

• Score Choice applies to college score reports only. All scores will continue to go to students and high schools.

How Score Choice Works

The College Board has partnered with colleges, universities, high school counselors, financial aid, and admissions advisors to help them establish and communicate their test score-use practices.

Since Score Choice launched, counselors can view a comprehensive list of participating institutions’ score-use practices posted on our Web site.

A new reminder email service is in place for students who take the SAT but don’t send their score report by designated application deadlines.

Score Choice TutorialA tutorial of the Score Choice website is available on

collegeboard.com

http://www.collegeboard.com/html/SCTutorial/index.html

2009-10 SAT FeesTest Fees

SAT $45

SAT Subject Tests™ Basic registration fee $20

Language Tests with Listening (add to basic reg. fee) add $20

All other SAT Subject Tests (add per test to basic reg. fee) add $9

Additional Processing Fees (add to test fees)

Register by phone (available only if you have registered before) $12.50

Change fee (test type, center or date change) $22

Late fee $23

Standby fee $38

International processing fee (for students testing in countries other than the United States, U.S. territories and U.S. commonwealths)

$26

Additional surcharge for testing in India and Pakistan $23

The Advanced The Advanced Placement Placement

ProgramProgram®®(AP(AP®®): ):

An International An International Program, Program,

A Global CredentialA Global Credential

How Colleges and Universities Use AP

• More than 3,800 colleges and universities annually receive AP Exam scores.

• Over 90% of 4-year colleges in the U.S. provide credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying scores

• 85% of selective colleges and universities indicate that a student’s AP experience “favorably impacts admissions decisions.”

• Overall, 75% of college faculty favor or strongly favor allowing AP credit/placement in their department, but this differs significantly by discipline

• 31% of colleges and universities factor a student’s AP experience into decisions about which students will receive scholarships.

AP®: The Most Widely Used Academic Program in the

World

• May 2009

• 1.7 million students took 2.9 million AP Exams.

• AP Exams were administered by more than 17,300 schools in 114 countries.

• Outside the United States:

• 34,801 students

• More than 69,000 AP Exams

• 1,026 schools

Value of AP for Students

• Experience university-level coursework and exams • Gain advantages in university admission • Earn university credit and fulfill requirements• Place into higher-level coursework• Gain a global perspective and global competencies• Gain confidence in the ability to take on

challenges• Qualify for scholarships• Save time and money• Increase options

Benefits of AP for Schools

AP: High Academic Standards– Anchored to the best practices of leading higher

education institutions

– University-level standard in secondary schools

– Valid and reliable assessment

– Promotes global skills and competencies

– Recognized by leading universities worldwide

AP: Curricular Autonomy– Discretion and freedom for schools to execute their own

curricula and teaching practices

Benefits of AP for Schools

AP: Flexibility– AP is modular – Schools offer and students take

the AP courses and exams they want.

– AP is flexible – Internationally mobile students take AP courses and exams at schools around the world.

– Community service component – can be added, and many schools do

– The AP International Diploma (APID) - available to all students and optional

AP International Diploma (APID)

Requirements: Scores of 3 or higher on required combination of

five AP Exams• Two AP Exams from English and/or world languages• One AP Exam designated as offering a global

perspective (Government and Politics: Comparative, Human Geography, World History)

• One exam from science or mathematics• One (or two) additional exam(s) from among any

content areas except English and world languages

More information: http://www.collegeboard.com/apid

Benefits of AP for Schools

AP is Affordable• There is no cost for schools to offer

AP Courses.

• The AP Exam fee is $86 of which schools retain $8.

• AP provides free and low-cost resources for all schools.

Universities Recognize and Value AP

AP:• Is a standard, reliable assessment of

university-level concepts and skills• Helps universities identify students• Attracts motivated students• Is supported by research• Involves university faculty in significant

ways

Universities Recognize and Value AP

• More than 90% of four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. grant advanced placement, credit or both for successful AP Exam scores.

• More than 600 universities in 58 countries outside the U.S. recognize AP for credit, placement and/or when making admission decisions.

International University Recognition of AP

• Canada – every university offers advanced placement and/or credit

• Country-wide recognition policies also in Austria, Germany, Norway

• U.K. - most universities recognize AP for admission– Ex: U. of Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, others

• SAT + 3-4 AP Exams with grades of 4 or higher• Netherlands - most universities recognize AP for

admission– Ex: U. of Amsterdam, U. of Maastricht, TU Delft

• 2- 4 AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher• 162 universities in 26 Latin America and Caribbean

countries recognize AP

AP Policies of University Outside the U.S. on collegeboard.org

International university AP policies

are searchable by country and by

Institution.• Provides:

– A statement by the college or university about the policy

– A link to the university’s own Web page and contact information for university officialsInternational Universities: http://www.collegeboard.com/apintl

U.S. University AP Policies of U.S. universities on

collegeboard.orgU.S. university AP

policies are searchable by

institution.

• Provides:– A statement by the

college or university about theirAP policy

– A link to the university’s own Web page that details its AP credit and placement policies

U.S. Universities: http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/creditpolicy

AP and the School Community:

Strategies that Schools have Shared

• Keep parents and board members informed

• Involve dynamic staff members as academic leaders

• Involve your community – orientations, AP Open House events

• Publicize successes of your program online, in local media, and in international education journals and newsletters

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Resources

• College Board Web site – www.collegeboard.org• AP Central – http://apcentral.collegeboard.com• AP University Recognition Directory – print and online• AP: A World Class Academic Experience brochure • AP PPT Presentation for International Schools• AP Course Ledger

– https://apcourseaudit.epiconline.org/ledger/• AP Data and Research

– Online Score Reports available in 2010• AP Potential • AP Professional Development

Questions?

• Carol Blythe cblythe@collegeboard.org• Janine Farhat jfarhat@collegeboard.org• Jennifer Russell

jrussell@collegeboard.org• Stephanie Trainor

strainor@collegeboard.org• Christina Hum chum@collegeboard.org